 The Undermountain, a horrifying dungeon with monstrosities beyond the wildest dreams. Forged and ruled by Halister, the Mad Mage, any adventurer's delve into this dungeon is certainly a death sentence. Perhaps you could solve its mysteries and overcome the Mad Mage. Dungeons and Dragons Waterdeep, Dungeon of the Mad Mage, is an adventure set in the Undermount for those who prefer your classical dungeon delve. Here I will detail the events that occurs in the adventure. While it is 5th edition's version of a mega dungeon, there's more to it than just a hack and slash adventure. Smart role-playing and quick wits may take you a long way down when exploring the Undermountain. I will try to guide you through as much of the story as I can, but please understand that this adventure is absolutely massive. Not everything will be covered as this video is nearly an hour long and it will take me ages to cover it all. That being said, I will be covering what happens at each of the levels along with a bit of the backstory. Without further ado, let's explore the story of Waterdeep, Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Undermountain Overview Over a thousand years ago, a wizard named Halister Black Cloak journeyed from a distant land to the base of Mount Waterdeep. Some believe he hailed from the nearly forgotten empire known as the Cradlelands. Others give Halister less ancient origins, placing him among the early wizards of Netherreal. Whatever his origin, scholars have recorded that Halister brought with him seven apprentices to Mount Waterdeep. With the seven guarding his back, Halister tapped into his immense power to summon beings from other planes of existence to help him build the wizard's tower to dwarf all others. As the seasons went on, the seven apprentices saw less and less of their master. Halister continued to use creatures from distant planes for construction beneath his tower, and the wizard kept the nature of most of his underground dealings a secret from the seven. Eventually, Halister's exploration broke into the Underhauls, a complex of tunnels and rooms built by the dwarves around a mithral mine beneath Mount Waterdeep. The architects of the Underhauls, the Malarcan clan, had long ago been killed or dispersed and warring duergar and drow had settled in the ruins. Halister began a crusade against both the drow and the duergar, participating in wild hunts with extra planar allies through the tunnels. The stubborn duergar dug in until the mithral was largely mined out, then they abandoned the Underhauls, leaving the drow to fight Halister and his minions alone. The magmaige rounded up the remaining dark elves, trapping some of their souls for use in his dark magic while twisting the bodies and enslaving the minds of others. Once he had wrung the drow of their usefulness, Halister Black Cloak, Tunnel Don, ever downward, indulging in his compulsion for delving deeper and deeper into the mountain. Using his underground complex as a base of operations, Halister traveled to other plains and distant lands, collecting strange and dangerous creatures to live as prisoners, servants, or guardians in Undermountain. Over time, the mages preoccupation with Undermountain electrified his eccentricities and infused him with an air of unconcealable madness. Halister's apprentices came and went. Some left only to return, drawn down into Undermountain's depths. Others remained by his side. As they began dedicating more attention to their private obsessions, madness settled into their souls as well. During the years, Halister quested on other plains and sequestered himself in his tunnels, his magnificent tower, and its surrounding walls fell into ruin. In time, the city now known as Waterdeep developed in the shadow of Mount Waterdeep and spread down to the harbor. As the city sprawled outward over the years, it came to surround the ruins of Halister's home. Undermountain was known to those early settlers, and they often sent criminals into its endless depths as punishment. So it was for many years, until an adventurer named Dernham, delved into the labyrinth beneath the tower and returned alive, laden with richest and countless harrowing tales. Dernham used his new fortune to demolish the remnants of Halister's tower and built an inn over the well he had used to descend into Undermountain, calling it the Yawning Portal. Dernham owns and operates the inn to this day, serving patrons and inviting the brave and foolish alike to test their metal in the dungeon of the Mad Mage. Whether the allure of treasure or the strong urge to discover the dungeon's forbidden secrets, you find yourself at the Yawning Portal requesting to descend into the dungeon. Dernham, who runs the inn, charges you a mere one gold piece for your descent into the void. After paying the man, you climb down into the well in the middle of the inn and descend into the dungeon of the Mad Mage. You descend into the first level of the dungeon and find a gang of neutral evil human bandits calling themselves the Undertakers that prey on gullible adventurers. Along with them are nine bugbears that represent the Xanathar Guild, one of the most powerful criminal networks in the Sword Coast. The bandits are failed actors and singers who use disguise kits to appear as vampires. These disguises are elaborate and convincing, but you can see through their ruse. The leaders of the gang, Uktaro Kranak and Harja Velashtar, were lovers once, but their relationship soured recently. They're fed up with each other and each is plotting to eliminate the other and take control of the gang. Barja is likely the winner of this conflict because she recently acquired a flesh goal that wandered up from the second level of the dungeon. Struck by Harja's resemblance to his creator, the Golem has been pressed into service. The Undertakers demand a toll of 10 gold pieces for safe passage through this level of the dungeon. You deny their request and the bandits ready themselves for battle. You eliminate each bandit one by one and clear the area of the extorting bandits. Additionally, you eliminate the bugbears and outposts left from the Xanathar Guild. Defeating the Undertakers mean that the future parties of adventurers can explore this level of the dungeon without paying tolls for safe passage. The gang's removal, however, has also allowed bugbears, goblins, warrats and other Xanathar Guild operatives to set up new watchposts and the bandits' former hideouts. Destroying the Xanathar Guild outposts makes this level much safer place for a while, but also spells the end of the force and kept other predatory monsters in check. Such creatures begin to expand their territory, occasionally bumping up against one another with predictably bloody results. One thing that never changes is the steady influx of new blood from the Yawning Portal. Through your carnage of the first level, you encounter Halath, the Revenant, who is once a half-elf. Stuck in a pit, he requests your aid. He tells you that he once belonged to an adventuring party called the Fine Fellows of Daggerford. When the half-elf accused his adventuring companions of withholding treasure from him, the other members of the Fine Fellows of Daggerford beat Halath to death and threw his body into the pit. Halath awoke the next day as Revenant, compelled to find and kill the three who murdered him. Unfortunately for him, he is unable to climb out of the pit without existence and has been pacing down there for days. You pull him up, and Halath points to a secret door in the south wall and offers to join you until he locates his friends. Together, the two of you make your way into the second level. Level 2. Arcane Chambers Descending into the second level of the dungeon, you find yourself in the Arcane Chambers. A tribe of goblins has claimed an old throne room and turned it into a bazaar. The Xanathar Guild wants to shut down the market before it attracts too many surface dwellers, while the goblins fight to keep it open. Admission into the goblin bazaar is free, but non-goblin oids are closely watched. The goblin boss, Yek, recently found a magic circle that transformed him into a human. After his initial surprise pass, Yek warmed to the transformation. After all, it made him taller. The other goblins quietly resent taking orders from a human and would like to see Yek return to normal. After learning of the goblin's resentment to their human leader, you identify the circle and remove it from Yek, earning the favor of the goblins. In addition to the goblins, you find more members of the Xanathar Guild. The Xanathar Guild aims to secure this level, plunder it thoroughly and return valuable items to Skullport to be sold, thus boosting the town's sagging economy. There are two Xanathar Guild watchposts on this level. Each one has a leader, a drow named Shun Spider Eyes Sherith commands the Northern Watchpost. A human berserker named Nadia the Unbent leads the Southern Watchpost. Whereat recently stole a stone key from the Southern Outpost. Shun believes that the key unlocks something important and wants to reclaim it. He intends to capture a wereat and ransom it for the safe return of the key, unknown to him. A drow mage in League with the Xanatharum has set up a hidden base on this level. The drow named Rizzarelle has eight wereats in his employ. The Xanathar Guild is aware of the wereats, but not their drow master. Rizzarelle has the stone key that the wereats stole from the Xanathar Guild. He thinks it might unlock a vault hidden somewhere on this level. The drow offers to give up this key to you in exchange for the destruction of the Xanathar Guild Outpost on this level. You agree to his task, proceed to each Outpost, defeating the Xanathar Guild members that reside there. Along the way, you encounter the treacherous party members of Halith. Exacting his revenge, the Revenant thanks you for your aid and passes on to the afterlife. The rest of the dungeon is infested with sentient magical experiments and leftovers from the days when Halister's apprentices used this level as a laboratory. While horrifying, to say the least, most are avoidable and traverse through them with relative ease. You make your way past the creatures of this level and climb down a set of stairs to the third level. You hear the sound of flowing water and smell the stench of seawater permeating the air. Along with the stench, you find a subterranean town of Stromkolder. It lies divided in chunks by ancient cave-ins that drove away its original inhabitants. This level of Undermount is also connected to the subterranean settlement of Skullport by way of tunnels as well as the river Sargoth itself. Since then, many factions have fought over this Outpost. Currently, the drow of House Avrendar and the goblinoids of the Legion of Azeroth are teetering on the brink of war that Halister and the Xanathar Guild both seek to instigate. A drow priestess of Loth named Teresa Avrendar and her retinue have assumed control of a section of Stromkolder and converted the temple once dedicated to a doomathion into a hatchery for giant spiders. Under Taurus's command, the drow have begun secret experiments using human noise as incubators for the giant spider eggs, eager to expunge the drow occupying his dungeon. Halister has summoned a coven of seahags from the frigid waters of the river Sargoth. The hags have gathered followers that oppose the drow including Grimlocks and Truglodytes. In regards to Azeroth, he was the son of a hobgoblin warlord and born blind. Such a curse would ordinarily have spelled his doom in hobgoblin society, but Azeroth's mother was a sorcerer and she refused to allow her son's misfortune to dictate his destiny. She crafted a dagger of blind sight which young Azeroth knew to defend himself and perceive his surroundings. The dagger allowed Azeroth to become the powerful soldier and leader he was fated to be and he was quickly promoted up through the ranks until none stood above him. Other goblinoids believed he was blessed by Maglubiet, the great god of war. Azeroth wisely hid the true source of his godside to perpetuate the myth. Age granted Azeroth wisdom and the desire to carve out a domain of his own. He led his forces to Stromkolder and they rid the place of Grimlocks and Truglodytes that dwelled there. He sired an heir, ensuring that his legacy would last beyond his lifetime. His son, Ezrakkog, chafed at his father's sedentary nature and left to wage wars on his own, eventually returning to the Undermount with a new name, Doomcrown, and a new purpose. The Legion of Azeroth, which has lived in Stromkolder for three decades, is in turmoil. Azeroth was recently forced to give up a portion of his domain to encroaching Drow and did so with Nerya Fight. This has sent shockwaves through his Legion. What caused this strange lack of courage in their great warlord? Has Age finally taken its toll? In reality, a band of Duragard thieves posing as merchants recently stole Azeroth's dagger of Blindsight and had fled using their invisibility. News of the Death reached the Drow House of Averindar and spurred them to take over the eastern section of Stromkolder. Lurkana, Azeroth's wife and strongest captain, tried to cover up her husband's blindness, but her efforts were undone by a Mindflare acting as Skullport's ambassador. This Mindflare secretly implanted intellect of ours and the skulls of several goblins in Azeroth's court, and these goblins are spreading the truth of Azeroth's blindness throughout Stromkolder to further besmirch his reputation and demoralize his troops. The Hopgoblins under Azeroth remain loyal to him, but many goblins and bugbears have fled to Skullport to join the Xanathar Guild. Compounding Azeroth and Lurkana's woes is the likelihood that the House of Averindar is planning another attack to seize more territory. Fears of a Xanathar guild offensive emerging from Skullport also play in the back of Azeroth's mind. Meanwhile, Lurkana searches for aid in finding the Duragard thieves who stole the dagger of Blindsight. You enter Stromkolder and are brought before Azeroth and Lurkana as a manner of protocol. Azeroth guarantees your safety in his settlement, and Lurkana takes you aside and offers a reward for the safe return of her husband's magic dagger. She emphasizes that without the dagger, the evading Drow in the Xanathar Guild might conquer Stromkolder and become immensely more powerful. She reminds you that the Legion of Azeroth has never once threatened Waterdeep, but the Drow or the Guild might leap at the chance to do just that. Lurkana knows that the thieves who stole the dagger are Duragars of Clan Iron Eye, and she thinks that they might be hiding in Skullport. You accept her quest, and Lurkana suggests you search Skullport first and points you in the right direction. She also suggests that you speak with Skullport's ambassador to Stromkolder to see if it knows anything. She cautions you not to harm the ambassador in any way, so as not to harm any further relations. You make a quick stop to Skullport and learn that a large contingent of Duragar from Clan Iron Eye resupplied in Skullport and drank ale at a local tavern called the Black Tanker before heading deeper into the Undermount. The tavern's tight-lipped Duragar proprietor, Druin Stonedar, denies everything. Keeping this in mind, you make your way back to the Undermount and note that the Iron Eye Clan may appear later in your journey. Learning that the Drow that resides here wish to unleash a full-scale attack on Skullport, you eliminate some of the drows of House Avarindar to prevent the disaster. Making your way to the entrance of the fourth level, the Goblinoid's station there, under the leadership of the Legion of Azrok, allows you passage as you continue your journey. Level 4, Twisted Caverns The grove of Fungi along the cavernous walls of this level brings to you the sight of a beautiful yet eerily creepy cave. Here you find an Abilith, the Kuatoa's, and remnants of House Avarindar. Control of this level is contested between an Abilith and a tribe of Kuatoa. The Drow of House Avarindar watch this conflict intently, waiting to see who comes out on top before making any push of their own. Aloon the Abilith, along with his pet Chools and enslaved Troglodytes, have taken over the Lake Cavern and pushed the Kuatoa out. Its presence has tainted the underground river, killing off fish and other river dwellers that provide sustenance to the Kuatoa. You learn that Aloon plans to take over the entire level as a step toward gaining control of Undermount and then Waterdeep. The Abilith rarely leaves its watery layer and relies on its servants to capture new slaves. The Kuatoa on this level were pushed out of the Lake Cavern and away from their nesting caves by the Abilith. They have taken refuge while the Kuatoa Archpriest Nul-Galup creates an idol of the new god. The Archpriest hopes the god will come to life and destroy the Abilith. Nul-Galup is using random items and the body parts of various creatures to craft the idol. The Kuatoa don't trust Drow and attack them on sight. When you encounter these strange beings, they request that you help bring Nul-Galup's vile god to life or face the Abilith in battle. Aiming to avoid the disaster of creating a new god, you decide it would be best to just travel to the Abilith and eliminate it. The death of the Abilith allows the surviving Kuatoa to reclaim their grotto. Having saved the strange creatures, you climb onto a boat, descend further into Undermount by following the flow of the river here. All is not well, however, as the Kuatoa victory is short-lived due to the Drow attacking them soon after your descent. These attack continue until the Kuatoa are wiped out or forced to retreat upriver. After taking over the grotto, the Drow enslave the Troglodites and use them to farm fungi and crystals. Level 5, Willowwood. Traversing through rapids and small waterfalls, you follow the river into the fifth level of the Undermountain. Contained within this level is a forest of trees. These temperate forests were magically created by Halister and the sky high above you can fool anyone into thinking they have escaped Undermountain and found their way back to the surface. Birds, insects, and tree-dwelling mammals live here alongside Willowwood's fiercer denizens. The forests are real and nourished by magic and Halister repopulates them with birds, insects, rodents, and larger mammals. The main caverns have tall ceilings hidden by illusions that can't be dispelled. The illusions flawlessly duplicate the sun, the moon, the stars, and clouds though there is no wind or breeze to speak of. During the day, the warmth of the sun can be felt and at night the temperature drops as one would expect. A magic calendar stone in the area allows one to change the time of day, the weather and the seasons in Willowwood's forest. Willow, the Archdruid of the level, is the only one permitted to use the calendar stone. She is a moon elf druid with eyes as green as emeralds. Butterflies nest in her tangled black hair and small critters gather around her feet. Over 200 years ago, Willow fell in love with Yanark, a wizard in league with Halister, and returned with him to the Undermountain. Her happiness faded quickly when the dungeon proved to be a far cry from the woods she called home. Determined to keep Willow in the Undermountain, Halister knew several wish spells to create a magical forest for her but even this gift wasn't enough to offset the druid's languor. When Yanark forbade her from ever returning to the surface, Willow grew positively despondent. The relationship soured and turned violent. A volley of spells on both sides resulted in Yanark's death. After Willow's fury abated, all that remained was undying grief and encroaching madness. She remains in Undermountain in accordance with Yanark's wishes, a prisoner of her own guilt. Undermountain is Willow's home now and all memory of the surface world has faded from her mind. She is distant but kind towards those who pass harmlessly through her domain but turns violent whenever her force or its peaceful denizens are threatened. Willow's displaced her beast companion, Crissan, is named after a human mercenary whom the elf befriended many years ago. Before this relationship could blossom into a romance, Halister intervened and used his magic to turn Willow's new friend against her. The heart-broken druid slew Crissan in the woods and vowed never to let another mortal touch her heart so deeply. Willow has conflicted feelings about Halister. She is grateful to him for providing her a home and keeping Willow would alive with his magic, but she blames him for Yanark's death. She also pities him for the Mad Mage too appears to be trapped in a prison of his own making. Willow believes he is no longer human but an immortal entity composed of pure magic. Thus, she has given up any hope of being rid of him. In addition to Willow, hidden within these trees is a young green dragon named Tyrolai. This green dragon, who wants a lawful evil creature, experienced a change in alignment and personality when an adventurer impaled it through the skull of a sentient, emerald-bladed sword of sharpness named Tyrolai. The dragon now refers to itself as Tyrolai and has the longsword's neutral good alignment. It sleeps atop a platform overlooking the River of Deaths, guarding its treasure. Willow once sent adventurers against the green dragon hoping to destroy the evil dragon, but the dragon's change of alignment caused Willow to reconsider their relationship. Now that the green dragon and Tyrolai are one, the Archdruid considers the dragon part of Willowwood's ecosystem. The two currently enjoy a peaceful coexistence. South of Willow's Tower stands a large complex of ornate stone buildings that used to be the home to a cult of Malar, the Beast Lord. Willow allowed these evil humans to hunt in her forest, but they abused the privilege, so the Archdruid and her green dragon ally eradicated the cultist. The village stood empty for years until a congregation of goblin werebats took residence in the caves around the buildings. The werebats prefer the caves to the structures, which have largely remained abandoned. Willow allows the werebats to feed on any stray vermin and adventurers. They wisely acknowledged the Archdruid as masters of the forest and leave her animals and her dragon ally alone. As you explore the forest, you meet Willow and tell her of your journey deeper into the Undermountain. The friendly druid shows you the two passages, one that leads down to the sixth level and another that leads into the seventh. She warns you to steer clear of the werebats and show the green dragon the respect it's due. Heating Willow's words, you make your way past the werebat caves and into the tunnel. Level 6, Lost Level As you trek through the tunnels, you note the strange markings on the walls that are eerily similar to the markings of an Umber Hulk. The end of the tunnel leads you to a massive temple complex that was once dedicated to the Dwarven God Dumathion known as the Lost Level. Until recently, the Lost Level was physically cut off from the rest of the Undermountain, but when the Umber Hulks burying through the mountains stumbled upon it, they left tunnels in their wake for treasure hunters to follow. Hidden inside is the Tomb of Malar, King of the Malarken Dwarves that once resided in the Undermountain before the conquest of Hallister. The Durgar of Clan Irni, led by a half-Durgar prospector named Skella Irni, have come to plunder this level of Undermountain. They are assisted in this effort by two cloakers from the Conclave on Level 5, which hope to turn this level into a hunting ground. After gaining entry through an Umber Hulk tunnel that leads down from Level 5, the Raiders manage to loot several rooms, but a combination of traps and unexpected monsters has diminished their numbers and dimmed their enthusiasm. Skella is obsessed by art history and beauty and stark contrast to the usual Durgar focus on utility. The Durgar she leads are content to follow her for the sake of what their raids will earn them and they care nothing for the historical value of the relics they steal and destroy. Skella is willing to parlay with you and stay out of your way in exchange for a chance to plunder more of the dungeon and leave in one piece. Her lawful nature means she will abide by the terms of any bargain. While certainly a good deal to be had, you remember the request to return the dagger stolen from Azeroth and strum colder by Clan Irni. You battle with the clan and slay the Durgar, taking their looted treasure along with the dagger. Keeping in mind to return the dagger back to Azeroth once the Undermountain has been explored, you set forth into another set of Umber Hulk tunnels and into the seventh level. Level 7, Mad Goth's Castle The tunnel barreled by the Umber Hulks takes you to a system of caverns that all leads towards the large room in the center. Within this large room you find a miniature 112 scale fortress. This castle serves as the home base of Mad Goth, a serial killer who lures other wizards to his lair to murder them and keep their arcane focuses and spell books as trophies. Mad Goth isn't home when you first arrive. Mad Goth comes and goes from Undermountain with the aid of a horned ring similar to one worn by Hollister. While he is away, his homunculus watches over the castle. A fairy dragon has also discovered the castle and claimed it as his lair. To reach the castle, you travel through caverns inhabited by a family of forgetful stone giants. Ten years ago, Hollister lured a family of stone giants to Undermountain and stripped them of most of their memories. The giants remember who they are and recall events that happened within the last eight hours but everything that occurred before them is lost in a haze and soon forgotten. All their memories of the surface world and its inhabitants faded long ago. The stone giants are irritable and self-serving but not evil. They are unaware of the miniature castle in the heart of their domain because it floats in the middle of a great cavern beyond the range of their dark vision. The giants are tormented by the fairy dragon that lairs in Mad Goth's castle. It emerges while invisible and uses illusion spells to close off passages, create false tunnels, and make temporary alterations to the giant's caves. The fairy dragon's mischief has only heightened the stone giant's irritability and the giants having never seen the creature suspect that you might be responsible. To earn the giant's trust, you must seek out the fairy dragon and put an end to it. Approaching the fortress, you are reduced to one-twelfth your normal size as you approach Mad Goth's castle, enabling you to fit better inside. Either by design or because of some failing, the shrinking magic doesn't affect all creatures. The violet fairy dragon named Otto was drawn here by the magic that halish their woe into these caves. Upon discovering Mad Goth's castle, Otto decided to move in. The fairy dragon was unaffected by the castle's shrinking magic and settled comfortably into its new home. It feeds on bats and other vermin it finds in the surrounding cavern. When it's bored, the fairy dragon sneaks out invisibly and uses its spells to make illusionary modification to the stone giant's caves, confounding the giants for its own amusement. The giants have no clue who or what is responsible for this magical mischief. The fairy dragon would like to get rid of Mad Goth's homunculus, which has been a troublesome reminder of the castle's true owner. Otto has defeated the homunculus in physical combat more than once, but it keeps coming back. The dragon has concluded that the only way to get rid of the homunculus, for good, is to forcibly remove it from the castle and trap it somewhere else. If you do this for the fairy dragon, in exchange, Otto will allow you to use this castle for rest and relaxation, provided you don't overstay your welcome or loot the joint. In Mad Goth's study, you find a room ravaged by that of the homunculus. Your arrival prompts the homunculus to begin rooting through the mess on the floor. After a minute of searching, it finds a torn page on which is drawn a smiling dragon with butterfly wings. The homunculus shows it to you, tears the page into tiny pieces, throws the scrap into the air like confetti, and gives you a long stare. The fact that the homunculus hasn't perished suggests that Mad Goth is still alive, but their telepathic bond has been severed, indicating that two are no longer on the same plane of existence. Whether this separation is of Mad Goth's choosing is unknown. The lonely homunculus longs to be reunited with his creator. It also wants to rid Mad Goth's castle of the fairy dragon that has invaded it. Whether to dispatch the fairy dragon or the homunculus, the choice is yours. What happens in the miniature castle has little impact on the stone giants and vice versa. Killing all the giants would set an auto on the fairy dragon, but its goals don't change. If you help the giants by dealing with the fairy dragon, all this forgotten within a few hours when the giant's memories fade away. Whatever the outcome may be, it ends with you walking past the cavern containing a petrified basilisk making it onto the 8th level. Level 8, Slyther Swamp Having passed the strange fortress in the 7th level, you are greeted with the sight of murky waters. This level consists of muck-filled caverns and decaying temples dedicated to evil deities of the Yuan-ti. The serpent folk lived here until they were defeated by Nagas known as the Sethian Scourges. Afterward, Halister replaced the Yuan-ti with the Bullywuk tribe governed by a cruel death slot overlord. The Sethian Scourge were three spirit Nagas that fought the Yuan-ti of the Slyther Swamp eventually claiming victory. Only two spirit Nagas remain, Exgrutha and Saracath along with their thralls and the remnant of the third spirit Naga, Hexacali, who was destroyed and transformed into a bone Naga by the Yuan-ti. The spirit Nagas maintain a stable of thralls and use a rod of rulership to ensure their obedience. Every day at dawn, the Nagas gather their thralls and target them again with the recharge rod and each Naga has the special ability to increase the duration of the charm effect. Humanoid thralls that resist the rod's magic often choose to maintain the appearance of being charmed for the sake of their own survival because the Nagas kill or chain up those they can't magically enslave. Shortly after the Sethian Scourges defeated their Yuan-ti foes a tribe of Bullywugs left by a death slot appeared in the Slyther Swamp. Frustrated by this new obstacle and their dominance of the level the Nagas now seek allies to slay the Bullywugs and their leader. A year ago, Halister used his magic to transport the Black Tongue tribe of Bullywugs along with its small army of giant frogs and giant toads from a remote marshland to this level of the Under Mountain. He seeded them into those parts of Slyther Swamp once controlled by the Yuan-ti. The Bullywugs were quick to capture and domesticate four carrion crawlers and a hydra. Halister also summoned a death slot named Kuketh to Slyther Swamp. The Mad Mage keeps the slot's control gem in his sanctuary and forces Kuketh to serve as the Bullywugs' king. The Black Tongues live in fear of their new king. The slot hates being under Halister's control and takes out his frustration on its subjects. The mages of Demokor, an organization found on the 9th level have sent one of their own, a human named Karstis, to monitor this level. He is an ally to those looking to thin out any of the factions in Slyther Swamp but a foe to anyone who tries to gain access to Demokor. Here you have the option of helping Kuketh and the Black Tongue tribe or the Sethians scourge. If you help Kuketh destroy or reclaim its control gem, the death slot abandons the Bullywugs. If all the Black Tongue Bullywugs are defeated, the temple becomes a safe place for you to rest. Killing the Sethian allowed the Black Tongues to overrun the Naga's cave. Karstis and the mages of Demokor might be there already though, wanting to hold those caverns. Such gains are short lived because the Spirit Naga's Rejuvenation trait ensures their return in a few days. Regardless of the results, you press on pass a worded cavern and continue on to the 9th level in the Undermountain. Level 9, Demokor Having traveled through jungles and swamps, you've seen it all when it comes to exploring a dungeon. Regardless, you weren't expecting to find an Academy of Magic at the end of the cavern. Demokor is an Academy of Magic designed to test, trap, and confound its students. An Arcana-Loth and a Nighthag preside over this level. The Arcana-Loth and Ligo with the Mad Mage runs Demokor's Academy of Evil mages. It keeps its true name secret and uses Alter Self spells to appear as Halister. The Arcana-Loth employs Nica-Loth and Mesaloth as guards and it trades safe passage through Demokor for magic items. Evil mages in search of Arcane Knowledge or Halister's Tudalage come here with their followers to train and be tested. Wormriddle is a Nighthag who has four flesh golems at her command. She strikes foul bargains, offering spells and secrets of magic in exchange for evil acts that allow her to claim souls. The Nighthag wears a mummified kitten's head around her neck as a talisman though it has no magical properties. It testifies to her fear of cats for Wormriddle is frightened while there is feline creatures within her sight. You become embroiled in Academy politics and form tenuous truces with certain students while making enemies of others. The loss of one or more students has little effect on the day-to-day affairs of Demokor since the facility has no emotional attachments to the pupils. Within a 10 day, the headmaster replaces dead students with new arrivals and begin their orientation. Finding a secret door set into a wall, you push it open to reveal a corridor. Following the corridor brings you to a stone staircase that descends onto the next level. Descending the staircase, you are greeted by a network of rooms that are a pale shadow of their former glory having fallen into disrespear and neglect. Mural of the Mishappen, one of Hallister's apprentices, claimed this drow-built level as his private hunting grounds after the dark elves were forced to abandon it long ago. Despite being recruited by Hallister as a bodyguard, Mural also studied magic under the Mad Mage. He is no longer human, having grafted his upper torso onto the body of a giant scorpion. With no hope of repelling the drow on his own and no help coming from Hallister, Mural does his best to hold on to what he has left. Under the leadership of a priestess named Vaan-Welve Avrendar, the drow have recently returned to reclaim the level. House Avrendar and its allies hope to establish a permanent stronghold here complete with a fully renovated temple dedicated to Loth. The house uses Meryl's Gauntlet as a staging ground for raids into other levels and as a base from which to launch attacks against House Fret, a rival drow house that has a fortress on the twelfth level. Leading them is Vaan-Welve Avrendar. Vaan-Welve is the mother to Theresa, who was encountered on the third level. The priestess is the diplomat through and through. Although angered by your presence in her fortress, she treats you cordially at first, offering you food, drinks, shelter, and safe passage. In return, she demands that you hunt down and slay Meryl, who has become an unwelcome distraction. If you refuse, she threatens you with death. Eliminating Meryl or Vaan-Welve are options you can take, or you may decide to avoid them altogether. Whichever option you may choose, you eventually make your way out of the facility and enter a natural cavern that descends to the eleventh level. Level 11, Trogledite Warrant The passage from the drow stronghold leads you to a reeking cavern. Trogledite inhabit this level at the under-mountain. Their dominance is contested by drow, determined to enslave them, trolls twisted by Halester's magic, and a magically enhanced Bahir intent on terrorizing all. Drow from House Avrendar on the tenth level and House Fret on the twelfth level are fighting each other for control of this level, all the while capturing Trogledites to use as slaves and doing their best to steer clear of the Bahir. House's Avrendar and Fret continue to send forces to this level until their strongholds are destroyed. Making it past the Bahir takes a bit of luck, but eventually you make it through and onto the twelfth level. Level 12, Maze Level Having escaped the hellish landscape of the previous level, it seems like the drows of House Fret are battling more than you had expected. This level is known as the Maze Level and is a battleground between the drow of House Fret and a tribe of Minotars. The Minotars hold sway over a maze of tunnels riddled with magical effects and traps while the drow occupy the caves around an elegant fortress called Spiderwatch Keep, a staging ground for House Fret's goals of conquering all of the Honor Mountain. Hostilities between the drow and the Minotars have recently abated in the wake of devastating losses on both sides. Driven Fret, a drow archmage hopes to use this respite to his house advantage by summoning a Gristro Demon that will force the Minotars to submit to House Fret's control. From their dark bastion, the leaders of House Fret strive to keep their enemies, House Ovrindar, from conquering the eleventh level, the Trogledite Warrens. Leading the effort is Irelal Fret, a drow priestess of Loth. Her older brother, Driven, works at her side. Irelal has communed with Loth and believes that the key to securing the Trogledite Warrens begins with the capture of the Minotars on this level. Once the Minotars are subservient to House Fret, the drow will use them to clear out and secure the Warrens. To this end, Driven is devising a ritual to summon and control a Gristro Demon. By passing the Gristro off as Baphomet, the Lord of Minotars, he hopes to win the Minotars' obedience. But Driven has recently realized that his arcane knowledge is not sufficient to allow him to perfect the ritual, and he is afraid of emitting his inadequacy to his sister. 23 Minotars inhabit the southern half of the Maze level. They spend most of their time fighting the drow. Their leader is a priest of Baphomet named Maku, a devout follower of the Horned King who has tried to summon the Demon Lord on numerous occasions. The Minotar priest believes that his ritual will be successful if he can amass a large enough pile of mutilated corpses for the Demon Lord to feast on. Additionally, Tendra Nightblade and Matine Shadow Dusk, two low-ranking members of the Shadow Dusk family that resides in the 22nd level of the Underdark, arrived at Spiderwatch Keep a few days ago. They claimed to be emissaries from Shadow Dusk Hold who were seeking an alliance from House Fret. The two diplomats have been fetid and flattered by Irelia Fret since they arrived. The Drow Priestess recognizes the potential benefit of an alliance, although she is also trying to ascertain whether Shadow Dusk Hold has made similar overtures to House Aventar. What Irelia doesn't realize is that House Shadow Dusk has no interest in an alliance and the two emissaries have come to the Maize level on a secret mission. Beholding to Hallister, the Shadow Dusk have been ordered to convince Driven Fret to accept an apprenticeship under the Mad Mage. They have secretly informed him of Hallister's intent and of Hallister's offer to help him perfect the Gritual that will bind a Gristro to House Fret's service. They now wait for Driven's decision while doing everything they can to ensure that he makes the right choice. Sneaking past the strange politics that inhabited the current and previous floors, you make your way to a hole that leads to the 13th level. Eerily enough, the hole resembles that created by a purple worm. Delving in a monstrosity awaits you on the other side. Level 13, Trobrian's Graveyard It may be due to unfortunate circumstances, but your delve into the tunnel of the worm happened to coincide with the mindless travel of the Boar Worm, a drilling machine that was modeled after a purple worm. The piercing sound of drilling fills your ear long before you see it, but is certainly a sight to behold. It is a metal-plated behemoth that resembles a purple worm, replacing the skin with metal sheets and mouth with a grinding drill. It's creator, Trobrian, known as the Metal Mage. This level serves as his workshop, testing ground, and junkyard. Trobrian himself is an infrequent visitor, preferring instead to remain close to his master, Hallister. The Metal Mage's magical constructs populate this level. Among them lives a gnome named Zox Klamersham. As a clever rock gnome, Zox is the sole survivor of his former party's failed under-mountain expedition. Since the demise of his friends, Zox has managed to secure a ring that allows him to command the Scalader. He has put the constructs to work, building a device he calls the Simulacrux. This device will, in theory, create a simulacrum of any Scalader that passes through it, but Zox's intentions are not malevolent. He simply needs more Scalader in order to build things he wishes. The bounty of salvage on this level has not gone unnoticed by the Fire Giants on the 14th level. They send hobgoblin minions to steal scrap metal, which the Giants are using to build a great construct of their own. The hobgoblins raid in small bands using trained rust monsters to distract Zox's constructs. These raiders are naturally violent but can be parlayed with. The hobgoblins recently figured out how Zox controls the Scalader, and now they aim to kill the gnome and take his control ring. So far, Zox has managed to elude all the hobgoblins sent to murder him. You may detour from the tunnels and interact with Zox and the hobgoblins or collect some scrap metal to claim as your own. In the end, all roads lead back to the worm tunnels in which you follow down into the 14th level. Level 14, Arcturia Doom The worm tunnel deposits you into a dungeon housing a truly evil being. The Lich, Arcturia, who dwells on the lowest level of the Undermount is one of Hallister's most accomplished apprentices, arguably the most powerful of the seven and a master of transmutation magic. Arcturia Doom is her personal retreat, Doom being an archaic term for a Lord's domain. Hidden on this level is Arcturia's phylactery. Arcturia Doom has been taken over by Fire Giants in the service of Hallister. Emberosa, a Fire Giant, has come to Undermount with six of her kin on a mission to raise Fire Giants to the top of the Giant Ordning, dethroning the mighty Storm Giants. Emberosa hopes to obtain a lost Ruin of Power created by the Giants more than 40,000 years ago. She believes Dwarves stole the Ruin from the Giants and hid it under Mount Waterdeep. Hallister found the Ruin and hid it on the 23rd level, but he has agreed to part with it if the Fire Giants use their exceptional metalforging abilities to build a Giant Construct for him. The Fire Giants are accompanied by a large force of Hobgoblins. The force of Hobgoblins came to Undermount along with Emberosa and her Fire Giants. This force is commanded by a Hobgoblin warlord named Doomcrown, who is the son of Warlord Azeroth, found on the 3rd level. Doomcrown wants Fire Giants to ascend to the top of the Giant Ordning, envisioning their brutal tyranny sweeping across Faerun. He expects to play an important role in Emberosa's conquest, and he dreams of ruling what remains of the High Forest once the Elves and other Forest Senescence are purged and the Trees are reduced to Ash and Spines. Since arriving in Arcturia Doom, however, Doomcrown has developed strange habits. He spends more and more time locked away in his quarters chasing some strange new obsession. His followers remain loyal, but they worry about the mental state of their warlord. You go through the level, defeating Emberosa and obtaining Arcturia's phylactery. Through a bit of investigation and some personal knowledge, you learn that the object can only be destroyed after being digested in the stomach of a mimic for 30 days. You take it with you and destroy the phylactery whenever you have a chance. Destroying this phylactery leaves Arcturia with no means to rejuvenate once her physical form is destroyed. Additionally, defeating Emberosa and her Fire Giants stall the progress on Halister's creation, but only until Halister finds new metalsmiths to continue the work. Opening a door in the dungeon it leads you to a staircase that descends hundreds of feet to the 15th level. Level 15, Obstacle Course Upon entering the 15th level of the Undermountain, you find a magical mouth next to some minecarts that speak to you. Welcome to the Obstacle Course. Place all weapons and magic items in the carts for safekeeping. You won't need them. Hurry, time is running out. This is the voice of Halister who just entered his Obstacle Course. As a visitor to this level, you must contend with mechanical traps left behind by the Milarchan dwarves, magical traps crafted by the Mad Mage and an undead beholder named Nether Skull. Many years ago, a beholder floated up from the Underdark and infiltrated Undermountain. After carving out a layer for itself, the beholder dreamed himself into Undeath, becoming a death tyrant called Nether Skull. When Halister and Nether Skull met in battle, the wizard emerged triumphant, but he couldn't bring himself to destroy such a formidable dungeon guardian. Instead, Halister agreed to let Nether Skull remain the undisputed lord of this level on the condition that it permit Halister to tinker with and maintain the level's traps, as well as add a magical, mean-spirited announcer that taunts visitors as they blunder from one room to another. This magical voice narrates things similar to that of a sports commentator spouting things such as Winging in a miss and ouch, that'll leave a mark. During your run of the obstacle course, you also encounter trouble from the elemental planes Earth and Fire and a band of gifts or eye on a special mission. Several lava children, brought to the Undermountain by Halister's apprentice Trobriand, have migrated from the 13th level to the obstacle course and have taken residence around a lava-filled chasm in the heart of the level, joining the magma methods that dwell there. Nether Skull terrorizes the lava children magma methods from time to time, but not enough to force them to leave the warmth of the chasm. The evil methods trick or goad the lava children into attacking all other creatures that blunder into their territory. Before Gith Zurai's Earths have taken refuge in the obstacle course, they use their psychic abilities and natural stealth to hide from Halister's magical gaze and the death tyrant's watchful eyes. The Gith Zurai are aware that the Gith Yankee have conquered the Crystal Labyrinth on the 16th level and are waging war against a Mindflare colony on the 17th level. The Gith Zurai wait patiently to see the outcome of the conflict between the two, but stand ready to assist should the Gith Yankee need help. The leader of the Gith Zurai in this level, Yerlaka is a member of the Shasal Coat, a faction of renegade Gith Yankee and Gith Zurai who seek to reunify the Gith race. By helping the Gith Yankee defeat a common foe, Yerlaka hopes to demonstrate the merits of a single unified Gith race not only to the evil Gith Yankee but also to younger Gith Zurai's Earths who follow him. Yerlaka is concerned because his most headstrong pupil, a Gith Zurai named Ezria, has disappeared. He fears that Ezria was captured by the Gith Yankee in the Crystal Labyrinth while trying to find weak spots in their defenses. While a bit tough, the obstacle course poses no match for you and you clear the level, vanquishing those who stand in your way. Although most of the obstacle course's remaining inhabitants have no intention of leaving anytime soon, the Gith Zurais stay only as long as they must to reunite with their missing comrade and ensure the destruction of the Mindflare colony. Walking past the statue of Alistair, you descend down a sloping tunnel that leads to the 16th level. Level 16, Crystal Labyrinth A crystal golem is what greets you at the end of the tunnel in the entrance of the 16th level, the Crystal Labyrinth. It protects the Gith Yankee that reside here from those who would threaten them. The Gith Yankee recently turned the Crystal Labyrinth into an outpost of their Interplanar Empire. It houses a gate to Stardoc, a hollowed-out asteroid in orbit around the planet Toril, one of many that form the asteroid cluster known as the Tears of Sulfene. An adult red dragon named Ash Tyrandor defends Stardoc as well. The Gith Yankee, tracking a splinter colony of Mindflayers to Undermount, sees this level and turns what was once a crystalline maze into a fortress. From here, they launch attacks against the Mindflayers on the 17th level. The Gith Yankee also transforms Stardoc into a crochet, a fortress dedicated to raising and training young warriors. Because creatures do not age on the Astral Plane, the Gith Yankee must bring their offspring to the Material Plane to mature. Unfamiliar with the asteroid's actual name, the Gith Yankee referred to Stardoc as Crochet Caler. The Gith Yankee are led by Alkaya, a knight who is cruel to her trainees and soldiers. Alkaya recently acquired a manual of gainful exercise and a tomb of clear thought and she has promised to award both items to her most accomplished soldier. In truth, she plans to read these tomes to gain their benefits herself but uses the promise of this reward to trick her troops into running themselves ragged. Alkaya's second in command, Urayon, is tired of the abuse and plots against her. Whether you decide to engage the alien race and infiltrate their asteroid base or proceed on your way past them, you end your journey of the 16th level by slipping down some tunnels located beyond two crystal golems. The natural tunnel you traverse through levels out before splitting into several passages. Navigating these tunnels, you occasionally come across the body as a flumps slain by the Gith Yankee in the floor above. Something surely strange in these parts of the dungeon. Deep in the Underdark, a Gith Yankee vanguard force attacked a large colony of mind flayers controlled by an elder brain. Fearing the colony's destruction, the elder brain instructed its most loyal vassal, an illiterate, called Xtremeton, to establish a splinter colony somewhere else safe from the Gith Yankee's incursions. Xtremeton made its way to Undermount with a group of mind flayers laid claim to the 17th level of the dungeon began fortifying it against attacks from the Gith Yankee and others. The dungeon's proximity to Waterdeep guaranteed the mind flayers an endless supply of brains to feed on while Undermount's existing defenses offered an unmatched level of security. Xtremeton has built an enormous dynamo that channels the energy of an underground river to power a series of interconnected metal capsules called Cypods. The Illithids under Xtremeton's command have kidnapped humanoids and put them to sleep in these capsules which link their dreaming minds to the Ulithaarid's dizzying intellect. These captives believe they're in Waterdeep but the city they see and experience around them is a fabrication. Within this alternate reality of Waterdeep Xtremeton appears as any character it wants. Its favorite role is to play that up Dernum, the gruff, tight-lipped proprietor of the Yawning Portal. Through methods unknown to the Illithids the Gith Yankee Vanguard Force tracked the survivors of their attack on the colony to Undermount. At a nearby 16th level the Gith Yankee now wage war against the Mindflayers and SeaDeeps. Uncertainty about its own future has forced Xtremeton to hold off on transforming into an elder brain. Instead, it is focused on defending the colony and destroying the Gith Yankee neighbors. With only a dozen Mindflayers remaining under its rule Xtremeton has resorted to breeding a Neothalid and plans to set it loose in the Crystal Labyrinth to finally wipe out the Gith Yankee Force. Killing Xtremeton would deprive the surviving Illithids of their leader forcing them to disappear into other corners of Undermount or return back to the Underdark. If the Gith Yankee are wiped out and Xtremeton is allowed to live it eventually turns itself into an elder brain which attracts more Illithids to the colony. Whichever path occurs you eventually descend another slope tunnel that is guarded by two Dwargars. Level 18, Van Raktum Exiting the tunnel from the 17th level encounter a tall corridor of smooth-worked stone in the beginning of the 18th level, Van Raktum. The level is named after Van Rakt Moonstar a Water Davion noble who turned to the worship of Shah. He descended into Undermount and became a Death Knight. To grasp what is happening on this level and why one needs to know the fate that befell Lord Moonstar. Adherents of Shah have been active in the shadow of Mount Waterdeep ever since a disastrous expedition to the black jungles by Lord Van Rakt Moonstar a charismatic outgoing swashbuckler. Van Rakt was but a pale shadow of his former self when he returned. A few ten days later his father, Lord Andveron Moonstar died of a strange wasting disease that could not be cured by healing magic. Upon assuming leadership of House Moonstar Van Rakt publicly broke with the Temple of Saloon the Goddess of the Moon which he blamed for his father's untimely death. Consumed with bitterness the Dark Ranger, as Van Rakt came to be known to secretly embrace Saloon's sister, Shah. After some years House Moonstar was in open schism. Family members who still venerated Saloon aligned themselves with Lord Van Rakt's sister, Lady Allathine. Meanwhile, Lord Van Rakt and his followers extended their dark influence over much of the city's harbor with the aid of a small army of mercenaries bolstered by followers of Shah. Lady Allathine appeared in open court and asked the Lords of Waterdeep to strip her brother of his title in the city for his multiple crimes such as slavery and murder. The Lords ordered the immediate capture of the Dark Ranger, but by the time the city watch had reached the gates of this villa Van Rakt and his followers had already fled through a secret portal into Undermount. He and his followers remained there until they conquered the level of Undermount that came to be known as Van Raktum. Operating from his new base Van Rakt extended his influence throughout much of Undermount and even periodically dispatched elite strike teams into the city above. He achieved his most dramatic success when his followers infiltrated the High House of Stars through its cellar, slaughtered most of the inhabitants before they could raise an alarm, engulfed the temple in black fire and burned it to the ground. The invaders also acquired enough treasure from the temple vault to fund Lord Van Rakt's personal quest for immortality. Within a few years, the Dark Ranger has transformed himself into a Death Knight. The Lords of Waterdeep hired ways to Undermount to bring Van Rakt and his followers to justice. Although none of these adventurers succeeded, they winnowed down Van Rakt's army to the point where he can no longer threaten the city. Hallister compounded Van Rakt's woes by urging other Utter Mountain dwellers to invade Van Raktum from time to time. In a desperate move, the few remaining priests of Shar performed rituals to harness the despair of Van Rakt's Shadow Dragonmound, Umbraxikar, and use him to transport Van Raktum into the Shadowfell. In the end, Hallister's magical hold over Undermount proved too strong to overcome, yet a small section of Van Raktum crossed over into the Plain of Shadow and became its gaunts there. Confronted by failure, Van Rakt came to believe that Shar had deceived him and had orchestrated his downfall solely to spite her nemesis, Saloon. In the following years, he renounces faith in Shar and begs Saloon's forgiveness for the destruction of her temple and its followers. In a desperate act of redemption, the Death Knight destroyed his undead form using a sunblade. A vampire cleric of Shar, named Karista Delvingstone, has ruled Van Raktum ever since. Karista Delvingstone grew up in the streets of Waterdy and is no stranger to hardship. Hoping to make a better life for herself, she became an adventurer and sought fame and fortune in the Undermountain. Karista met her end in the layer of a vampire and became a vampire spawned under his command. After Van Rakt destroyed the vampire and conquered his lair, Karista under his wing. Consumed by darkness and loss, Karista was drawn to Shar like a moth to a flame and rose to become a vampire cleric of the evil god. She now leads Shar's debase cult in Van Raktum and intends to send the group on a mission to destroy the Spires of the Morning, the Temple of Lathander and Waterdeep. She also has her sights set on destroying Waterdeep's Temple of Saloon, whom she blames for the destruction of Van Rakt Moonstar. The history of this level is rich, but it is still too diverse through. You sneak past Shadow Creatures, vampires and agents of Karista's army to a tunnel that seemed centuries old. Traveling down, the air moistened as humidity begins to build. Level 19, Cavern of Ooze Your trek down into the 19th level brings you to the Cavern of Ooze where you find a cavernous ecosystem filled with primordial ooze. Here you find a spell jamming vessel in its crew, followers of an evil god of oozes competing among one another. A down and a married live here, having struck bargains of Hallister to rid of the Lich as it that resided in the 20th level. The genies compete with one another, whichever one obtains the Lich's phylactery wins its freedom, damning the other to spend the remainder of its existence in Undermount. By the rules of Hallister's game, the genies can use adventurers to get the job done, but they can't cause bodily harm to one another, either directly or indirectly. A disgruntled mud method named Urm, has been forced to act as the genies go between. Additionally, the Mad Mage captured a space-faring pirate ship, called the Scavenger, stole the magic device that propels it, and left the derelict vessel and its crew to rot in the Caverns of Ooze. The ship's mind-flair captain was forced to eat the brains of several shipmates to survive. The remainder of the crew fled into the Caverns, having taken refuge in the Ooze Field Caverns around the ship. Now the Illithid waits for new humanoid brains to deliver themselves into its waiting tentacles. The Caverns of Ooze have at various times served as a temple and sanctuary for worshipers of Ganadr, the evil god of Oozes, Slimes, and other subterrarian horrors. Hallister rewards these mad zealots by transforming them into Oozes that retain most of their memories and intelligence. These servants of Ganadr believe the god himself has blessed them. The Mad Mage does nothing to discourage this impression. Followers of Ganadr, whom Hallister lures to Undermount invariably visit a floating orb that weeps for Morial Ooze. The orb is thought to be part of Ganadr himself. His worshippers sometimes refer to the object as the Weeping Eye. In truth, Hallister found the oozing orb and brought it here solely to flood the Caverns and mislead Ganadr's vile devotees. Your time here is brief as you make it past the abominations that dwell here and proceed onwards to the layer of the Lich that resides in the 20th level of the Undermount. 20. Rune Stone Caverns Throughout your journey of Undermount you've encountered many that have been under the control of Hallister, some more willing than others. Your arrival into the 20th level brings you to the Rune Stone Caverns, here of which houses the Lich that wishes to usurp the Mad Mage. The Rune Stone is a large magic crystal created by Hallister Black Cloak that is embedded in the top of a huge hollowed-out stalagmite that rises from the center of this level's main cavern. This spire serves as the layer of a Lich named Ezit who has long been Hallister's enemy. Ezit has become obsessed with destroying Hallister and usurping his control over Undermount. As his mania and thirst for power grows the Lich becomes more like Hallister with each passing day. In an effort to destroy Ezit Hallister created a legion of stone golems called Stone Cloaks, modeled after himself placing a fragment of the Rune Stone in each one to imbue it with more intelligence and personality. When Ezit learned what Hallister was up to the Lich placed wards on the stalagmite tower to prevent construct from assailing it. This counter move prompted Hallister to abandon his golems and stop making new ones. Having witnessed the mayhem that Hallister has created within this dungeon it may be wise to end Esit before he replaces the Mad Mage. You may decide to destroy the Lich especially if you made a deal with the genies on the 19th level but doing so will allow the Mad Mage to place an apprentice of his here to rule over this level. Perhaps to be wise to allow the Lich to continue his feud against Hallister. Either way, you carry on and proceed down another set of tunnels into the 21st level. Level 21, Terminus Level The tunnel that you follow dumps you into the 21st level, a layer filled with mine cart, rails and failed experiments of the Mad Mage. Also known as the Deep Mines this leveled the Undermount originally veiled its riches to Dwarves and later to War Mongering Durgar. The Grey Dwarves have long controlled the mines first depleting them of Mithril, then excavating the iron to supply their forges. Now, Hallister's whims and depraved planar influence have surpassed the Durgar as the most dangerous inhabitants of the level. The 21st level is where Hallister dumps his failed monster experiments. Some time ago, a planetar named Phasrian slew most of these blasphemous horrors but succumbed to his own bloodlust. Phasrian is a planetar formerly in the service of Torm God of Courage and Self-Sacrifice. The planetar was summoned to Undermount months ago by an adventuring cleric, sickened by the foulness it beheld. Phasrian sought to cleanse the termist level of corruption but the magics effusing Hallister's abominations corrupted the planetar's divine seal. The more horrors it destroyed the more joy Phasrian took in their slaughter. Phasrian's fall from grace was swift, culminating in the murder of the clerics and her companions. The planetar now passes judgment on all who stands before it. Those who lack the willingness to sacrifice themselves for their greater end are found guilty and executed. And most of goodness still burns within the planetar. If you can make Phasrian realize that it has become what it sought to destroy the planetar will end itself and, with its self-sacrifice, earn Torn's forgiveness. In addition to the planetar in the failed experiments, you meet an unlikely ally. A duergar prince named Valtiger Stealshadow traveled to Thunder Mountain to plunder its mine and used the wealth to buy his way back into the court of his older brother, King Horger Stealshadow, the deep king of Gragglestug. Valtiger's problems began years ago when he led a hunting expedition into a region of the Underdark patrolled by the Drow Houses of Menzo Baronson. Valtiger was captured by Drow Scouts and Horger was forced to pay a king's ransom in coins and slaves to free him. Hungry for vengeance, Valtiger and his followers began attacking those hoping to foment war between Gragglestug and Menzo Baronson. When Drow Ambassadors confronted Horger with proof of Valtiger's plot Horger banished Valtiger and his co-conspirators. They would henceforth be known as Colossabrog, outcast no longer welcome in Gragglestug. After long holding the deep mines, Valtiger and his duergar followers were forced back into the Underdark by the planetar's sudden arrival and subsequent bloody crusade. Weeks after retreating, they returned to the mines were much changed and even deadlier than before. The planetar slaughtered a number of Valtiger's followers until the prince stood before the planetar alone, empty handed, and daring the angel to kill him. Valtiger's gesture of self-sacrifice moved Fosrian, who judged them worthy of remaining alive. Valtiger now holds a tenuous position as Lord of the Mines, one of the fallen angel's advisors. Despite now being vassals of Fosrian, all the duergar on this level remain loyal to their interests and follow Valtiger's orders without question. Valtiger intends to overthrow Fosrian, buy off the Eugolas, and seize control of the terminus level. Towards that end, he is quick to forge alliances with you if you are also interested in bringing about the planetar's downfall. Agreeing to ally with the duergar, you rid the level of the planetar and end its overly cruel judgment. Fosrian's death enables the duergar to regain control of the terminus level. Valtiger has no immediate plans other than to fortify the level and prepare for his eventual return to Grackostug. The Eugolas that remain make the best of a bad situation. Regardless of the outcome, the Mad Mage continues to use the terminus level as the dumping ground for his failed monster experiments. You proceed through a secret door that is guarded by an ultraloth and descend the stairs that lead to the 22nd level. Level 22, Shadow Dusk Hold The staircase that descends from the 21st level opens up to a grand foyer belonging to the home of a once noble family, the Shadow Dusk. The Shadow Dusk family, like many other Water Davion noble lineages, made its fortune in trading. Three sisters named Erendraia, Malwyne, and Yarlithra Shadow Dusk became famous for sponsoring and then leading adventuring expeditions into Undermountain. One of the items they recovered from the dungeon was a tablet of black crystal that allowed contact with entities of the far realm. Their brother, Xerion came to possess the tablet and used it to contact otherworldly beings in attempt to destroy his family's business rivals and political enemies. This contact drove Xerion mad and it didn't take long for the madness to spread to the other members of the Shadow Dusk family and come into public view. As the family's behavior grew more bizarre, local broadsheets circulated rumors that the Shadow Dusk had been replaced by aberrant horrors of human guys. Their ancestral villa, Shadow Dusk Hold was burned to the ground years ago. The Water Davion authorities who investigated the blaze never made their findings public, but the commonly held belief is that the city's watchful order of magists and protectors was responsible. Xerion escaped and fled to his sister's redoubt in the depths of the Undermountain. From there, he used sending spells to contact Shadow Dusk family members living abroad and brought them to live with him in a twisted underground version of Shadow Dusk Hold. Among those who answered the call was Margaris Shadow Dusk, a distant cousin whom Xerion would later marry. In the end, Xerion and Margaris stepped through a gateway into the far realm and were never seen again. In their absence, the torch of leadership passed to Xerion's niece and nephew, Desmire and Xalter, the twin children of his late sister Yarlithra. These former paladins of Torm abandoned their faith long ago, becoming death knights. Over the years, Halister Blackloak has kept his eye on the Shadow Dusk and their plots even as he allows the family free reign in their corner of his domain. The Mad Mage has decided that these are the kind of nobles that need to be making decisions and wielding power in Waterdeep, so that he can secretly rule the city using them as puppets. As such, he encourages the Shadow Dusk to consolidate power and preparation for a triumphant and bloody return to Waterdeep, after which Halister will seize power as the city's Shadow Lord. The Shadow Dusk family motto used to be no secrets without truth. After the family's fall, its motto changed to We Do Not Fear the Darkness. The family's crest was a lit torch with three embers rising from the flame set against a purple background. In the wake of the family's descent into Undermountain and Madness, this crest had literally turned upside down so that the torch flame points downward. Your journey through this level brings to face to face with the current leader of the Shadow Duskhold, Xaltar and Desmire. Deeming them too great of a threat to live, you battle through their minions and eventually slay the two along with their family. While certainly a noble cause, it may be for naught. When Xaltar and Desmire are destroyed, they eventually reform as Death Knights. Their ambition and hatred burn too fiercely for them to be able to give up their dreams of conquest and they are too corrupted by the far realm to be redeemed. When they return to find the rest of their family destroyed, the Death Knights expand their hatred to include you. Out of desperation, the twins try to forge alliances with the other denizens of Undermountain, such as the Jarl of House Avarindar or House Fret, and the Mind-Players of Sea-Deafs, or the Cult of Sharr and Van Raktum. If no such allies remain, Desmire and Xaltar look deep into the Underdark and the Far Realm, drawing forth aberrant horrors by offering them promises of a new life in the Undermountain. Regardless of the outcomes that unfolds, you make your way to the last passage into the Undermountain. No longer will you descend any tunnels, for the last path into the furthest depths of the Undermountain is an Archgate, beckoning a sacrifice of a magical item. Placing any magical item that you found in the dungeon activates the gate, allowing you to step through onto the 23rd and final level of the Undermountain. Level 23 Mad Wizard Slayer Stepping through the Archgate, you finally made it into the Mad Wizard Slayer, the final level of the Undermountain. Here you find Halister, along with the Mad Mage's two apprentices, Arcturia and Trobriand. Having made it this far, Halister is equal parts impressed and curious. He is ready to grant you an audience, having kept an eye on your progress. True to the nature that earned him the moniker Mad Mage, Halister's demeanor towards you changes on a whim. He alternates between seeming furious, baffled, annoyed, amused, or simply bored. If you and your action support Halister's current goals, the Mad Mage is not necessarily hostile. The apprentices, Arcturia and Trobriand, on the other hand, may be incredibly hostile depending on your actions in the Undermountain. Arcturia is a lich and a master of transmutation magic. She has altered her form dramatically over the years, now appearing more alive than undead. Gossamer Wings sprout from her shoulders and bone spurs jut from her forearms and elbows. Having destroyed her Phylactrine on the 14th level, Arcturia attacks you on sight. While a difficult battle, her defeat means she will no longer be anime with the loss of her Phylactery. The other apprentice, Trobriand, the Metal Mage, specializes in the creation of magical constructs. Having passed through the upper levels, you've certainly encountered some of his creations. Fed up the frailty of flesh, Trobriand has transferred his spirit into the body of a specially prepared Iron Golem. This merging of spirit and metal has done nothing to improve his sanity, however. Traversing the Mad Mage's layer proves to be a difficult feat, but it does not stop you from entering Halister's Tower. Your exploration of that Tower takes you to a door that emanates a sinister aura. A warning in your mind shouts. The Mad Mage waits for you beyond the next door to prepare yourselves. Opening the door, you are greeted by the Throne Room of Halister Black Cloak. It doesn't take long before a battle commences. Halister summons Nakara, the daughter of the Frostmaiden Oral to fight you. Swords and spells are exchanged and a long fought battle is had before the dust fades and you stand victorious. Halister congratulates you on the final test before he reveals himself sitting on the throne. One final battle commences between you and Halister. In the end, the Mad Mage falls, hopefully never to return. With Halister killed, the Demi Plane around his Tower collapses without warning. As the Tower is torn asunder, its content are blasted into the far corners of the Astral Plane. You barely manage to make it out of the Tower and, eventually, out of the Undermount and back to the Yawning Portal. The patrons of the Yawning Portal hail you as a hero that doesn't take too long for a new evil to claim the Undermount. Hello everybody. Boy, that was a very long read. Quite a mega-dunch in that one. Currently, this is my longest video yet, so as much as I would like to detail each level, I had to make them short. There's no way I could have managed to make them longer or review over an hour long. It was certainly a lot of work, but I'm glad to have read it. Mega Dungeons aren't usually my cup of tea, since I view Dungeons & Dragons as more of a role-playing game than like a Dungeon Delve. Strange, isn't it? Having said that, it was really cool to read this and find plenty of opportunity for role-playing. Yet a lot of it was classical dungeon stuff, but I'm very glad they added a lot of scenarios in which you can role-play. Kudos for them for putting in so much work into like this 300 page Mega Dungeon. If you liked my video, do give it a like and subscribe. These videos take quite a bit of time to make. With that, hopefully you enjoyed the rest of your day and appreciate you watching my video. Thanks!