Vordakai (level 9)

P35, once PCs are quested to find him, he sends Soul Eater.
Otherwise, he has been working on a Sphere of Annihilation, large, to begin
his new conquests. He eventually summons this to the PC’s capital city,
starting at 20’ height, 25’ diameter, growing 1’ per week. Otherwise, it
begins at W5.
Soul eater targets arcane, then divine, then non casters. It only tracks a PC if
a name is known.
Soul Eater, AC 14, hp 171 (18d10+72), Sp fly 100’ (hover)
Str 6, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 17. Saves Dex +9, Wis +7.
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison. Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder;
bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified,
poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft. passive Perception 12. All Around Eyes. Cannot be surprised,
advantage on Perception checks.
Languages Abyssal

Incorporeal Movement. Can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult
terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Flyby Attack. Movement does not provoke attack of opportunity.

Actions
Multiattack. The soul eater makes two Life Drain attacks.

Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 18 (2d12+4) necrotic
damage. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 1d6 points of
Wisdom damage (renews on long rest). This can only affect a character once per turn. At 0
Wisdom, target dies.
Soul Drain. Targets a character it has reduced to 0 Wisdom, provoking attacks of opportunity.
Victim can resist with a DC15 Constitution save. If he does, slain but can be restored to life
normally. If fail, soul consumed and cannot be raised by any means. If the soul eater is slain
within 30’ of the victim’s body within 1 minute of consuming the soul, the soul returns and the
victim is restored to life as if by raise dead with the unconscious condition and at 0 hp.
Dread Cyclops. Huge undead, NE. AC15, hp 138, Sp30’, S25 (+7), D11, C20, I6,
W12, Ch13. Immune physical conditions, poison. Adv being turned. Commands
normal zombies with no save.

1/day choose a non-attack roll to be a Natural 20.

Undead Fort. If reduce to 0, Con save of DC 5 + damage taken, unless radiant or

crit. Success stay at 1hp.

Multiattack 2 club or grapple + 1 bite: +10 hit, reach 10’.

Greatclub 3d8+7 bludgeon + DC17 STR save or knocked 10’ away.
Grapple. Advantage, if grapple 2x, pins target with that hand if smaller
(restrained), or if same size, both are restrained and both hands used.
Bite 5’ reach, 1d6+7 + brain consumption (if unable to move, Con save DC17 or
reduced to 0hp and dying; if already making death saves, auto-kills no save).
Hurl Rock. 30/120, 4d10+7 bludgeon.

Replace interior with Dungeon Magazine #64, Bzallin’s Blacksphere.

At p37, remove wyverns (they are long dead), but keep treasure, remove
magic sword.
Remove W4.
At W5, 20’ above the island floats a perfect sphere of annihilation, around
25’ in diameter. When ready (DM discretion), Vordakai will send it to Clayton
in his experiments to wrest power from the Plane of Vacuum, an impossibility
any scholar would say.
The only entrance is at W6.
At W7, remove secret door. Instead, this chamber includes a teleportation
circle guarded by 2 Dread Cyclops. The entrance is carved in the manner
of two identical cyclops in robes appearing if they are casting as their arms
meet at the arch.
Unless otherwise stated, the servants of Vordakai are ordered to bring him
sentient creatures to experiment upon. They will even try to staunch
wounds.
 Trap: living creatures passing through the arch trigger a magical trap,
DC20 Arcana recognize. DC 15 confusion spell centered on movant in
10’ sphere, lasting 1 minute. Resets after 1 hour. Can be disabled if
hands of casters are broken/disfigured, or bypassed with word
“ertibakon” (phonetic cyclopean for confusion).
The only permanent fixture in this curved chamber is a circular stone dais nine feet in diameter.
Painted on the surface of the dais is a purely decorative pattern, although the dais does radiate
alteration magic whenever a detect magic spell is cast upon it. To activate the teleporter, a
character need only speak Vordakai’s name while standing on the dais. Doing so teleports the
character to a similar dais in area 1 of the “Lair of the Lich.”
The PCs have a variety of options to discern how to use the teleporter, including arcana checks
and communion with higher beings.
The lair is in a spatially-warped, extra-dimensional pocket plane that wraps around to the shape
of a cube, which may not be apparent. The cube was created with the aid of an ally, J’zzalshrak,
who has responded to ancient pacts when Vordakai awakened.
FEATURES
Walls and floor carved out of smoke-colored stone resembling marble, floor tiles in different
colored mosaics. The material is not native to the Prime. Teleportation effects fail to move
outside the Cube. The entire Cube is encased in a Wall of Force to protect from Plane of
Vacuum.
Doors made from strong greenish wood reinforced with iron (100 damage to destroy). None are
locked unless Vordakai arcane locks them with Guards and Wards, DC28 then to pick or break.
Lighting is by magic in every area unless otherwise stated.
Scrying effects don’t work.
Dimensions are cyclopean.
Clerics, paladins, warlocks are cut off and are aware. They cannot recover spells higher than 2 nd
level.

Guards and Wards

When Vordakai becomes aware of intruders inside the Cube, he first uses his crystal
ball with clairaudience to determine the party’s location, then casts his guards and wards spell.
The spell has the following effects:

 All doors are arcane locked.

 All corridors become misty as if under the effect of a fog cloud spell. A gust of
wind clears the mist for one round before it fills the corridor again.
 Everything inside the Cube radiates magic, making detect magic spells useless unless
a spellcaster upcasts detect magic using a 4th-level or higher spell slot.
  A powerful suggestion is placed upon the door to area 31, affecting the first character
to approach within 10 feet of the portal (Wis DC 20). The suggestion is simple:
“Guard this door and kill any living being that tries to open it.” The lich does not
count as a “living being,” nor does his undead shadow fiend servant, unseen servants,
and automatons.

The guards and wards spell makes it difficult for some of the Cube’s residents to move about the
complex, For the most part, they remain in predetermined areas until confronted by intruders, at
which point they attack. Some exceptions include apprentices with knock spells and fiends with
the ability to cast teleport or dimension door spells.

Vordakai then begins scrying for the PCs, sending the Soul Eater at #26 after a named one with a
tactic to wait until they try to rest.

1. Barbed Devils. Sends 3 juju zombies from area 28.

JuJu Zombie. Appears to be an ordinary zombie, although its flesh is less rotted and has a gray
color and is leathery and hard. A hateful light burns in the monster’s eves, as it realizes its
condition and wishes to destroy living things. It partially exists on the negative plane.

Medium undead, NE. AC13, 51hp (6d8+24), Sp30, climb 30’. Str 16, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 6, Wis
8, Cha 5. Saves Wis +1.

Resist fire, nonmagical weapons. Immune cold, lightning, necrotic, poison, charm, fear.
Darkvision 60’, PP9.

Brute (1 extra die damage, included in attacks). Undead Fort, at 0hp, Con save DC 5 + damage to
goto 1hp, unless radiant or a crit.

Attacks (club or fists x2). +5 hit, 2d6+3 bludgeoning damage

Each has a heavy crossbow, loaded with 1 magical bolt, +3 hit, 1d10+1 damage and DC13 Con
save or a limb turns to stone (random). Legs, half movement, disadvantage DEX rolls. Stone
limbs add 50 pounds to medium, 25 small, as encumbrance. This lasts for 1 hour or until stone to
flesh.

2. Garaflix is a true believer, a slave recently returned from stasis to serve his master. He is a
1HD commoner with genius engineering skills.
Metal Spider, huge vehicle (15x15). Speed 40’, 8 miles per hour. Str 20, Dex 14, Con 19, no
mental stats.

Immune fire, poison, acid, psychic, non-adamantium. +2 does full, +1 does ½, anything physical
or mental.

Hull AC19, 150hp. Helm. AC19, hp100. Moves legs. If destroyed, can’t move or attack.

Legs. AC19, 100hp. +10 hit, reach 10’, 2d6+5 slash.

Weapon: Acid Sprayer, recharge 5-6. AC17, hp50. Nozzle releases 30’ cone acid spray. DC15
Dex save or take 8d8 acid, save half.

Weapon: Bite. AC19, hp50. +10 hit, reach 5’. 2d12+5 piercing damage.

ACTIONS: can use Helm to move legs. Can fire Acid Spray or make 2 leg attacks and 1 bite.

3. Feeblemind DC20. 2 barlgura.

4. No notes.
5. Use Priest with plate mail, 1/day innate cast of Fly, silvered footman’s mace. One of the
priestesses wears a ring (platinum and ruby) of free action (Nhem). If freed, they will assume the
PCs are hostile and have no clue where they are as they were on a holy quest into the Abyss,
petrified, then here (as a gift by demons).
6. 3 Water Weirds. Treasure: 583 gp (loose), magical dagger imparting water breathing if worn
or wielded (but not stored), a decayed suit of elven chain and shield, a crystal key of opening (14
charges, any locked object it touches has 50% chance of opening, depletes charge whether
successful or not), a ring of depetrification (4 charges, restores victim of flesh to stone).
7. DC13 Dex or 8d6 fire damage, save half. At start of target’s turn, 2d6 fire, action to douse.
Trap detect DC20 Arcana or DC25 Investigation, removed Dispel Magic DC19.
8. DC20 Charisma save to avoid curse.
9. Jillian, use Cambion (MM36) with:
142hp (19d8+57), +4 proficiency bonus, +1 to saves, skills, attacks, DC spells
Cast dimension door 1/day, darkness 3/day.
Uses d4 for initiative (+5 bonus). Can’t be surprised, no advantage on attacking her if unseen. No
penalty for fighting blindly.
Attacks: 3 melee or 3 rays (+1 better). If she is dual-wielding, gets +2 damage on attacks.
Crits melee on 19-20. She currently uses an infernal green steel short sword. Its crits deal
+2d6 damage, affects chaos and good.
Treasury, remove magical property.
Trunk #1, the female plate is made of Darksteel.
Trunk #4, the morning star is adamantine.
She also knows the password to escape.
10. Remove trappings except nearby chest and replace guards with a
Canoloth with a necklace and key that appears and telepathically
demands to know in whose name do they intrude upon the inner sanctum of
the Harbinger of Death. Anything involving the name Vordakai is enough to
keep it from attacking, but attempting to remove a prisoner from any
direction will bring its wrath no matter how many times the name is uttered.
11. Shackles are made of dimeritium, an alloy of iron and an ore of
outerplanar source. Can be placed on a medium incapacitated humanoid, if
so, their ability to use magic is negated. The chest has Leomund’s Trap
(illusion so that attempts to discern traps yield 100% certainty there is a
lethal trap and disarm attempts fail), key is on a necklace around the
Canoloth’s neck.
Place Xamanthe here (page 44 of VV) in any cell. Remove others. It may be difficult to get to
her as the Walls of Force are effective doors. Unliving beings and teleports work to get through,
but she cannot pass without help. She is shackled. Any captured PCs will end up here.
12. Replace with W9 (pottery room) Tiled room decorated with shelves containing pottery of
ancient cyclopean make, elaborate pieces painted primarily black and white, lotus flowers, cities,
one-eyed humanoids engaged in daily activities such as worship to fighting to athletic contests.
Some show battles between them and centaurs. Humanoids are all wide-legged, sway backed
stance. DC20 Knowledge history to recognize as art from ancient Casmar cyclops empire.
13. Replace with W23 (feasthall), p47. 4 Dread Zombies. Anyone in the sight of the peephole at
area 14 might be targeted by the Bodak within.
14. Difficult to notice, DC 23 Investigation to find. The peephole DC21 Perception. Inside is a
Bodak that uses its gaze attack. Anyone looking at the peephole is subject to its Death Gaze with
disadvantage.
15. Vordakai was betrayed by his own, those who also sought the mantle of Vordakai, so this
area is empty of apprentices. However, the spirit of Willas Gunderson is here. See W22 for his
short escape and story, VVp47. Spectre.
16-17. Avoidance spell range 30’, can be dispelled as if 5th level spell, lets only wizards through.
If the doors are destroyed, spell ends. This alerts Cephal in 18.
18. Combine this room with VV p45, Hell Pool. Contact with tar causes 5d6 fire damage, and
10d6 per round if start turn on or in it. If immersed and leave, tar sticks and causes 3d6 fire
damage for 3 rounds unless removed as Action. Hardens and gives Disadvantage on DEX rolls
until removed (2d4 minutes). Movement DC15 Str to get 5’ in tar.
Summons have brought another inhospitable realm to this room. Everything leading to the
lectern is boiling tar.
Every round in chamber, DC13 Con save or poisoned condition. If roll a 1, take 1d4 Con dmg.
Cephal is here. Use Volo Necromancer.
- 90hp, undead (dread zombie)
- remove 6th level spell, replace animate dead with Fly, command undead no save, adv turn.
Bite 5’ reach, +5 hit, 1d6+2 brain consumption (if unable to move, Con save DC16 or reduce to
0hp and dying, if already dying, autokill).
Cephal uses Fly if he knows PCs coming as per tactics.
Lectern. A mimic.
Blackboard. Wizard level 13 to understand the simulacrum spell, if means exist to copy
and time, it takes 1 hour and a DC10 Arcana check (to make no errors).
19. Kitchen, blood DC15 Con with disadvantage, take 4d6 poison and poisoned condition, save
half. Modify, while the 2 women working are haggish with iron teeth, they are not actual hags
(commoners 1). They are true believers, loyal servants having awakened out of stasis with
Vordakai. They are responsible for keeping his captive(s) alive as well as his various servants.
They will tell lie as much as possible and keep to their side of the cube (for their own safety).
They will gladly offer the lockbox treasure for their lives in the hopes PCs will take the poison or
offer to lead them to treasure and try to get them locked in #23.
The lockbox has 3 potions of superior healing, 2 poison (mimic superior healing), and 1
stoneskin (1 hour). Because of the nature of making the potions, they all appear identical
(purple).
20. DC15 Dex if Vacuum portal opens to avoid destruction. The mephits know nothing and
consider it a grand chance to explore as they can exist independent of their plane. They can sense
being cut off from the rest of the multiverse, realize this place is dangerous, and have no desire to
explore further.
21. DC20 Investigation to notice the treasury door.
22. Prismatic sphere (wall) spell protects valuables.
Living Steel, use Ochre Jelly stat block, as a construct.
AC15, Dex 12, also immune to fire, poison, psychic, nonmagical weapons.
As action, change shape into metal object or into its true amorphous form.
Attacks, 2 blades. +4 hit, 2d6+2 slash + 1d6 poison.
Treasure: reduce value of chest to 1600gp.
Iron flask (identify reveals something is trapped), lost spell of crystalbrittle imbued so that
anyone who attempts to remove the stopper causes it to break. The death slaad within requires
magic weapons to hit and has 100% chance to summon 1d6 blue slaadi. The creature has no idea
what has happened and can plane shift away if it wants. It fears Vordakai (believing him to still
be at the height of his powers, punishment here for allying with apprentices) and seeks to
understand the passage of time, parlaying with egg hosts if he must.
Rod of Cancellation (looks like an irregular silver 2 pronged fork with an irregular sphere
of a green crystal between the end prongs. Its sole purpose is to cancel out a Sphere of
Annihilation. If touched, everything in 60’ takes 2d6x10 unavoidable damage and both are
irrevocably destroyed.
Flawed replica of Wand of Orcus (attunement, any). An 8’ long wand, appears crafted
from the spine of a creature with an oval of bone at the end upon which is merged a humanoid
skull in the act of screaming. The eyes and mouth flare with green energy when activated. The
wand currently has 7 charges, DC18 saves. Animate Dead (1 charge), Blight (2 charges), Circle
of Death (3 charges), Speak with Dead (1 charge). Anyone using the Wand must make a DC20
Charisma save or change alignment to Evil, user will be aware of this. The Wand is flawed in
that Vordakai was unable to harness more spells, and the Wand does not recharge itself. Also, it
may explode when used, a 25% chance, dealing 10 force damage for every charge including the
one invoked.
Remove cubic gate. Looks like it could hold something.
23. DC18 Investigation to find lever under tongue. Trap DC20 Dex save, 8d6 lightning or half.
24. Privies.
25. Replace with VV #17, p45 (vestibule).
26. Replace with VV#16, p44 (central crypt). Floor to ceiling niches to hold his undead servants
of varying size. All have been activated. A single Soul Eater is bound here.
27. Replica of PCs town Clayton. Merge with VV #25 (oculus chamber), p48.
28. Replace with VV #28 (dungeon of souls), p50. An invisible stalker protects the room, and
up to 6 juju zombies may be here as in #1.
29. Modify. Vordakai has summoned a mezzoloth here and is negotiating with it for services. It
will encourage the PCs to free it, and immediately attack (it even will feign services, for it is only
bound by Vordakai’s casting to him).
30. Modify lab, remove creatures. Work before stasis was creating cursed items to spread chaos.
Flask of Curses. Appears to be a decanter of endless water, even with identify. When opened, all
creatures in 30’ DC16 Wisdom or cursed -2 to all d20 rolls until remove curse.
Mask of Indeterminate Faces. Appears a featureless white mask that allows Disguise Self 1/day.
Once used, it adheres to user’s face like a second skin, unable remove except remove curse.
After long rest, the mask casts Disguise self randomly once a day with random features.
Ring of Delusion. This ornate silver band is gemmed with 7 gems, each a color of the rainbow
that sit in open eye carvings. It convinces the wearer it is a ring the wearer desires, and they will
be completely convinced it is another ring with those properties, using any other items they can
find to produce results. The self-delusion is to the point of denial. The ring can be removed
anytime. It stymies Identify, getting a random result from the ring list each time. Roleplay, take
PC aside who put on the ring and have them pick a ring their character would highly desire,
then encourage the delusional roleplay.
31. If guards and wards, suggestion present on this door. Vordakai scries the PC location and is
likely aware unless they have nondection or the like. He is also alerted by maiming at #26.
Merge this chamber to VV #27 (throne room), p48. The room is its own interdimensional space.
The waters begin in the floor from nothing form the pool as listed and run into the door so that
anyone opening the door simply sees a pool of water, a portal. Creatures may pass, bringing
them into conjunction with the dimension, but effects are dispelled by the water.
Replace soul jar room with VV #19 p45 (oculus focus). Teleport bypasses normal restrictions
and allows Vordakai to immediately teleport to this area from any place in the cube. If destroyed,
Vordakai loses his lich truesight (replaced with DV 120) and familiar farsight. Remove %
chance. Portable hole.
Roleplaying Vordakai. Has a permanent Tongues spell. Arrogant to a fault in that the PCs in his
time were much like a domesticated dog would be to the PCs now. It baffles him to have been
awakened by dogs that donned arms, built towns and acted like they were one of the Casmaron
Empire. He was trapped here by his apprentices 10,000 years ago, fearing his rising power. Over
time, he converted his cyclopean followers into undead. Eventually, realizing there was no
escape, he put the servants into a powerful slumber and entered a torpor.
Over the eons, the wards isolating him waned, and Gundarson’s presence triggered his
consciousness. Finding his prison door now open, he took Varnhold’s people. He is now
extrapolating knowledge and dominion over these lesser beings. The sphere is his first
experiment, serving to eliminate a den of these wild dogs and to continue his ancient experiments
with Vacuum to restore his lost power.
Add 1 Shield Guardian, takes ½ (round up) of damage taken by Vordakai. It starts in the
round room farther back.
Tactics (tailored to the PCs that he has been scrying).
Mirror Image and Globe of Invulnerability (prevents counterspelling).
Tether to wizard/druid.
Legendary use Toll the Dead on fighter/bard, Blight on crowds.
Vordakai (atrophied lich huge cyclops, NE). Use Lich, modified:
AC19, 198hp, speed 30.
Str 21, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 20, Wis 17, Cha 16. Saves Con +10, Int +12, Wis +10.
Resistant to slash/pierce magical weapons, immune nonmagical. Immune cold, electric, necrotic,
poison. Cannot be turned in his lair. Immune charm, fear, exhaustion, paralyze. Truesight 120’.
Legendary resistance x3. 1/day choose a non-attack roll to be a 20.
Ring of Evasion (attune), 3 charges, regain 1d3/day, use reaction if fail DEX save to succeed.
Mantle of Spell Resistance (attune). Adv spell saves while worn.
Spellcasting, reduced to DC17, spell attack +10. Spells up to 6th level only, treat as 11th lvl.
Cantrips. Toll the Dead (wis 3d8 or 3d12), mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost.
1st (4) shield, thunderwave
2nd (3) misty step, mirror image, detect thoughts, invisibility
3rd (3) fireball, counterspell, fly
4th (3) blight, dimension door, shadow of moil (XGE, warlock list), Conc 1 min action,
flame-shadows envelope, heavily obscured to others (can’t target ranged), dim light within 10’ to
darkness, bright to dim, resistant radiant damage, any attack within 10’ shadows retaliate for 2d8
necro.
5th (3) cloudkill, synaptic static, (XGE), 120’ range action. 20’ radius sphere, INT save. 2
or less immune. 8d6 psychic or half. If fail, muddle thoughts 1 min, subtract d6 from all attacks,
ability checks, and Concentration saves, INT save end of turn to end effect.
6th, globe of invulnerability, disintegrate
Touch attack +10, 10’ reach. 3d6 cold and Con DC16 save or paralyzed permanently, save end
of each turn.
Legendary Actions x3, end of another’s turn. Cast cantrip or physical attack (2 actions).
Lair Actions, initiative 1 (lose tie). D6 to recover a slot of that number, fails if none, tether 30’ to
a target it can see, when lich takes damage target makes DC16 Con save. If fail, target takes ½
(round down) of lich’s damage and lich takes rest. Ends until next initiative 1.
At 50% health (99 hp), sheds excess damage and all spell effects. Dimension door triggers to
room #26. A game of cat and mouse may begin.
Oculus of Abaddon (minor artifact). Abilities as listed on page 52. Planar binding Abyss
denizens.
Because of his atrophy, his phylactery is on him but does not work until he gets his levels back.
His major gear was stripped from him when he was imprisoned here.
Treasure: as listed, ring of friend shield, Xamanthe’s vicious flail (+7 damage on natural 20),
Willas’s folding boat, Vordakai’s spellbook Alchemical Compendium (Tasha 119). Has all spells
from D&D lich plus ones listed above, except Toll the Dead and Shadow of Moil.

BOOM!
Vordakai taunts them upon his death, that they have doomed themselves, for only his presence
kept the Plane of Vacuum at bay. In moments, he says, all will cease to exist. At this time, any
guards and wards fail, the prison walls fail. The Plane of Vacuum begins eating at the powerful
cube.
1d10+6 minutes after Vordakai’s death, the cube’s protections against the Vacuum plane cease
and everything will be irrevocably destroyed. Any denizens sense the impending doom and seek
to flee. Jillian knows the escape word (if dead, Orcus replica wand to speak with dead). If one of
the priestesses were freed, and the PCs are stuck, one beseeches her deity for her life and is
granted the knowledge for those who seek to flee. The PCs may come up with other ways.

AFTERMATH
Soul jar includes Barra Varn. While there are few survivors of Varnhold, she swears fealty on
their behalf to whatever cause the PCs issue. While decimated in numbers, she is now a Baroness
under Brevoy law with a claim to land.
If Xamanthe’s fate is told to Aecora of the Lyrune Quah, she rewards them with 6 greater healing
potions and 6 potions of lesser restoration. If alive, she also offers Skybolt. It is likely the act of
destroying Vordakai will unite the centaurs as allies to the PCs, so long as it is clear no more
land beyond the hexes immediately around Varnhold are claimed by humankind. This allows the
PCs to call upon a centaur army. However, it conflicts with Brevoy’s claim on all the lands.
The sphere of annihilation in their city starts to shrink, eventually stopping at 2’ diameter. It can
be permanently removed with the rod of cancellation. Otherwise, it becomes a permanent and
deadly feature of the realm.
Run the Surtova marriage event. Nicolai seeks to become a baron in name so he can justify
sending troops to pacify the region. Barra likely is willing to work with whatever PC plot keeps
him from achieving this goal as the pact was made to marry.