Chapter 13: The Wormwrithings - Out of the Abyss

Chapter 13: The Wormwrithings. Two of the components that Vizeran needs to craft the talisman for his ritual (see chapter 12) can be found relatively close to the archmage's tower. The Wormwrithings are a honeycomb of tunnels spanning hundreds of miles in the northern reaches of the Underdark, carved from the rock by enormous purple worms. A purple worm nest in the Wormwrithings is an ideal place to find an unhatched purple worm egg. Additionally, Vizeran has heard rumors of a beholder living in the Vast Oblivium, a chasm deep within the Wormwrithings. If the characters didn't obtain the central eye from Lorthuun or Xazax (the beholders in chapter 9), they can search the Vast Oblivium for the beholder believed to lair there. The Worm Tunnels The nearest purple worm nesting area mapped out for the characters by Vizeran DeVir lies forty-eight miles west of the archmage's tower. The Vast Oblivium lies some twelve miles south of this nursery. Use the guidelines in chapters 2 and 10 as the party travels through the Underdark, but use the Wormwrithings Encounters table instead of the random encounter tables in chapter 2. Foraging is more difficult in the Wormwrithings, requiring successful 20 Wisdom (Survival) checks. Faerzress permeates only the fringes of the Wormwrithings. While the party explores this region of the Underdark, spellcasters won't have to deal with the effects described under "Faerzress" in chapter 2. The tunnels created by the purple worms are tubular and roughly 10 feet in diameter. A typical stretch of tunnel is 1d6 miles long before it intersects with another tunnel or a naturally formed cavern. Random Encounters As the characters explore the Wormwrithings, check for a random encounter once per day. Roll a d20 and consult the Wormwrithings Encounters table to determine what, if anything, the characters and their expeditionary force encounter. When an encounter occurs, roll a d6 to determine how the area is illuminated. A roll of 1 indicates the ar...