Level 18: Vanrakdoom - Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

Level 18: Vanrakdoom. Vanrakdoom is designed for four 15th-level characters, and those who defeat the monsters on this level should gain enough XP to advance halfway to 16th level. The level is named after Vanrak Moonstar, a Waterdavian noble who turned to the worship of Shar (god of darkness and loss), descended into Undermountain, and became a death knight. To grasp what's happening on this level and why, one needs to know the fate that befell Lord Moonstar. The Dark Fate of Lord Vanrak Moonstar Adherents of Shar have been active in the shadow of Mount Waterdeep ever since a disastrous expedition to the Black Jungles mounted in the Year of the Dark Dawn (1104 DR) by Lord Vanrak Moonstar, a charismatic, outgoing swashbuckler. Vanrak was but a pale shadow of his former self when he returned. A few tendays later, his father, Lord Andvarran Moonstar, the family patriarch, died of a strange wasting disease that could not be cured by healing magic. Upon assuming leadership of House Moonstar, Vanrak publicly broke with the temple of Selûne (god of the moon), which he blamed for his father's untimely death. Consumed with bitterness, the Dark Ranger, as Vanrak came to be known, secretly embraced Selûne's sister: Shar, the Lady of Loss. By the Year of the Howling Moon (1130 DR), House Moonstar was in open schism. Family members who still venerated Selûne aligned themselves with Lord Vanrak's sister, Lady Alathene, and Selûne's priesthood. Meanwhile, Lord Vanrak 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 Shar. Lady Alathene appeared in open court and asked the Lords of Waterdeep to strip her brother of his title and banish him from the city. She also presented evidence of her brother's numerous crimes, including slavery, arson, theft, and murder. The Lords ordered the immediate capture of the Dark Ranger, but by the time the City Watch had breached the gates of his vi...