Editing Midnight: the SHADOW KILLERS Campaign SPOILER PAGE (section)

====Effects of the Grey Lands====

:: '''''SISTER NEEDS FOOD BADLY'''''

Mortal creatures are not meant to travel in the Grey Lands, and the mists quickly take their toll. A cold seeps in which cuts through all protections and immunities. It saps the strength and spreads a debilitating numbness. After an increment of time equal to 1 hour x a character's Con modifier, they take 1 point of Str and Dex damage. Nothing is able to counter or heal this damage other than total rest.

Unfortunately, rest is also impossible in the Grey Lands. The cold mists seem to stop natural healing entirely, and no matter what a creature does it will find itself unable to sleep. This means that while a creature is in the Grey Lands, they are unable to heal naturally or recover lost spell points.

To make things worse, magic is also effected. All magic which channels light or Positive Energy (such as any Cure Wounds spell) automatically fails as if the caster had failed a concentration check. Spells which channel darkness, shadows, or Negative Energy (such as and Inflict Wounds spell) are automatically Empowered (as the Metamagic feat.)

Within the effected area of a Black Mirror, spell points are lost as normal, but there are additional effects in the Grey Lands. Should a character take any physical damage, that damage is increased by an amount equal to the amount of additional spell energy that the mirror drains from casters. Furthermore, objects and equipment begin to break down. Every hour an object must succeed at an Object Saving Throw (as described in the DMG) at a DC equal to the amount of spell energy the mirror normally drains + the number of hours the object has been in the mirrors area of effect. (maximum of a +25 DC increase.) Lastly, living creatures must succeed at a Will saving throw every hour as well. This Save is identical to the one required by objects. Failure indicates that the creature has become Fatigued. A second failed save indicates the creature is now Exhausted. A third failed save causes the creature to collapse into a sleepless, staring coma-Like state which it will only wake up from if it is returned to the mortal world and receives  a Remove Curse spell and one full day of rest.

Travel in the Grey Lands is extremely rapid. The actual amount seems to vary, but over time it seems to average roughly 10 times as fast as travel in the mortal world. This speed increase is difficult to notice due to the fog, and the fact that a creature does not seem to be visibly moving any faster than normal.

Lurkers in the Mist

Although the Grey Lands themselves are extremely dangerous by nature, there are things worse yet that dwell in the churning mists. The most common are the Lost Souls.

Lost Souls

This is a dead creature existing in the Grey lands  that has not yet succumbed to the pull of the Maelstrom. They are almost never aware of their surroundings, too caught up in their own madness and internal struggle. If left alone, they are mostly harmless, but should they be roused or confronted, their crazed minds will only see other creatures as the source of their suffering. Sometimes this takes place as a delusion, with the poor soul thinking that the creature confronting it is some person or thing from their past life, other times it may be an incoherent violence. Lost Souls are incorporeal, even to other incorporeal creatures and will often wander directly through each other (or any other creature) without even noticing. Their icy strength draining nature and their ability to project their memories into the minds of mortal creatures that they come into contact with makes even accidental contact with these creatures dangerous.

This is a Template that can be added to any sentient creature that is not an Outsider, Undead or Aberration.

Lost Souls use all of the statistics of the base creature, except where noted below.

Initiative: Same as base creature -2, a Lost Soul's weak grasp of reality causes them to be slow to react.

Special Qualities: Same as Base Creature; plus Undead traits.

Improved Incorporealness: Lost Souls have no physical form. They are able to pass trough solid objects, and even other Incorporeal creatures. They have no way of effecting a physical object, barring some special ability possessed by the Base Creature or their Touch of the Lost ability. There is some danger to physical creatures that come into "contact" with a lost soul, but this is in no p[art due to any conscious effort on the part of the Lost Soul. It's damaging effects are purely accidental, and often unrealized by the Lost Soul itself. The Ghost Touch ability effects Lost Souls normally.

Touch of the Lost: Whenever a Lost Soul comes into contact with a physical object (usually the Spirit Reflections of ancient buildings or trees, they pass through them. Where they pass through becomes frozen to the touch, as all warmth is leeched out of the object by the Lost Soul's passing. This often appears as a spreading frost across the effected area. Water will freeze, metal will chill, and living creatures may be greatly injured. Living creatures which come into contact with a lost soul take Cold damage equal to half the Hit Die of the base creature x1d6. In addition, creatures touched by a Lost Soul take 1 point of Strength damage. (This attribute damage is not based on the cold, but something more of a spiritual leeching. Cold Resistance will not protect against it.) Any metal which comes in contact with a Lost Soul is affected by a Chill Metal spell fo a number of rounds equal to the Character Level of the Lost Soul.

Gaze of the Lost: A creature making eye contact with a Lost Soul may be overcome by a flood of fragmented, tortured memories projected by the creature. Treat this as a Gaze Attack which causes it's victims to make a Will Save (DC is 1/2 the base creatures Character Level+ their Charisma modifier.). Failure indicates that the victim is affected as though they were under the effects of a Confusion spell for a number of rounds equal to the Lost Soul's Charisma modifier (minimum 1).



The Lurking Madness

None are sure where these creatures come from or why they exist, but they seem to be a conglomeration of the remnants of Lost Souls which have given into their own madness and become creatures of pure rage and suffering. They swirl together in a seething mass of spirits feeding off of each other's tortured memories and projecting their own into the chaotic cacophony. Though it seems to be made up of many individuals, these creatures behave as one entity, much like a swarm of locusts. The creature's soul desire seems to be to feed on the souls and memories of creatures they encounter, and in doing so, collect even more souls into their hopeless throng. Is seems as though these creatures should spread like a plague throughout the Grey Lands given their abundance of Lost Souls to feed on and thier strange way of breaking into smaller masses once they have reached a certain size, but they are actually quite rare. They may dimply disintegrate over time, like a dust devil on the plains, or they may actually be the source of sustenance for an even more dangerous creature.



The Hearts of Darkness

Everything has a Spirit Reflection. Even things that we wish didn't. In the mortal world, Black Mirrors are one of the greatest sources of suffering in existence. Their Spiritual Reflections may be even worse.
In the Grey Lands the heart of every Black Mirror pulses with a malevolent, quasi-sentiant creature of pure evil. If one could make them out in the dark miasma that surrounds them they would appear as a seething, inky cloud of darkness with psudopod like extensions which occasionally writhe out from it's center grasping at the air around it. They are basicaly immobile, which is lucky, but they have a surprising reach and are able to draw creatures, objects and energy towards themselves with a powerful gravitational pull. They exist to feed on life and magic, and pursue that goal with a single-minded ravenousness.
These entities vary in size and power depending on the strength of their Mirrors. The hearts of newer mirrors might not be any more than 2 feet across, while the Heart of a Grand Mirror, such as the one in Highwall may be as wide as 30 feet.

The Waykeeper
An ancient construct who's purpose has long since been lost. It is one of the few things that exists physically within the Grey Lands that has never had a reflection in the Mortal Realm. It seems to be made of a translucent smoked glass, mostly dark grey in color, and harder than steel. A glowing red spark illuminates it's chest, somewhat like the glow which emanates from the Spirit Reflection of Living things.


The Revenant


The Faded


The Skin Thief
There are those creatures which have been deprived of form since before the time of the Sundering. Once they were imprisoned within the Spirit World for some ancient crime against the gods. With the Sundering they became loose in the Grey Lands ever searching for a physical form. To the living, they are weak and easily rejected. Corpses have no such resistance. Should a creature of flesh and blood die while in the Grey Lands, their bodies may become the vessels for an unfathomably evil creature. Able to wear the dead like a glove, and greatly empowered once they have a body, their goal at that point becomes finding a way into the mortal world where their presence alone may cause incredible suffering. Luckily to this day this has not occurred.

Crossing Over

There are not many ways of reaching the Grey Lands. The primary one in history was by casting spells or enacting rituals which would allow a person to transfer their consciousness to their Spirit Reflection and range away from their body like a ghost. many cultures had such practices, often called a Spirit or Vision Quest.

Other ways include the great mystical gates called the Old Ways. Nearly all of them have been destroyed or cut off from their sources of power, but should a working one be found, or a way found to re-power a deactivated gate, this would provide an individual to travel physically to the Grey Lands.

Other, more powerful spells are rumored to have once existed which were capable of creating a temporary rift between the two worlds which would allow passage from one to the other. If any still live who are capable of such a feat they are keeping it to themselves.

Other legends tell of places where the two worlds join or overlap. In the tales, such places are only accessible when certain conditions are met, such as a rare alignment of heavenly bodies, or the right person bringing the right object to the right place at the right time. In such places it may be possible to simply walk across the boundary between the worlds, perhaps without even noticing the change. Halflings believe that such a place was how Wogren came to the world of mortals.

Some extremely rare creatures seem to be able to cross the boundary naturally. If one of these creatures had the capacity to bring others with them (and be convinced to do so) or if such a power could be stolen or duplicated, it may provide a way to the Grey Lands.

In any case, getting to the Grey Lands would be extremely difficult and dangerous, but more dangerous and difficult still would be surviving once the journey had been made, and then getting back again.


The Old Road:

The air is heavy and still, bringing no relief from the oppressive heat.  Overhead, the clouds dip low and are menacingly dark, filtering out most of the sun’s life giving light.  What little solid ground there is, is covered in marsh grass or the tangled roots of cypress and mangrove trees.  Carefully picking their way across the morass is a small well-armed group that bears signs of recent combat.

“Eoawan, Tani’s not going to be able to go much farther and that hunting party can’t be more than a few hours behind us.”

The leader of the group, a slight dark haired warrior turns toward the rest of the group, “Just a little further and we’ll be safe.  They won’t be able to pursue us once we get to the next hummock.  Keep moving; it’s not far.”

The party pushes forward toward a small hill, dominated by an ancient cypress tree.  With effort they climb the hill and collapse at the base of the tree.  While the other warriors rest, the leader Eoawan hacks at branches and vines that cover two small stone pillars, pitted and cracked with age.  With the excitement clear in his voice, he says, “It’s here, just as they said, our path to sanctuary.”

The statement draws stares from the other warriors and one stands to get a closer look.  “What path, there’s only water as far as I can see.  We’re trapped if that hunting party finds our trail, which is likely.  The wargs will have Tani’s scent from his blood. “

A slight smile appears on Eoawan’s face, “we aren’t trapped. Our distant ancestors left us a priceless gift, a path to sanctuary.”  The Danasil places his hands over matching symbols on the two pillars and whispers words in a language that is strange but stirs memories buried deep in the other Danasil.

Eowan stiffens like he was lifting an incredible weight.  The two stones start to glow and the swamp goes silent.  To the south of the small hill, the water froths as if something massive were rising from the depths.  Moments later, where there was once water as far as the eye could see, there is now a perfectly straight causeway of cut stone, covered in algae and mud. 

Eowan, clearly weak, turns to his warriors.  “We have to move quickly, raising the road took far more from me that I thought and it wanted more.  I don’t know how long it will stay above water.  By the time the hunting party gets here we and the road will be long gone.”

The Old Road is the remnants of the eldethar roads that crossed much of the Erethor and parts of Eredane.  In past ages, before the coming of the modern fey, when the swamp began to expand, the eldethar built the rune enchanted pillars that could lift the road up from the swamp and provide safe passage. The runes require a key phrase in ancient eldethar and at least 12 spell points.  The amount of spell points expended determines how long the road remains above water.  Most of the old eldethar roads have not survived the ravages of the centuries, but a few are used by the fey to access isolated portions of the Druid’s Swamp.


I've always pictured the Old Ways/Space Between/Shadow World/whatever-you-want-to-call-it place as being a lot like Silent Hill. Basically the same, but empty, quiet, cold and foggy. Easy to lose your way, and hard to see what might be closing in around you. All light sources would be reduced to half, sound would be dampened so that even those next to you sound like they are far away no matter how loud they speak. The cold would seep into the skin no matter how many layers were worn, making simple rest and recovery nearly impossible, and even making the players loose points of Strength or Dexterity the longer that they stayed (No save, one point a day, or a week or something). Positive energy magic would automatically fail, but negative energy magic would be automatically empowered.

3) The effect area of a Black Mirror might be a visible thing. A deepening darkness, like smoke. An area where the haze went from white or grey to black. Light would be even further reduced. Maybe the reflections of real world objects would show dramatic signs of entropy, or even look corrupted somehow. (again with the Silent Hill thing. I think rust and chains and burnt scorches when I picture this) Fallout, like after a nuclear blast comes to mind.The areas where black mirrors are could look like a bomb had been dropped. Complete with ash-fall, rubble and flash-casts of objects on the walls behind them. In the real world, black mirrors drain soul-energy (magic). In the shadow world, they might actually drain physical energy the same way. When the characters take HP or attribute damage, it is amplified as if it was a spell cast in the mirror's range.

4) I have a monster that I use in my game called a Fade (not the one from this site). They are the source of the Sarcosan superstition about fog and mist.  A formerly human creature which is able to instantly become fog, step into a haze and come out in another place, throws lighting from it's fingers, drains energy with it's touch and is generally nasty. I've always thought that when the fog lifts, a Fade is forced back into another place, or at least it is able to go to that other place for quickened travel. It stands to reason that a creature like that would live primarily in the place which your character's spell will take your players, but come into the normal world to feed (or just sew pain and suffering). Were it's prey to be in it's home territory, it would probably be pretty happy, and perhaps even empowered. If nothing else it would have home court advantage.

5) There may be certain Nexus that cross over the boundary, or are only able to be accessed in that other place. Maybe the shadow world itself is some kind of Nexus.



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The Master in Grey

He wears a simple grey hooded robe tied at the waist by a black cord. Beneath the hood is a faceless grey mask with the horned skull of Izrador lacquered across the front. The mask has no eye, mouth or nose holes, but the mysterious legate never seems blinded of caught unaware. His voice is a hollow sounding with a slight rasp, and is slightly muffled by the mask he wears.

He is rumored to be one of the founding members of the Order of Shadow. Many high ranking members of the order remember having him as an instructor during their days as an acolyte. None are sure how old he is in truth, or even if the current Master in Grey is the one they recall. What is known is that he is a master Diviner and ruthlessly intelligent. His grasp of the subtleties of the shifting politics within the order have left him unchallenged for as long as any can remember. Strangely, he never seems to take sides in any conflict. His neutrality has often been respected, primarily out of fear that he might take a dislike to a petitioner simply for asking him to take any side at all.

His goals are simple and fairly well known. He seeks out powerful magic for study in hopes of creating new weapons to use against the fae. He is single minded in this pursuit, but strangely passionless. He is almost clinically detached from his life's work.

He spends much of his time lecturing new acolytes and is remembered by nearly every current member of the order as being an extremely relaxed teacher who's subtle wrath is terrifying to behold. It comes without warning or preamble, often with no indication that a student has done anything to upset the Master, but should he be unsatisfied he is known to cause a student to lock up with total paralysis. There seems to be no cure, and the Master is known to inflict this punishment against any who attempt to aid other victims of his wrath. Those that are unworthy in the Master's eyes are left to stand a terrified vigil, alive but unmoving until they starve to death.

He is rumored to be able to travel vast distances extremely quickly by some unknown trick of magic. A secret which is coveted by many other legates, but one that is as yet undiscovered. He also has a large entourage who dress in similar garb to himself, only without the lacquered skull on the mask. He calls them his "students" and rarely addresses them in public. He will often use them as messengers or errand boys when he cannot attend to a matter personally.

Records within the order show that he was killed by another legate over 70 years ago. It was witnessed by many. two months later he returned to the High Temple without a word to anyone. The next day, his rival vanished, never to be seen again. He has never answered any questions about this strange return from death, but many speculate that he is in the high favor of the Dark One himself.

The reality:

The Master in Grey is an extremely clever Lich. When he completed the research necessary to become undead (over 200 years ago) he was a prominent Legate within the Order of Obsidian. He had made a number of enemies and was becoming well known. He realized that should others learn of his deathless nature he would be at a disadvantage. So he waited. He actually created the persona of the Master in Grey, and fabricated a history for him. He claimed to have transfered to the High Temple as a pilgrimage from Sharuun. He began to make public appearances as both his true self and as his newly created alter ego, and began playing them on opposite sides of the political spectrum. In an elaborate plan involving such powerful spells as Clone and Magic Jar, he managed to create a faximally of himself, dominate it's mind and have it publicly destroy his original body. (little did the masses know that this was actually the last step in his Liching ritual. He maintained his control over his simulacrum and at the same time created a number of fail-safes should his ruse ever be discovered. Two months later he destroyed his simulacrum, and with that his former self was gone. Only the Master in Grey remained, powerful and enigmatic.

His students are actually other undead who see without the need of eyes. No real students or acolytes are a part of his entourage, though many of his "students" are intelligent undead who serve his intrests. The Master in Grey is able to project his mind into undead he has created, even over vast distances, and often keeps them stashed in important locations in case he needs to make a public appearance. This projection is taxing, but he finds that encouraging confusion as to his whereabouts and his true capabilities benefit him greatly. Even if his secret were discovered, it would be extremely difficult to tell if one was speaking with the true Master in Grey or a simple skeleton which is being used as a mouthpiece. A simple switch of a mask, or mental projection allows him to act mostly unnoticed by taking on the role of a lowly servant.

His main project these days is the use of an ancient factory in the Kaladrun mountains he discovered which is capable of creating Stone Golems. he has created a fortress above the factory and spends much of his time there, though his doubles keep up appearances in other key locations. he has a force of orcs, a company of human mercenaries who act as his scouts, informants everywhere, a coven of Shadow Adepts who serve him, a small family of Black Blood dwarves and a growing force of Stone Golems at his disposal, but his favorite servants are intelligent undead. He offers eternal life to his most favored servants, but into the ritual he weaves magics which allow him to usurp their bodies, see and hear through their eyes and otherwise control them easily. most are unaware of this, but a handful of his most trusted lieutenants are a quartet of Orc Death Guards who feel that being possessed by The Master in Grey is akin to being touched by the Dark One himself. One even believes that the reason the Master wears his shroud is because he is secretly an Orc.

He is currently sending a lone golem in the company of his "students" across the continent to Grial the Fae Killer's army. He hopes to strike a deal with the legendary general for use of his golems against the elves. Should he acomplish this, he will have gained a powerful ally.

His Phylactery is hidden inside a secret compartment built into a Stone Golem. nearly every golem built has such a compartment, and he fills them with boxes identical to his phylactery, enchanted with terrible curses and contagions to condemn any that open or destroy them. He hope is that anyone who discovers what he is, where he is and where his phylactery might be would be slain by the decoys.

The Master in Grey is best described as a creature of layers. He creates deceptions and stacks others on top of them. His ultimate goal is simply to live to see the resurrection of his god. he does that by being incredibly careful, secretive and trying not to draw attention to his exploits. He has no ambition for power and no particular enemies within the Order, mostly because anyone who asks the wrong questions simply vanishes, or dies in a tragic accident.

From his fortress in the Kaladruns, he reaches out with masked decoys and manipulates the whole of the occupied lands, as well as the minds of the next generation of Legates. If any knew the true extent of his influence, it is likely he would be hunted down and destroyed.