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Hello all. I'm about to run Zenith Trajectory in about a week and I found myself asking an important question. My PCs have learned the time-honored tradition of using Speak with Dead on the heads of their enemies. I'm almost sure they are going to behead the fiendish umber hulk and use Speak with Dead on it. This left me wondering something..."where DID the fiendish umber hulk come from?"
Its hinted that Orbius summoned it to test the party, but no indication is given of WHO summoned it, and whether it was called or a summoned monster. I was wondering if anyone else knew the answer to this question?
There aren't any answers in the book, but here's what I came up with:
The umber hulk was summoned by Freija Doorgan. She is one of the most powerful wizards in Cauldron, and the main Conjuration instructor at Bluecrater Academy. She is also a Cagewright and a traitor to the city. Orbius gets her help to terrorize and villify Maavu, making his grip on the city that much tighter.
Hello all. I'm about to run Zenith Trajectory in about a week and I found myself asking an important question. My PCs have learned the time-honored tradition of using Speak with Dead on the heads of their enemies. I'm almost sure they are going to behead the fiendish umber hulk and use Speak with Dead on it. This left me wondering something..."where DID the fiendish umber hulk come from?"
Its hinted that Orbius summoned it to test the party, but no indication is given of WHO summoned it, and whether it was called or a summoned monster. I was wondering if anyone else knew the answer to this question?
Doesn't a summoned monster disappear just before dying? That would neatly solve your problems.
Also, I have assumed it is Thrifiane who actually summoned the Umber hulk to destroy Maavu's position as part of Valhantru first move against the Chisel. The second move being the attack on Redgorge by the Chauldron militia backed-up by the Blue Duke's men.
I am playing it right now and I have made the following changes to the plot that works very well:
- Drop Gottrod the red dragon. He doesn't add anything in my opinion and your party will be fighting Dhorloth anyway. One dragon is enough
- I have assumed that Zenith did actually manage to defeat Dhorloth ten years ago. He managed to extract from the Dragon the promise that he would serve him until death. Dhorloth at the time had no choice agreed but he tried to immediately rid himself of the accursed dwarf by leading him to Bhal-Hamatug. His plan nearly worked. Zenith was captured and about to be scarified (which would have freed Dhorloth from his promise) until he started sprouting prophecy. 10 years passed and Dhorloth is stuck in Bhal-Hamatung because Zenith has gone completely bonkers. He is really really bored. He wants out and the PC might be the solution.
- Drop the dragon fingerlings. It's such a rip-off from Alien
- Zenith has actually foretold the PCs arrival. That's why they kindly send a boat to pick them up
- Once they arrive at Bhal-Hamatung, the Great Priest Mangh-Nichto welcomes them and delivers a message from Zenith (aka the Prophet). Zenith tell them that they are basically the instrument of the upcoming apocalypse (which in fact they are), makes numerous references to the Burning Eye, Carceri, Occipitus and Archimandus and finally tell them that it would be in everyone's best interest if they tied a large rock around their neck and jumped in the blessed water. He let them go with this warning
- Make the fight with the Kuo-toa really hard so that your PC must have spent many spells and lost loads of HP. Once they finish Mang-Michto, Dhorloth burst out of his lair....weakened adventurers, how interesting...I will make you a proposition you are in no state to refuse...bring me the head of the dwarf you will encounter on the next level...Him & I have an old promise to settle...And to insure your compliance let me remind you that I am guarding the only exit out of the temple.
- The point above will put your PCs in an interesting situation, especially if they are Good-aligned. First they now have to kill Zenith instead of saving him and second, make them know that the minute Dhorloth is freed from his promise he will rampage the region again. Yet, if they fight him in their weakened state, they will have many casualties. Interesting dilemma
"where DID the fiendish umber hulk come from?"
Excellent timing. I am running this in the next 2 weeks (I hope). I've thought about it, and considered the use of Charm Monster. At 1 day/level for the duration, the monster could wait inside a container in the warehouse for a couple days without trouble. A signal could be sent to it via any number of spells.
As for who did it, the umber hulk knows no names, and possibly could even believe it was Maavu due to illusions on the caster. The umber hulk could have been found down below Cauldron and is finally being used by the Cagewrights (whomever they may be due to the SCAP or Delve's alterations).
As for Speak with Dead, I hope they also have Tongues. Umber hulks only speak their own language and no other.
"where DID the fiendish umber hulk come from?"As for Speak with Dead, I hope they also have Tongues. Umber hulks only speak their own language and no other.
I can't really speak for the OP, but I'm guessing if they regularly Speak with Dead they will know that an Umber Hulk is unlikely to speak Common or another often used language. If they don't think about this then they may have a little trouble asking the Umber Hulk questions! :-)
Olaf the Stout
According to the Monster Manual, Umber Hulks speak Terran, a language that the PCs have access to and can speak.
Dang, another one of those minor 3.0 vs 3.5 changes. You are right, I was looking at the wrong book here.
This doesn't directly relate to the Umber Hulk, but the description for Speak With Dead specifies the body must be mostly intact. A partial, or torn up, body may not be able to answer, or may answer incorrectly. Collecting heads would make it near useless.
Also, don't forget that the body likely gets a will save, and that a successful save still makes it immune to Speak with Dead for another week.
The Hardcover mentions the remnants of a summoning circle in the rubble of Maavu's Warehouse, but I think that is it.
The Hardcover mentions the remnants of a summoning circle in the rubble of Maavu's Warehouse, but I think that is it.
The description is vague. "A DC 20 search check reveals some sigils that may have formed part of a summoning circle, but it is impossible to know for certain." This is in the "Investigating the Rampage" section.
From the same chapter, we get "agents release a fiendish umber hulk" (This is from the summary section at the start of the chapter in the HC). Not summon. Release.
Wasn't saying that was the definitive answer Section8, just posting info that hadn't been brought up yet in the thread. The hardcover is poorly edited anyway, so there probably is no right answer anymore.
The easiest solution is to have the Umber Hulk's mouth/head damaged in the fight so it can't speak if questioned. Or have whoever Summoned/Released it be under an invisibility or disguise self spell.
Wasn't saying that was the definitive answer Section8, just posting info that hadn't been brought up yet in the thread.
Sorry, my post might have come across a bit more harsh than I meant it to be. I also agree that there might not be a "right" answer anymore. My biggest concern is to try to maintain consistency as the story progresses. If the Umber Hulk was summoned, the person who did it better have the spell in their spellbook, or have purchased it from somewhere. If it means adding the spell to the spellbook, fine. I really don't like that certain "agents" are mentioned, who have power enough to do this, and yet are not specified as to who actually did it. Having someone like this "evaporate" after they cause such a ruckus is quite annoying for the players. If the players knew they had no chance to track the person down, because not even the DM knows who did it, a LOT of trust would be lost. It would have been better to say that it could have been person A, person B, or person C, and that the DM can decide for themselves.
It is possible in my campaign that my players will blame Skaven for it, as he escaped the Kopru ruins. I will make sure not to dispel them of that thought. They can gather the evidence as they wish.
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I'm thinking that it will basically have to be Thifirane Rhiavadi who does the summoning since it is Lord V's plan to test the PCs and he cannot cast the required spells himself. Whether or not you play Delvesdeep's alternate story or not, Thirirane is still Orbious's go-to girl for most things.
She could of course be disguised and similarly hidden from the hulk being able to ID her.