*******************************************
Shadows of Insanity
An adventure for higher level D&D characters ( figuring around 15th)
Background
**********
To the west, deep beneath the fine sands of the Burning Desert lies the ruins of a temple once dedicated to a god now long dead. With the death of the god, whose name is now lost to time, the temple sunk deep beneath the sands, coming to rest in a large cavern deep in the underdark. It was many, many years ago that a young shadow dragon, Mathalynix, took up residence in the temples now shattered sactuary.
As years stretched into decades, Mathalynix settled into his lair, and attended his second favorite pass time aside from hoarding treasure, namely meddling in the afairs of others. Evil to the core, the wiley Shadow Dragon has been manipulating his underdark neighbors, both directly with slaves and indirectly, in various ways to enrich himself and keep them at each others throats. This was great fun until a group of mindflayers descovered Mathalynix and assulted his lair. Rather then kill the Dragon, the Mind Flayers mentally enslaved Mathalynix and his slaves, figuring to turn the dragon on local Drow and Snifvneblin villages.
Fate would intervine here in the form of a group of Githzeria Monks who on Rrakkma, had come accross what appered to be an illithid outpost. Unaware of the Dragon, the Githzerai Monks attacked the illithids in the temple. The illithids on the defensive and anctious to test thier new "weapon", turned the Dragon apon the attacking Githzerai. Though successful in destroying several of the attacking monks, something went horrably wrong and the Illithid lost control of the now enraged Dragon. Mathalynix's mind, free of the mental control, descended into madness, destroying many of the Illithids and Githzarai before they could escape.Once his temple was secure again, he imprisoned the surviving Monks to question them. One lone Githzerai Monk, Zert, managed to escape into the tunnels and to relative safety with a handful of unusual coins. This was several days ago. Mathalynix, wounded in battle, now recouperates in his sactuary, plotting the destruction of everthing within his reach. His dementia slowly eating at what is left of his sanity.
Hooks:
******
1) In an underdark campainge, mathalynix represents a real threat to the PC's community. They can become aware of this threat by either finding Zert baddly wounded, and learning of the pasts days events, or Zert could wander into the PCs community and they could be assinged to check out his story.
2) Zert passes away in the tunnels and a map of the area and the unusual coins make it to the surface where the PCs come accross them through a merchant or friend.
3) If the PCs are themselves Githzerai, they may be tasked with tracking down the now lost hunting party.
4) Zert makes it to the surface and encounters the PC's and asks for thier help.
Aftermath
*********
If Mathalynix is killed, the area around his lair will be safe from his assaults and many snirvneblin, drow, myconid lives will be saved (don't know if the drow lives are good, guess that depends on the campiang
). the PCs will get alot of loot and the Monks will be freed.If mathalynix lives, he will destroy the small settlements around his lair, taking slaves and amassing more wealth. The Monks, after he questions them, will be killed.
