Serpent Reliquary

must make a DC 15 Concentration check to cast spells.

Its refl exive desire to accept shadow causes it to take a –4 penalty on saving throws against spells of the shadow subschool and against a golothoma’s acid and ravenous shadow abilities. Shadows and other creatures from the

Plane of Shadow gain a +4 bonus on attack rolls against such a creature. This madness can be cured by heal, greater restoration, miracle, or wish. A creature that succeeds on the save is immune to that particular golothoma’s form of madness for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting ability that does not affect chaotic evil outsiders. Acid (Ex) A golothoma’s tail runs with thick, sticky coils of black shadow. A golothoma deals 8d6 points of acid damage to any creature it strikes with its tail, attacking with a melee touch attack. A creature struck by this attack must succeed on a DC 28 Refl ex save, or some of this shadow clings to it and deals another 4d6 points of acid damage at the start of its next turn.

Dimensional Reach

(Su) A golothoma can reach between dimensions to strike at distant targets with its claws. This ability allows a golothoma to make ranged attacks with its claws. These attacks have a range increment of 120 feet, up to a maximum of fve range increments.

They are otherwise treated as thrown weapons. A golothoma can mix its attacks between melee and ranged as it wishes, and it does not provoke attacks of opportunity when using its dimensional reach. Ravenous Shadow (Su) A golothoma has no mouth. It feeds by absorbing fl esh through its writhing shadow. Any creature within the golothoma’s reach might fall into the creature’s shadow. A DC 27 Refl ex save allows a creature to avoid the shadow for that round. A creature that moves through a golothoma’s space gets no saving throw to avoid the shadow. Failure indicates the creature takes 1d12 points of Constitution drain. A golothoma’s shadow exists despite the surrounding lighting. In fact, in complete darkness, it’s more diffi cult to see the shadow’s boundaries, and Refl ex saves made to avoid it take a –4 penalty. A golothoma’s ravenous shadow has no effect on a creature that doesn’t have a

Constitution score. SERPENT RELIQUARY The Serpent Reliquary is the heart of the Vanguard’s presence in the multiverse. Built around an extradimensional cube trapped between the planes, the Reliquary was constructed by the fallen planetar Avamerin to serve as a place for him to rest between incursions and as a place to safely keep Sertrous’s head secure from those who would attempt to destroy it.

KEY FEATURES The layout of the rooms within the Serpent Reliquary disrupts most mapping attempts. This complex is constructed around a tesseract, a structure whose sides connect in ways that are unfathomable in a three-dimensional world. The chambers within the complex are aligned to the different sides of the tesseract, producing seemingly impossible (at least, from a three-dimensional point of view) room connections within the complex. Arrows on the map show what other rooms can be reached from each area. Each of the complex’s sections is located on its own demiplane, separate from but contained wholly by the complex itself. The ranges of all divinations cast within the complex are limited to the area where the spell is cast. DEFENSES Although the walls inside of each complex are made of magically enhanced stone, they are still subject to effects and damage as normal. Where faces of the tesseract touch, door-shaped portals allow movement between them. Passage through these portals feels no different from Golothoma moving through a doorway, but a creature under the effect of dimensional anchor cannot pass through. Physical objects can pass with ease, and a creature in one area can observe events in an adjacent area by looking through an open portal. Air within the complex constantly refreshes, and rooms are humid and warm.

ENCOUNTER AREAS The following locations correspond to those indicated on the Reliquary map.

A. Entrance No matter how one travels to the Serpent Reliquary, the traveler fi nds himself stepping through a portal and emerging into this grandly appointed hall. The polished floor

Illus. by S. Srisuwan