The Behemoth • Odyssey of the Dragonlords

The Behemoth (appendix B) will be threatening one of the cities of Thylea.

Even the largest buildings are dwarfed by the massive beast laying waste to the helpless city. Part dragon, part giant, the Behemoth smashes homes under its claws and obliterates entire city blocks with its tail. Most terrifying of all, however, is when it opens its enormous mouth and unleashes a blast of primordial energy that instantly disintegrates any material it touches. Anyone caught in the monster’s path is doomed, with scores of lives snuffed out instantly. Those caught in its path turn and run screaming in terror, or stand slack-jawed and motionless, their minds broken from the horror of what they have witnessed. Entire districts are already in ruins; nothing remains but rubble and corpses. And it won’t be long before the insatiable Behemoth reduces the entire city to dust.

Researching the Behemoth#

If the heroes take some time to research the Behemoth, they can learn the following:

A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals

that the Behemoth can breathe powerful energy over great distances. A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Nature) check reveals it is

immune to Fear.

The Twin#

This myth can be learned through an appropriate spell or a successful DC 25 Intelligence (History) check.

At the dawn of time, the Behemoth entered the world much as Sydon and Lutheria did, born from the shell of a cracked cosmic nut. Within that shell were twins, formed from the same divine seed.

The first was the Behemoth, a creature of endless hunger, forged by the gods as their living weapon. The second was Ariadne, radiant and serene, a titan whose touch could heal and whose voice could calm the storms.

But when Ariadne beheld her brother’s monstrous form, her heart broke. She could not endure the horror of what he was meant to do. Out of pride she descended into the Nether Sea, seeking to end his existence before he could ever be used as a weapon.

The gods discovered her intent before the deed was done. In wrath, they bound her in a cube of black iron that hung in the Nether Sea alongside her imprisoned brother. Refer to The Prison of the Twin in chapter 4.

The Keeper of the Cube#

If the heroes gain entry to the iron cube where Ariadne is imprisoned, read the following:

In a chamber beyond the entrance to the prison stands a gaunt, regal figure wrapped in rotted linen and shadow. He towers ten feet tall and possesses six arms. This is the keeper of Ariadne’s prison. His voice cracks as he speaks: “I am Sisyphus. You seek the twin? Then bring me what was taken, my heart, or she remains bound for eternity.”

The heroes must choose whether to search for Sisyphus’ heart or to destroy him. He is a Mummy Lord.

The Planetar’s Bargain#

Sisyphus’ heart lies within the ruins of the Behemoth’s shattered cube (chapter 4), where Aetherion, the former keeper and Planetar, sits in despair.

Upon the jagged lip of an immense, broken cube sits a figure of divine beauty. He is a blue-skinned angel, his once-brilliant wings dulled to gray. He gazes down at you with hollow eyes. “Have you come to mock me?” He asks. “Or to pity what love has undone?”

Aetherion explains that the Fates tricked him into guarding the Behemoth. He believed the oracle Versi loved him, but it was deception meant to bind his will. Around his neck hangs an amulet containing Sisyphus’ heart.

He will only relinquish it if the heroes swear a sacred oath to bring him to Versi. If they refuse, he will fight to the death to keep it.

The Awakening of Ariadne#

If the heroes return Sisyphus’ heart, the mummy presses it into his hollow chest. With a final sigh, he opens the massive iron doors of the cube.

The cube shudders, its seams glowing with molten light. The air fills with the sound of ringing metal as the prison splits open. From the radiance within drifts a towering figure. This is Ariadne, twenty feet tall, her form wreathed in gold and white flame. Her eyes glimmer with sorrow and purpose. She gazes upon you and speaks. “My brother still lives. His ugliness offends the world. Will you walk beside me, and help me end him?”

Ariadne will use Teleport to go directly into battle with the Behemoth (appendix B), taking any willing hero with her.