Guide to Running Light of Xaryxis, Part 2: Terrors of the Void

Introduction: Terrors of the Void

Guide to Part 1, Seeds of Destruction

Guide to Chapter 7 - Trust Issues

I'm continuing with posting my prep for the Light of Xarxys adventure from Spelljammer: Adventures in Space. We're having the typical challenges with scheduling, especially since I have not been able to play due to travel several times. So these guides are coming out pretty slowly, since I like to play it before I post. 

I'm almost halfway through the adventure, and so far it has pretty much lived up to my expectations. The adventure is fairly simple and fast paced. Each chapter as designed does a good job slotting into one 2-3 hour session (I run fast, it's probably more like 4 hours for most DMs and groups). Its very much a railroad, but its fine for many groups so long as you set those expectations up front - I would tell a group in Session 0 that it is going to be very cinematic and sometimes things are just going to happen to you for the sake of the story. It's also impossible for it not to be very silly. If you want a serious game, this adventure is not for you. It has vampirates and space clowns after all. 

It's probably a little better than most WotC adventures in terms of giving you a fully formed experience that you don't have to spend a bunch of time preparing, especially if you ran Spelljammer Academy to set the scene. A notable exception to that is the chapter set in the Rock of Bral - I've added a bunch of ideas and encounters to that chapter, and I blew it out to three sessions instead of one. It's just too cool of an adventure locale and too important to the setting to rush through. I wanted it to be memorable so I can take the characters back there when the adventure is over to continue the campaign. 

One last thing - if you are running on a VTT, I highly recommend you pick up Tessa Presents 45 Maps for Spelljammer and Light of Xaryxis. It is a great set of maps to use with the adventure. 

One more last thing - I hate trying to spell Xaryxis. 

On to the Guide!

Chapter 4: A Friend Indeed

• A neogi nightspider arrives and attacks the Moondancer.
• Let 1 or 2 rounds of combat play out, depending on how the characters are doing.

• Two space galleons, the Stalwart and the Incorrigible, show up and drive off the nightspider and neogi. The ships are captained by Daar’vik, who is suspicious of Elaina but grudgingly agrees to escort her to the Rock of Bral. I've added a background for Daar'vik at the bottom of this post. 

• Read the "Welcome to the Rock" box text.

• Have Captain Sartell tell the characters about any of additional locations you would like the characters to visit, in addition to visiting Krux at the Happy Beholder. I'll add some additional encounter ideas after the outline. 

• If the characters go to the Happy Beholder first and you want them to visit some other places, have Large Luigi (the beholder proprietor) let them know Krux doesn't usually show up until later in the day. 

• Once the characters arrive and Krux is there, read the Happy Beholder box text. 

• Krux has been doing mercenary work for the last few years, but it is drying up and he is drinking more. Large Luigi sent the parrot to cheer him up.

• Krux is drunk but nice and becomes interested when he hears about Xaryxian involvement. He won’t tell the characters why he is interested - “Maybe later, we need to get moving.”

• Krux tells the characters there are astral elf spies about, and that they should go to his ship to discuss further.

• As the group goes to Krux's ship, four astral elves attack the group. 

• Characters arrive at Krux’s ship, the Second Wind.

• Negotiation with Fal Adra to get Krux's ship out of the lease she has own it. This is very skippable since Fal Adra isn't very interesting and there are no downstream story impacts.  

• Once in wildspace, Krux reveals his plan: travel to Doomspace to build a coalition against the Xaryxrian Empire. Krux needs help navigating Doomspace, so he is headed to tower on an asteroid where his friend Topolah lives. He thinks she can help him chart a course to Doomspace.

• Krux becomes more the consummate leader now that he is back in command of his ship.

• Hastain, a reigar and old enemy of Crux, attacks the Second Wind. Hastain is all about making art through killing people in novel ways, and constantly taunts the characters. 

• Even if the party beats Hastain in combat, his ship disables the Second Wind’s spelljamming helm. This is one of the railroady parts, but I think it's worth it to have the cool scenes of roping Kandori, and the whole shipwrecked idea is iconic to the genre. I really handwaved it and had the esthetic automatically succeed, and Hastain dimension door away to taunt the shipwrecked characters. I will bring him later as a memorable villain.

Additional Encounters in the Rock of Bral

Reading through the original 2e supplement Rock of Bral and what is included in the 5e setting book gives you a pretty similar set of information. There were several cool locations and setting ideas I wanted to add to my campaign, so here are some of those encounters and scenes. 

The Great Market/Gaspar's Reclamations

I repurposed Gaspar's reclamations to be half savage operation and half curio shop of items recovered during operations, ran by the eponymous gnome. Gaspar is a follower of Garl Glittergold, and loves finding curios in salvage operations. He's also looking for adventurers to help him handle some of his more dangerous salvage jobs - This can be a hook for adventures once Light of Xaryxis is finished.

Gasper recently completed the salvage of a lost ship transporting a number of musicians and has a couple magical pipes available. He especially plays up the value of the Pipes of the Sewers given the regular presence of rats on spelljamming vessels. He has the following items for sale:

• Pipes of Haunting - 2000 gp
• Pipes of the Sewers - 600 gp
• Gray Bag of Tricks - 600 gp

Githyanki Press Gang

Four githyanki buccaneers and a githyanki xenomancer attempt to press the characters into service on a githyanki ship. The buccaneers will close to melee and focus on subduing the nearest character, while the Xenomancer stays at range and first uses dominate monster on a low wisdom fighter type and then force cage on the melee combatant dealing the most damage. The Xenomancer will use astral step to keep its distance. I used the docks map from Tessa Presents for this encounter.

Home Invasion

The characters hear a scream from a house as they are walking in Bral. If they investigate, they see a mind flayer about to dine on the occupant’s brains at the dinner table. The mind flayer is surrounded by his three space clown thralls. If the characters save the homeowner, a human woman, she introduces herself as Kona. She's lived in Bral for years after retiring from a space pirate lifestyle. In thanks to the characters saving her, she offers to sell them a ring of free action for 500 gold. 

Pantheistic College of Celestian

I have a PC that worships Celestian, so I added detail to the Pantheistic College of Celestian found in 2e's Rock of Bral in the form of a priest NPC, Valtor Astron. I generated an image and description for him using AI tools. 

Appearance:

• Valtor is a middle-aged human with a calm, composed demeanor.
• He has long silver hair that cascades down his back, twinkling with a subtle star-like luminescence.
• His eyes are a deep shade of blue, resembling a clear night sky.
• He wears robes that are a rich midnight blue, adorned with silver embroidery mimicking constellations.

Personality:

• Valtor is known for his wisdom and deep knowledge of the cosmos.
• He speaks in a soft, melodious voice that often puts listeners at ease.
• He is deeply curious and always eager to learn more about the various realms and their celestial mechanics.

Background:

• Valtor was once an avid astrologer and explorer before dedicating his life to the worship of Celestian.
• He has traveled extensively across different planes and brings tales of starry wonders to all who visit the temple.
• As a priest, he offers guidance to spacefarers and helps them read the stars for navigation.

Abilities:

• Valtor is an excellent navigator of Wildspace and the Astral Sea.
• He can perform the standard rituals listed in the Temple District section of the Rock of Bral chapter in the Astral Adventurer's Guide. 
• His deep connection with Celestian allows him to receive visions of cosmic events, which he often shares with adventurers in need of guidance. This is a good place to place some secrets and clues around character backstories, or some foreshadowing that family conflict will later become a theme of the adventure.

Chapter 5: Living on the Edge

• If the Second Wind is disabled, characters will have to wait for a kindori pod. The characters can use lights (at Krux’s direction) to attract them. 
• Technically the spelljamming helm is only out of commission for 2d10 days, but that is long enough to assume the characters will run out of air. 
• Characters can lasso kindori with DC 15 Strength (Athletics) and then DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) to take them to the tower.
• At Topolah’s Tower, if characters still have the Second Wind, they use the jolly boat to get to the tower because dock is in ill repair.
• Read Topolah box text.
• Topolah gives the characters a tour and won't talk business until it is done.
• Asks characters to kill a void scavver named Big Momma in exchange for a Wildspace orrery that can lead them to Doomspace. Big Momma attacks as the characters go back to the ship.
• You can either say the spelljamming helm came back online just in time for the characters return or have Topolah come over and repair it. Be careful of the second option if you don't want players to ask how to repair it themselves. 
• Once back on ship, Topolah flies over and suggests characters talk to Grimzod Gargenhale. He is her former lover, has a fleet of ships, and owes Topolah a favor.
• Topolah leads the group to the wreckage of a great battle. Clearly much of Grimzod's fleet has been destroyed by Astral Elves. 
• I skipped the events that happen as the Second Wind navigates the debris field.
• A Will-o'-wisp shows up and tells the characters the pirates were attacked and offers to lead them to Grimzod’s ship.
• End with box text and vampirates reveal.

Chapter 6: Grave Alliance

• The Last Breath pulls up to the Second Wind and Grimzod addresses the characters.
• Accentuate his severed hand that’s a crawling claw. It will definitely flip the characters off at some point.
• When Grimzod notices Topolah, read the box text.
• Grimzod hates the Xaryxian empire and General Vael particularly, who has hunted down and destroyed his fleet.
• He is interested in joining the cause, but skeptical. DC 13 group Charisma (Persuasion) check to convince him to join; Topolah’s presence grants advantage.
• On success, he joins no strings attached. On failure. characters must adhere to pirate code and join his fleet, call him admiral. Characters will need DC a 16 Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check to get Krux to go along with this.
• One way or another relate the Pirate Code.
• Once negotiations are over, Agony, ghost from Last Breath, possesses Flinch and tells Grimzod to pike off as the crew mutinies.
• Gargenhale makes Second Wind invisible to help in pursuit, tells the party he has a powerful weapon that will help them on the ship.
• Once characters catch up, they must defeat the crew to regain control of ship. A mechanical way to model the pursuit with bonuses for success and penalties for failure would probably be nice, but I don't feel like it's worth it given the cinematic nature of the adventure. 
• I'd handwave the characters catching up if they are invisible. 
• Agony the ghost hides in the cargo hold, will possess a character and try to blow up the ship.
• Grimzod's powerful weapon is Princess Xedalli, daughter to the emperor and heir to the Xarxyian throne.

Daar'vik

Captain of the ships Incorrigible and Dauntless, Daar'vik rescues the Moondancer from Neogi pirates and escorts them to the Rock of Bral.

Born into the rigidly structured society of the githyanki, Daar'vik was raised to be a loyal servant of Vlakith, the lich-queen of the githyanki. From a young age, he was trained in the arts of war and magic, honing his skills to become a formidable warrior. His early years were marked by unwavering devotion to his queen and his people, dreaming only of glory in battle and the expansion of the Githyanki empire.

However, Daar'vik's faith in his queen and his people began to waver as he rose through the ranks. He witnessed the ruthless and often cruel tactics employed by Vlakith to maintain control over her subjects. The more he saw, the more disillusioned he became, realizing that the glory he sought was tainted by the oppression of his own people and the suffering of others.

The turning point came during a fateful encounter with Neogi raiders. The Neogi, known for their slaving and pirating, launched a surprise attack on Daar'vik's ship while on a mission for Vlakith. The battle was brutal and swift. Despite his best efforts, Daar'vik could not save his crew or his ship. He was captured and enslaved by the Neogi, enduring years of torment and humiliation.

In captivity, Daar'vik's disillusionment turned into a burning hatred for Vlakith and the society that had forsaken him. He eventually escaped, fueled by a desire for revenge and a newfound purpose. He knew that direct confrontation with Vlakith or the Githyanki would be suicide. Instead, he chose the life of a buccaneer, vowing to undermine Vlakith's reign and free his people from her grasp.

As captain of the "Incorrigible," a Spelljammer space galleon he commandeered during his escape, Daar'vik now roams the Astral Plane and beyond. He raids Githyanki outposts, liberates captives, and gathers allies for his cause. His experiences have left him hardened and serious, a master tactician who trusts few but is fiercely loyal to those he deems worthy.

Daar'vik's journey is one of a fallen hero seeking redemption, not just for himself but for all Githyanki who suffer under Vlakith's rule. His story is a testament to the resilience of the spirit and the unyielding desire for freedom.