Guide to Running Light of Xaryxis, Chapter 12: Light of Xaryxis

• Dying Wish
• The zodar reactivates, based on the dying wish of a former emperor to prevent anyone corrupt of heart from taking the throne.
• Read the box text.
• The zodar uses its wish ability to give the characters full hit points and casts greater restoration on the characters. I would opt to give them the benefits of a long rest as well – let them use all their tricks in the final fight.
• At this point, Andavier, the high priest, orders everyone to evacuate. There’s some box text to read.
• The characters may already have a ring of shooting stars they need to destroy Xaryxis. Regardless, whoever ascended the throne now attempts to oppose them, and the other twin flees. I’d make sure there is a path for the characters to get a ring if they survive the fight.
• The fight
• Half the astral elf honor guards move to engage the characters, while the other six form up in front of the new emperor and attack with radiant ray.
• The astral elf aristocrat summons a young solar dragon on the first round of combat. Disregard the 50 percent chance of it failing; this is a campaign ending encounter. The dragon shows up. The aristocrat stays at range as long as possible and uses its radiant beam ability.
• The solar dragon enters the first on the second round, catching as many characters as possible in its photonic breath. For the rest of the fight it engages in flyby attacks on the most injured characters.
• If the fight is going poorly, the aristocrat will use mislead and fly to evade the characters – I would give a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) to the characters to realize what is going on since they have already seen Xedalli play this trick.
• Victory
• If the characters defeat the new emperor and obtain one of the rings, the choice is on them to destroy Xaryxispace or save their world. If the characters have flown solo to this point (and that is how I would do it), have a ship show up with the important NPCs to lend opinions about what the characters should do to the star.
• The adventure lists each NPCs opinion, so I will not repeat it here. I think Topolah’s point that Xaryxis is going to die anyway, unless the astral elves keep destroying worlds, is the one to lean into.
• The adventure implies if the characters destroy Xaryxis, entire worlds die. That sucks. Instead, the characters can lead the coalition to save the noncombatants, but also save Faerun. The adventure implies “destroy Faerun vs destroy a galaxy” and that doesn’t remotely match the tone of the adventure, so I would purposely make it a happy ending.
• I will totally end the adventure with a ceremony on the Rock of Bral where the adventurers are honored for defeating the Xaryxian empire a la the end of Star Wars: A New Hope.

What's Next

• The adventure suggests returning to the Rock of Bral and meeting Prince Andru, or discovering what lies beyond the Eye of Doom. Some other ideas:
• You could add several space salvage adventures from Gaspar’s Reclamations, including one that pits the characters against an astral dreadnought.
• Explore the animosity between Mirt and Vocath.
• The Lich Queen’s Beloved is a famous high level adventure from third edition focused on the githyanki lich queen Vlaakith.

Guide to Running Light of Xaryxis, Chapter 11: Crowning Moment

Guide to Chapter 10 - Space Invaders

• Arrival at the Citadel
• Read the box text.
• If the characters are prisoners:
• A guard named Corelleth, who is loyal to Xedalli, meets the characters. He will escort them to the palace. He makes his friendly intentions clear, and can tell characters the following:
• Prince Xeleth’s coronation will occur immediately after his father’s funeral.
• Many wish Xeleth AND Xedalli to be coronated together, following the emperor’s wishes.
• As emperor, Xeleth will have the characters executed.
• If the characters are infiltrating:
• The characters can land at the common docks and sneak into the city.
• Once in the city, everyone is preoccupied with the coronation.
• They have time to take a short rest if they take this approach.
• If they land at the imperial docks, they will be greeted by Corelleth.
• Temple of Light
• Read the box text.
• Have Xedalli look towards the characters insinuating they should speak up.
• If they don’t, she still nominates them as bearers of a ring of shooting stars.
• Verbal sparring between Xeleth and the characters. DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check to sway the crowd to favoring Xedalli.
• Depending on who loses the verbal sparring, a challenge for trial by combat.
• Read box text where Xeleth names the zodar his challenger.
• Fighting the Zodar
• If the characters won the verbal sparring for Xedalli, she leads a chant that gives each character 20 temporary hit points.
• The zodar has two tactics – hit someone close to it twice and teleport them away or teleport a squishy far away near by and then hit them twice. I’d lean into the latter since characters keeping their distance probably have weaker Constitution saves.
• Aftermath
• Read the different box text depending on if the characters defeat the Zodar.
• On to the final chapter!