It is said he arose fully formed from a soured pail of milk, or crawled forth from the egg sac of a spider.

His hatred for life was such that he devoured his own siblings, and to meet him is to know despair, and spit his name forevermore. This, and more, is spoken of Flae of the Trollhaunt. Long ago, Flae led his people on an exodus from the deeper dark to the twilit caves of the surface. Slaves no more, his grimlocks raised wretched heads to a brethren-born master: a rarity amongst such beasts, and blessed with horrid cunning. Thus arisen, they were unleashed upon the world of men. No longer would they grovel in the dark. Now they would dance in the sun. They would take, and feast, and laugh, and slay. But master kept a secret. That great shield of his was stolen from matrons palace, and he is nothing without it. On his arm, it gives him strength undeserved: the glory of a thousand champions. Older than civilization, hammered by gods lost to time, it is Gom Vardae, Aegis of Ages, and it seeks a new master. Aegis of Ages is a 4th Edition DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS encounter for characters of level 9-13. Challenge your players by pitching them against a vile grimlock champion and his wolves: either as a climactic encounter towards the end of the Heroic tier, or as a memorable sub-boss during an early Paragon tier adventure.

AEGIS OF AGES
Encounter Level 13 (4,000 XP)

SETUP
Flae (F) 3 War Wolves (W) The PCs confront the grimlock champion Flae and his war wolves. Although the setting is intentionally vague, a good spread of environmental hazards is important. That is, you may need a few squares of difficult terrain, but it doesnt matter if these represent the rubble of a sacked town, or a patch of bulrushes in a marsh. When the adventurers encounter Flae, read: A masked grimlock stands before you, holding three gigantic war wolves on a chain. Strapped to his arm is a mighty shield, its surface fashioned into a snarling face. As he steps toward you, the shields eyes flick open and an echoing voice speaks into your minds: This wielder shames me with his weaknesses, yet I yield to no man. Know the glories of my past, hero, and die well. Only then shall you know triumph.

Flaes shield is a powerful artifact that has been wielded by countless champions over the ages. Unhappy with its present owner, the shield tests its enemies worth by hurling their minds back in time, where it offers them a glimpse of its previous glories (see Battles in the Past, below). If they learn from these visions, the proud shield grants them an edge in the present. Throughout, Flae is unaware that his artifact is betraying him, and fights on in ignorance.

Flae

Level 12 Solo Controller

XP 3,500 Initiative +10 Perception +8 Blindsight

Medium Natural Humanoid (Grimlock) HP 473; Bloodied 236 AC 28; Fortitude 25; Reflex 26; Will 24 Speed 6 Immune gaze Saving Throws +5; Action Points 2 Standard Actions

m Aegis Bite (psychic, weapon) At-Will Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +17 versus AC Hit: 3d6+10 damage. Against a stunned target, this attack deals an extra 2d8 psychic damage. C Gaze of the Aegis (gaze, psychic) Recharge z 56 Attack: Close blast 5 (targets enemies); +15 versus Will Hit: 2d8+6 psychic damage and the target is stunned until the end of flaes next turn. C Dreams of Ages Past (gaze) Encounter Attack: Close burst 8 (targets enemies); +14 versus Will Hit: The target is stunned until the end of their next turn or until the end of flaes next turn; whichever is longer. Triggered Actions C Demanding Glare (gaze) Trigger: An enemy makes a melee attack against flae. Attack (Immediate Interrupt): Close blast 3 (targets enemies); +14 versus Will Hit: The target is stunned until the end of their next turn or until the end of flaes next turn; whichever is longer. C Opening the Third Eye Trigger: Flae is bloodied by an enemy attack. Effect (Free): Flae recharges Dream of Ages Past and uses it immediately. Memories of War (psychic) Trigger: Flae stuns an enemy with one of his attacks. Effect (Free): The enemys mind is thrown back in time (see Battles in the Past). Skills Athletics +17, Endurance +15, Intimidate +12 Str 23 (+12) Dex 19 (+10) Wis 15 (+8) Con 19 (+10) Int 14 (+8) Cha 13 (+7) Alignment Evil Languages Common, Deep Speech Equipment Aegis of Ages, Maze Facemask

TACTICS
Flae unleashes his wolves and wades into battle, stunning as many enemies as possible in the first round with Gaze of the Aegis. Thereafter, he uses Aegis Bite on the toughest stunned enemy in range, ganging up with his wolves wherever possible to maximize damage. Flae uses his first action point to stun his enemies with Dreams of Ages Past, saving his second for a deadly double Aegis Bite once hes bloodied. He makes use of Gaze of the Aegis whenever it recharges. As he can only use Demanding Glare once per round, he often holds it back to defend against his hardest-hitting enemy.

War Wolf

Level 10 Skirmisher
XP 500 Initiative +12 Perception +13 Low-light vision

Medium Natural Beast HP 104; Bloodied 52 AC 24; Fortitude 22; Reflex 23; Will 21 Speed 8 Standard Actions

FEATURES OF THE AREA

The following features also apply to the battles that take place in the adventurers minds (see Battles in the Past, below). Illumination: Bright Stairs/Slopes: These lead to the upper levels of the battlefield, and count as difficult terrain to creatures ascending them. Upper Levels: These are 20 feet above ground level. To climb up here requires a DC20 Athletics check. Hazards: These may be cauldrons of fire, waterfalls of molten lead, or even enemies locked in mortal combat. Creatures entering these squares or starting their turns inside take 3d6+11 damage (typed as appropriate). Collapsible Object: These may be crumbling pillars, weapons racks, or simply stacked bookshelves. They count as difficult terrain that collapses when creatures are forced into them.
Collapsible Object
TRIGGERED ACTION C Collapse Encounter Trigger: A creature is forced into the square. Attack: Close burst 1 (creatures in burst); +15 vs. Reflex Hit: 2d8+7 damage and the target is dazed (save ends) Effect: All squares in the burst now count as difficult terrain.

BATTLES IN THE PAST

The shields magic flings its enemies minds back through time to inhabit ancient warriors on a long-forgotten battlefield.

m Bite At-Will Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +15 versus AC Hit: 2d8+9 damage or 4d8+9 damage against a prone target. If the war wolf has combat advantage against the target, the target falls prone. Effect: The war wolf shifts up to 4 squares Str 17 (+8) Dex 20 (+10) Wis 17 (+8) Con 18 (+9) Int 6 (+3) Cha 14 (+7) Alignment Unaligned Languages -

Determining avatars
Whenever a player is stunned by one of Flaes attacks, hand them the following character and then roll 1d4 to determine their powers:
Ancient Warrior Level 12 Minion Soldier
Medium Natural Humanoid HP 1; a missed attack never damages a Initiative As minion stunned PC AC 28; Fortitude 24; Reflex 24; Will 24 Perception +9 Speed 6 Skills Athletics +15, Endurance +14 Str 19 (+10) Dex 19 (+10) Wis 16 (+9) Con 16 (+9) Int 13 (+7) Cha 13 (+7) Alignment Unaligned Languages Some long-lost tongue

1: FRONTLINE FIGHTER
Standard Actions m Tide of Iron (weapon) At-Will Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +17 versus AC Hit: 10 damage and the enemy is pushed 1 square Triggered Actions M Sacrificial Dash (weapon) Trigger: An enemy within 2 attacks one of the ancient warriors allies Effect (Immediate Interrupt): The ancient warrior shifts up to 2 squares and makes the following attack, Melee 1(one creature); +17 versus AC Hit: 10 damage and the enemy attacks the ancient warrior instead.

Single-Use Terrain

2: DEFENSIVE SPEARMAN
Standard Actions m Melee Weapon (weapon) At-Will Attack: Melee 2 (one creature); +17 versus AC Hit: 10 damage M Pinning Strike (weapon) At-Will Attack: Melee 2 (one creature); +17 versus AC Hit: 10 damage and make a secondary attack. Secondary Attack: Melee 2 (the same creature), +17 versus Reflex. Hit: The target is immobilized until the end of its next turn. Triggered Actions M Opportunistic Stab (weapon) Trigger: An enemy within 2 misses the ancient warrior or one of its allies Attack (Immediate Reaction): Melee 2 (the triggering enemy); +17 versus AC Hit: 10 damage

4: SLAYER
Standard Actions m Melee Weapon (weapon) At-Will Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +17 versus AC Hit: 10 damage M Slayers Wake (weapon) At-Will Effect: The ancient warrior shifts up to 3 squares and makes the following attack at any point during the move. Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +17 versus AC Hit: 10 damage (15 damage if the ancient warrior has combat advantage against the enemy) Triggered Actions M Boot Back(weapon) Trigger: An enemy moves adjacent to the ancient warrior Attack (Immediate Interrupt): Melee 1 (the triggering enemy); +15 versus Reflex Hit: The enemy takes 5 damage and is pushed 2 squares.

1d10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Shield Bearer Scarred and tattooed barbarian champion Wizard-king with a single burning eye Branded minotaur with crystal horns Orc raider with three faces on one head Expressionless man made from solid gold Tentacle-haired queen wielding a trident Skinless sorcerer with a spinal cord wand Spined devil with cloak of shrunken heads Pharaoh whose touch desiccates enemies Goat-legged tiefling with spined tongue
Level 13 Controller
Initiative As flae Perception +7

3: MARKSMAN
Standard Actions m Punching Dagger (weapon) At-Will Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +17 versus AC Hit: 5 damage R Staggering Shot (weapon) Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +17 versus AC Hit: 10 damage and the ancient warrior slides the enemy 2 squares. Triggered Actions R Vengeful Shot (weapon) Trigger: An ally within 2 is killed by an enemy attack Effect (Immediate Reaction): The ancient warrior shifts 1 square and makes the following attack, Ranged 10 (the triggering enemy); +17 versus AC Hit: 10 damage and the enemy is pushed 2 squares.

Determining setting and enemy

Now roll on the following tables to determine their surroundings, and the enemy they face:
1d10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Battle Location Burning streets of an ancient acropolis Chaos ship plunging into the Abyss Rooftop of a collapsing citadel Deck of a flagship during a naval battle Summit of a stepped jungle pyramid Shores of a vast Underdark ocean Temple in the caldera of an active volcano Giant howdah atop a colossal warbeast Bloodstained sands of an imperial arena High cliff-ledge in the midst of a blizzard

Enemy Champion

Medium Natural Humanoid HP 64; Bloodied 32 AC 27; Fortitude 25; Reflex 25; Will 25 Speed 6 Standard Actions

m Shield Slam At-Will Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +18 versus AC Hit: The target is pushed 2 squares and takes 20 damage. Make a secondary attack. Secondary Attack: Close burst 1 from the targets square (creatures in burst); +15 versus Reflex. Hit: 10 damage. R Javelin or Spell Recharge z 56 Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +15 versus Reflex Hit: 10 damage. Skills Athletics +15, Endurance +14 Str 18 (+10) Dex 16 (+9) Wis 13 (+7) Con 16 (+9) Int 13 (+7) Cha 16 (+9) Alignment Unaligned Languages -

positions on the same grid, and tell them their warrior has stepped in from the fray. Describe the scene as one of conflict: armies clash about them, arrows rain down, and the only point of reference is the enemy standing before them: a champion carrying the same shield as the one they face in the present!

Dying on the Battlefield

The vision ends for a single character when: Their PC is no longer stunned. When this occurs, briefly describe how their ancient warrior is felled by an arrow, or cut down by a sudden blow from behind. Their ancient warrior is killed by the enemy champion. If they are due another set of actions before the stunning effect ends, they may bring in another ancient warrior at the start of their next turn.

Running the battles

The players objective is simply to defeat their opponent: Do not roll for initiative. At the end of each stunned players turn, just before their end-of-turn effects take place, they take a full set of actions for their ancient warrior. At the end of Flaes turn, just before his end-of-turn effects take place, the DM takes a full set of actions for the enemy champion. Players can choose to ready or delay, but this also changes the initiative of their character in the present. When a player chooses to do this they must immediately determine end-of-turn effects for both characters.

Setting up the battlefield

Place figures for the combatants on the map shown above. This is a separate battle: whilst the players warriors fight in the past, their characters remain stunned in the present. Do not roll for a new location or enemy if another PC is already in the past. Instead, place a new figure on one of the starting

Whenever an ancient warrior dies, check the Rewards section below to see if theyve earned themselves a boon in the present. If all of the ancient warriors are killed, keep a note of the enemy champions hit points, and continue the same battle with new warriors when the next PC is stunned.

Defeating the Champion

The vision ends for all players if they kill the enemy champion, at which point theyll earn one of the boons detailed below. Whenever they are next stunned, roll for a new location and enemy.

Rewards
When a player returns to the present, the shield may grant them a boon: If their ancient warrior landed a blow on the enemy champion, they gain combat advantage against Flae until the end of their next turn. If their ancient warrior pushed the enemy champion off a ledge, or forced him into hazardous terrain, their next successful hit against Flae before the end of the next turn will push him 2 squares and knock him prone (in addition to any conditions imposed by the power). If their ancient warrior or one of its allies killed the enemy champion, they gain a +5 bonus to damage rolls against Flae until the end of their next turn.

shields mouth opens, and a glittering flow of residuum pours forth into your hands. Award your players an appropriate amount of residuum, as befits their level. Flaes maze mask although useless to those without blindsight may also be of some worth.

TREASURE
If the adventurers defeat Flae, read: As your enemy crashes to the ground, his shield levitates before you, and you hear its echoing voice in your heads. You have proven yourselves worthy, and rid me of a shameful owner. I leave you with a small token of my thanks. With that, the