Aurrythax, Guardian of the Eye of Ao; Ancient Gold Dracolich

Lichdom as a state of being is befitting of only the supremely evil and irrecoverably mad, the mere idea of a gold dragon—the paragon of goodness and of law—even considering it, is laughable, if not sacrilegious.

Aurrythax was one of seven gold dragons assigned by Bahamut himself to guard a relic of unimaginable power: the Eye of Ao, a glowing orb with the ability to slay gods just by whispering their name into it. Impressive still, but paling in comparison, was the that a large area around it was completely imperceptible to deities, unable to be entered or perceived.

Wars have been fought, factions of gods, good and evil, sending their most powerful mortal devotees to claim, to protect, or to destroy it.

As eons passed, armies ceased their conquest. As eons passed, the dragons grew into their twilight. As eons passed, one by one, they perished. But, more concerning than their own mortality, was that they were never replaced. Why had Bahamut not sent more to protect the Eye? Surely in his boundless wisdom he would intuit the impermanence of their lives? The dragons, fewer and fewer, wished to communicate with their god, to send a messenger out. But, lawful to a fault, they dared not betray his direct order: do not leave your post.

Then there was one: Aurrythax. Alone. The youngest guardian, now pushing the limits of his lifespan, having spent most of his life patrolling the same area, protecting the same object. Not fearing his own death, but fearing the potential danger to his god, to all  gods and to that is good, Aurrythax acted in desperation. A great evil, for the greater good: his own mind a great library of arcane knowledge, the temple not lacking in resources, the lands wracked with spare souls, he became a dracolich; the Eye of Ao itself serving as his phylactery.

Now, centuries since his undeath, Aurrythax has gone mad--the dark energy inherent to lichdom eating away at his pure soul. Often he rambles incoherently, speaking to his long dead comrades as if they were still there, unaware even of his current condition. Still, he is stalwart in his assignment, unwaveringly loyal to Bahamut and the forces of good. The last guardian of the Eye of Ao.

Aurrythax’s Lair

Aurrythax rarely leaves the temple of the Eye of Ao, though his influence stretches miles out from it. The lands were once well tended, long ago, by the dragons and by human and demihuman devotees of Bahamut, Pan, Torm. Plains of lush grass and colorful flowers as far as the eye can see, blanketed in a haze of opalescent mist, surrounding a monumentous temple as marvelous as it was fortified. What was once bursting with life and beauty is now dead and decrepit; all vegetation has died, dried, and burnt away, leaving a large expanse of sooty dirt; the gentle mist replaced with choking smog, leaving even the brightest day not but grey brown dusk.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Aurrythax takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; Aurrythax can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Aurrythax glimpses the future, so it has advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws until initiative count 20 on the next round.
• One creature Aurrythax can see within 120 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be banished to a dream plane, a different plane of existence Aurrythax has imagined into being. To escape, the creature must use its action to make a Charisma check contested by Aurrythax’s. If the creature wins, it escapes the dream plane. Otherwise, the effect ends on initiative count 20 on the next round. When the effect ends, the creature reappears in the space it left or in the nearest unoccupied space if that one is occupied.

Regional Effects

The region around Aurrythax’s lair is warped by his magic, creating the following effects.

• Whenever a creature that can understand a language sleeps or enters a state of trance or reverie within a 6 mile radius of the temple, he can establish telepathic contact with that creature and converse with it in its dreams. The creature remembers its conversation with Aurrythax upon waking.
• Choking smog manifests within 6 miles of the temple. The smog obscures vision, any ranged attacks or perception checks made without blindsight or truesight will have disadvantage.
• Due to the effects of the Eye of Ao, any effects relying directly on a deity do not work within a 6 mile radius of the temple. This means clerics are almost entirely robbed of power, and that some abilities of paladins and warlocks may be limited.
• No sound can be created within or pass into the Reliquary, a 200 cubic foot hall at the center of the temple, which contains the Eye of Ao.

If the Eye of Ao is destroyed, these effects end immediately.