M3: Twilight Calling

M3 "Twilight Calling" (1986) by Tom Moldvay is a D&D adventure for a party of four to six characters of levels 30 to 35.

M3 "Twilight Calling" (1986) by Tom Moldvay.  Cover illustration depicting Carnifex Castle by Larry Elmore.

The PCs are manipulated by Alphaks "the Dark" into releasing an evil, ancient reptilian race from "the Pits of Banishment", a prison dimension.

Creative Team:

M3 "Twilight Calling" was designed by Tom Moldvay, with additional design, development, and editing by Bruce Heard, Karen Martin, Rick Swan, Jennell Jaquays, Kevin Stein, and Robin Jenkins.

The cover illustration is by Larry Elmore, with black and white interior illustrations by Ben Otero (the artists' names were mistakenly switched in credits).

Cartography is by Diane & Dave Sutherland, Gloria Szopinaki and Rob Peacock.

The Septahenge:

Illustration by Ben Otero

The PCs must locate a stonehenge-like edifice of seven dolmen arches atop Guardian Mesa, a gray basalt plateau a thousand feet high and 500 feet wide, in the center of the Broken Lands.

Each arch is a gate leading to one of seven magical realms.

The Seven Realms:

The seven magical realms are pocket universes, ruled by quasi-immortal beings.  Each draws inspiration from one of the seven classical planets.*

*see "The Seven Magical Planets" by Tom Moldvay in The Dragon #38 (June, 1980) 

The Rainbow Realm (Mercury)

• the realm of Nabumetis, a consummate trickster who delights in practical jokes
• the ultimate symbol of the Rainbow Realm is the fool who learns to control the chaos within him, and in the process, becomes the magician
• the wand of Koloron, made of deep violet crystal, which can function as any of the 13 kinds of magic wand

The Green Realm (Venus)

• the realm of Belotra the Beautiful, who fears change, and tempts the PCs with a life of eternal youth and luxury
• the traditional ideal of the planet Venus and the feminine aspects of nature; the seductive lure of luxurious, but stifling stasis
• also inhabited by Ambriel, the elven queen
• the tunic of glory (cleric), the shaman's mantle (magic-user), the deceptor's boots (thief), the gauntlets of might (fighter)

The Red Realm (Mars)

• the realm of Anator the Charioteer, a tall, ruddy, muscular warrior with blood-red hair
• the mystical analog of Mars; the suffering and the horrors of war
• also inhabited by Malkar the Warrior and the Kirekan, a mindless biological war machine (a mountain of flesh, moving on countless legs, waving an uncountable collection of mismatched but deadly weapons)

The Black Realm (Saturn)

• the realm of Silcharde the Black, a tall emaciated man with a dark complexion, who spends all of his time brooding on the mysteries of life and death
• dominated by gloom, death, and darkness
• also inhabited by Ombiassa, the great serpent and Zagriona, the hag of time

The Blue Realm (Jupiter)

• the realm of King Valeratros, a giant of a man, with pale blue skin and bright blue hair
• also inhabited by Coroman, the Corn King and Sorabeth the Lawgiver
• the Gift of the Archons, the ability to create the Archon Flame-Sword (4-32 points of damage to any creature hit, including those undead, hit only by magical weapons, and those of other planes)

The White Realm (the Moon)

• the realm of Kerrisar, a maiden huntress, clad in a flowing, diaphanous gown
• the mystical analog of the moon; magic and theft are part of the ideal of the land, spells are more witchcraft than magic, illusions are more vision than hallucination
• also inhabited by Astracus, Guardian of the Shore

The Yellow Realm (the Sun)

• the realm of Morilon the Golden, a lion-headed man
• dominated by harmony, warmth, and friendship
• also inhabited by Hyperbius, the Grand Master of the Brotherhood of the Sun

The Carnifex:

Once the PCs have collected a magical symbol from each of the Seven Realms, the Septahenge disappears and the party is transported to the Pits of Banishment, where a narrow, half-mile long bridge leads towards Carnifex Castle.

Illustration by Ben Otero

The Carnifex are described as seven-foot tall, lizard-like humanoids, kin to both lizards and dinosaurs.

There are four classes of Carnifex (guards, tricksters, chaplains, and magi) corresponding to each of the four main character classes.

The surviving Carnifex have created a one-way gate leading to the PCs' home world, and must be stopped.

The Carnifex have also created a powerful magical device, the Black Staff, which can be used to create undead duplicates of any living creature.

Prerolled Characters:

Taran, Neutral 33rd level Fighter, a former King of Ierendi*
Arian, Lawful 33rd level Cleric, raised in the Temple of Law in (G)lantri City
Strom, Chaotic 33rd level Thief, born and raised among the Ferret Clan of the Atruaghin tribes
Morgana, Neutral 33rd level Magic-User, a former ruler of the Lost City of Cynidicea*
Barnstormer, Lawful 33rd level Paladin, an Ethengar tribesman*
Draco, Neutral 33ed level Fighter, born and raised in Thyatis

*based on PCs Taran the Wanderer aka Taran of the Two Swords, Moirrighan, and Barnstormer from Tom Moldvay's and Lawrence Schick's Original Known World (OKW) campaign (c.1976-1979), see Bundle D - OKW Character Sheets in Bill Wilkerson's Original Known World documents

Commentary:

Given its high level, "Twilight Calling" is unlikely to be used as part of a regular D&D campaign.  However, it's component parts can easily be repurposed.

PCs may be transported to any of the seven magical realms as part of a quest or curse.  Individual realms can be expanded, using Moldvay's article in The Dragon #38 as inspiration.

The Carnifex are an interesting, ancient race.  Hints to their existence can be dropped into the campaign as whispered legends.