The Soulmonger is a necromantic artifact created by the archlich Acererak to trap and feed souls to an atropal—a godling he seeks to nurture into a deity of death. The device is a massive crystal cylinder, 20 feet high and 10 feet in diameter, suspended above a pool of lava by three adamantine struts within the lowest level of the Tomb of the Nine Gods in Omu.
Purpose and Effects
The Soulmonger was activated 20 days before the adventure begins and creates a death curse with the following effects:
- Wasting of the Resurrected: Any humanoid previously brought back from the dead begins wasting away, losing 1 hit point maximum per day until death
- Soul Trapping: The souls of all humanoids who die on Toril become trapped inside the Soulmonger instead of passing to the afterlife
- Prevention of Resurrection: Resurrection magic automatically fails on anyone whose soul is trapped or devoured
- Hit Point Maximum Reduction: No effect that reduces hit point maximum can be healed or reversed while the Soulmonger is active
- Soul Devouring: The atropal periodically devours trapped souls (1 in 20 chance each dawn), permanently destroying them beyond any resurrection
The Soulmonger feeds necromantic energy to the atropal through a twisted umbilical cord, with trapped souls visible as wraithlike forms swirling inside the cylinder and filling the air with otherworldly screams.
Creation
Acererak crafted the Soulmonger with assistance from the Sewn Sisters—a coven of three night hags (Widow Groat, Peggy Deadbells, and Baggy Nanna) who adapted their soul bag stitching expertise for its construction. The hags remain in the tomb as nursemaids to the atropal, guarding the Soulmonger behind a skeleton gate that requires five skeleton keys to unlock.
Location and Access
The Soulmonger is housed in area 77 of the Tomb of the Nine Gods, accessible only after:
- Completing trials in areas 72-76 to expose five keyholes
- Collecting five skeleton keys scattered throughout the tomb’s upper levels
- Unlocking the skeleton gate in area 71
- Descending stairs to the triangular lava-filled vault
Properties and Defenses
Physical Characteristics:
- Huge object with AC 15 and 200 hit points
- Vulnerable to radiant damage
- Immune to nonmagical weapon damage
- Radiates intense necromantic magic
- Four 30-foot writhing tentacles sprout from its cap
Active Defenses: The tentacles attack any creature that damages the cylinder or struts (+7 to hit, 4d8+6 bludgeoning damage, or grapple and lift targets). Each tentacle has AC 15, 30 hit points, and immunity to poison/psychic damage.
Supporting Structure: Three adamantine struts (Large objects, AC 20, 100 hp each) suspend the device. Breaking any strut causes all three to snap, dropping the Soulmonger into the lava and destroying it.
Destruction
The Soulmonger can be destroyed by:
- Reducing it to 0 hit points through direct damage (radiant damage is most effective)
- Breaking any of the three adamantine struts
When destroyed, the crystal shatters and trapped souls escape in a tornado of brilliant light before vanishing in a spectral flash. This immediately ends the death curse across Toril, allowing resurrection magic to function normally and restoring wasting hit point maximums. All freed souls can then be resurrected by normal magical means (unless previously devoured by the atropal).
Strategic Importance
Multiple factions seek the Soulmonger:
- Syndra Silvane and the Harpers: Hired the party to destroy it and end the curse affecting Syndra and others
- Red Wizards of Thay: Led by the lich Valindra Shadowmantle, seeking to seize or destroy it on orders from Szass Tam (as it prevents liches from trapping souls in phylacteries)
- Ras Nsi and the Yuan-ti: Unknowingly manipulated by Acererak; guard the Tomb of the Nine Gods but suffer from the death curse themselves
- Acererak: Will personally intervene if the atropal is killed, arriving to take revenge on those who threaten his plans
Game Mechanics
The Soulmonger is classified as an artifact of evil. In “Meat Grinder” mode, it gains additional power: death saving throws succeed only on rolls of 15+ (instead of 10+) for all creatures.
Certain spells are modified or fail entirely within the tomb due to the Soulmonger’s influence, including antimagic field (which cannot affect it), commune, find traps, and most teleportation magic.