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• Season's Greetings! We wish everyone a happy holiday as we celebrate the return of our savior Waukeen, Our Lady of Gold and Liberty's Friend, on the day of her escape from Graz'zt's clutches in the Abyss, when she presumably comes bearing gifts for all.
• Now, after all the gift-giving and sales, we hope everyone has a somber and reflective Orbar, remembering the darker sides of consumerism, greed, and miserliness.
• Recently, BadCatMan, Lhynard, and Sir Whiteout ascended to the upper planes to continue a survey of celestial matters. We present this special celestial issue of the Clacks!
• BadCatMan met with members of the orders of angelic devas—astral, monadic, and movanic—and was allowed to examine (but not touch) their celestial maces of disruption, rods of smiting, and swords of flaming (not the actual name).
• Lhynard petitioned the throne archons for an audience with some of the supreme tome archons: Barachiel, Domiel, Zaphkiel, and Pistis Sophia. He was granted a vision of heaven and a mere taste of ambrosia, found to be literally distilled joy.
• Meanwhile, Sirwhiteout explored more of the upper planes, boating down the River Oceanus through Elysium, passing through pleasant Amoria and rugged Eronia and into the swamps of Belierin, where he sighted the legendary hydra imprisoned there. However, he had nothing to show for his earlier work on the cloak of invisibility.

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A chasme, or fly demon, was a tanar'ri demon found in the Abyss, though some served the goddess Talona, Mistress of Disease. Chasmes were horrid, disgusting hybrids of flies and humans, with the arms and face of a man but the body of a gigantic fly. They hatched from eggs laid in the corpses of huge demons left lying in the Abyss, and sucked blood through their horn-like proboscises. The droning of their wings could lull an unwary being to sleep, who might awake to find themselves being fed upon and tortured by the cruel demon.

The demonic masters of punishment, torture, interrogation, and torment, chasmes often served greater demons as inquisitors, taskmasters, overseers, or torturers. Some captured runaways and deserters of the Blood War, so they might avoid service themselves. Hence most demons despised chasme, and the feeling was mutual. They were craven creatures, but cunning, with a caution and subtlety few demons possessed.

Chained chasmes pulled the chariot of a nalfeshnee when Impiltur was overrun by demons. Later, gangs of chasme served the monster Imgig Zu in his schemes, and the balor Errtu against the Companions of the Hall, and flew freely over Menzoberranzan.

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Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land, designed by Richard Baker, Eric L. Boyd and Thomas M. Reid, is an adventure module set in the Forgotten Realms using the Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition ruleset. It takes PCs through an invasion of Shadowdale in 1375 DR by forces of Zhentil Keep, the church of Shar, and the drow of Maerimydra, as part of an assault upon the goddess Mystra and her Weave of magic. It is the second of a three-part super-adventure detailing the end of the 3.5 edition setting, but it can be played independently.

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Shadowdale lies conquered! Who can free this oppressed land? Zhentish soldiers, Maerimydran drow, and Sharran cultists have forged a dark alliance to subjugate the peaceful land of Shadowdale. Elminster's tower lies in ruins, Lord Amcathra governs at the sufferance of the dale's conquerors, and the very Weave of magic in this embattled land seems to fray with each passing day. The Zhentish yoke lies heavy over Shadowdale—but the Dalesfolk are ready to fight for their freedom, if only they can find true heroes to lead the way! This FORGOTTEN REALMS® campaign adventure is designed for characters of levels 9–13. It can be played as a stand-alone adventure or as the second adventure in a three-part series. Each encounter contains tactical information for the Dungeon Master and expanded map features for ease of play.

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New & Upcoming Releases

Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage is a 5^th-edition Dungeons & Dragons adventure set in the city of Waterdeep and a sequel to Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. It was released on November 20, 2018.

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The Greatest Dungeon of Them All Explore the mega-dungeon of Undermountain in this adventure for the world's greatest roleplaying game. In the city of Waterdeep rests a tavern called the Yawning Portal, named after the gaping pit in its common room. At the bottom of this crumbling shaft is a labyrinthine dungeon shunned by all but the most daring adventurers. Known as Undermountain, this dungeon is the domain of the mad wizard Halaster Blackcloak. Long has the Mad Mage dwelt in these forlorn depths, seeding his lair with monsters, traps, and mysteries—to what end is a constant source of speculation and concern. This adventure picks up where Waterdeep: Dragon Heist leaves off, taking characters of 5th level or higher all the way to 20th level should they explore the entirety of Halaster's home. Twenty-three levels of Undermountain are detailed herein, along with the subterranean refuge of Skullport. Treasures and secrets abound, but tread with care!

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Dragon+ 23 was released on December 6, 2018.

This issue presented a new "miniature" in the Icons of the Realms series—an entire sailing ship! Based on drawings made by Chris Perkins when he was a teenager, this is an amazing piece of work that brings immersion to the game without sacrificing playability.

The saga of Braya the young thief in Waterdeep continues in Raven's Reckoning; Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms invades consoles; Maps of the Month includes isometrics of the new ship miniature plus three retro black and white maps from Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage; and Dragon Classics harks back to Aurora's Undermountain Sale and more from that most dangerous of dungeons.

Today in the Realms...

...it is 16 Hammer, or the 16th of Deepwinter.   

Realmslore

• Nybor was the Thayan zulkir of enchantment, and a prolific inventor of spells. She disappeared one night under mysterious circumstances.
• Empyreans were the beautiful and statuesque offspring of upper planes deities. They could alter their surroundings to suit their mood.
• Extension I, extension II, and extension III were closely related spells that all increased the duration of other spells.
• Barachiel was the ruler of Lunia, the principal defender of Mount Celestia, and the leader of all trumpet archons.
• Reduce person could reduce a person to half their size. It was considered the counter to enlarge person.
• Victoro Cassalanter, patriarch of the Waterdhavian Cassalanter family, was secretly a devout priest of Asmodeus.
• Aumvor's fragmented phylactery allowed liches to split their phylactery into several pieces, making it harder to kill them.
• Nadia was a cleric of the Darkmoon temple. Together with Joril, she tried to convince visitors the temple had goodly intentions.

And, from the archives:

• In −2941 DR, goblins sacked the Netherese city of Cantus when they learned the Netherese had no interest in their trade goods.
• Rosecork wood was almost completely resistant to fire, commonly used in building, and imported to Cormyr by Sarliman Eurdoe.
• The Circle of Rust and the Worm was an insane cult of Talos-worshipping sages and mystics dedicated to destroying the world.
• Pomab Ak'azmjir was the owner of Pomab's Emporium in Easthaven in Icewind Dale, and claimed to be Calishite royalty.
• The Purple Dragon Thondar chased Kelemvor Lyonsbane, Midnight, and Adon out of Wheloon during the Time of Troubles.

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