A Darkness Gathering flings four to six adventurers of levels 7-9 into the midst of a plot being launched by the menacing, predatory mindflayers. This module is the first in a trilogy that supports The Illithiad, a Monstrous Arcana supplement that provides comprehensive background information on the mindflayers and their evil culture. A fairly compact adventure (32 pages), it can be played independently or as a prelude to its sequels.

Action is set in the city of Stormport, where corruption runs rampant, people disappear without a trace every day, and a dark cult seeks to convert new believers (i.e., conditions much like those in many major U.S. cities). Rumors persist of a creature with a taste for human flesh who stalks alleyways, and winter retains its grip on the city, refusing the allow the onset of spring. It would appear the illithids, the mindflayers, are using Stormport as a base from which to once again attempt to enslave humanity, in a plot that if unstopped will lead to eternal winter and darkness.

This tough, city-based adventure includes some dungeon delving (maps include a handful of urban buildings, a small but convoluted natural cavern, and a sewer system), but the emphasis is on investigation and discovery. Throughout the adventure, however, the players face the menace of powerful foes (including a new one, the Phthisic, an extremely dangerous creature formed from the minds of those it preys upon). The adventure is divided into five sections, four mini-adventures (any of which can be used as a "hook" to involve the player characters), and a climactic battle in the lair of the illithid overlord in Stormport.

A Darkness Gathering is an ideal adventure for a tough, intelligent, resourceful party.