Introduction:
This adventure takes place in the northeastern portion of Western Jerranq. In the original campaign, this scenario takes place in the year 5512, just before the Deceiver makes his attack on the Free Lands.
In that campaign, the player characters were looking for a series of towers of ancient Morakki origin which seemed to form some sort of magical teleportation network. DMs interested in integrating this aspect into their own campaigns are directed to tscenario entitled The Secrets of the Towers.
For those DMs not using the campaign background, only a bit of work is necessary. The Mandarin vault highlighted in the scenario is certainly legendary enough to inspire adventurers to seek it out purely for the money and lore rumoured to be contained within. In this case, the DM may want to alter the Cotrunal Priest's background and opening speech slightly. Perhaps he sought the party out by reputation rather than divine inspiration.
Scenario Outline:
The party is seeking a clue to the whereabouts of the next mysterious Morakki tower (Tower #9 to be exact). Simultaneously, a knowledge priest believes he has found the location of an ancient Mandarin treasure that contains the promise of much lost lore and Morakki knowledge, as well as magic and treasure. The priest, having no luck at finding adventurers both capable and trustworthy, casts a divination and is lead to the party by divine inspiration.
The party, who may be able to find the tower's location amongst the lore within the trove, has ample reason to assist this priest in a quest that can aid them both.
The party and priest make their way to the city built over the ruins of the Mandarin fortress. After dealing with political and urban obstacles, they enter the sewers and discover the treasure vault of the Mandarin. They must then make their way past guardians and traps to gain the lost hoard.
DM Background:
The Morakki are the oriental culture of Therra. They were driven out of their northwestern homelands during the first war against the Deceiver and accused of cowardice by the other inhabitants of Jerranq. Eventually, they were driven south and east, fleeing across the barren isthmus of Pilong, and finally settling in the lands of Eastern Jerranq, where they grew into a mighty civilization and flourished in their isolation from the West.
Centuries later, when the Deceiver was again at war, and had almost conquered all of Western Jerranq, the most prestigious ambassador of the Amorian Empire sailed to Xydlont in the east and begged the Morakki Emperor for aid. The Emperor agreed, and out of the mists of Pilong came a vast horde of Morakki, led by stern samurai, powerful wu-jen, and strange, hitherto unknown magicks. This army used its strange magicks and tactics to confound and then thwart the Deceiver, who was denied complete victory and had to pull back in the face of the Morakki forces and consolidate his gains.
The Amorian Empire, ruler of most of the West, was destroyed, its armies decimated. In this vacuum, the Morakki saw a chance to inflict revenge for their ancient humiliation and harassment at the hands of the West. Thus, the Emperor declared all of the Free Lands of the West under his protection. The West was divided into 12 provinces, and at the head of each the Emperor set a Mandarin, to rule as governor in his name. With that, the Emperor returned to the East.
For over a century the Mandarini ruled the West. They efficiently and ruthlessly crushed any rebellions by the Free Folk of the West, and introduced Morakki culture and customs to the West. They also taxed the citizens tremendously, both to satiate their own lust for treasure, to satisfy their desire for revenge upon the peoples of the West, and to pay the onerous taxes and tribute demanded by the Emperor.
Eventually, the original Mandarini died, and their heirs ruled in their stead. As well, the Morakki Emperor died and his heir ruled. The new Mandarini were not born of the East and their loyalty was sorely tested by the increasing demands of the new Emperor. Eventually, the Mandarini revolted and declared themselves independent of the Emperor of the East. The Emperor raised his armies and again marched across Pilong, this time to make war on his rebellious kin.
A civil war ensued, and at its apex, as terrible battles raged across the land, the Deceiver struck again. The Morakki forces put aside their differences to fight the Deceiver, but all would have been lost had not the Western peoples, who had been secretly building their forces in anticipation of a revolt against the Mandarini, risen up and aided the Morakki against the Deceiver.
Once again the Deceiver was thwarted just in time, and this time, the Emperor agreed that the Morakki had no claim to the lands of the West and vowed to march his forces back into the East. He ordered his Mandarini to accompany him. A few did, but many were still proud of their lands and their holdings and were determined to hold onto them. Fleeing back to their lands, they reformed what armies remained to them and resisted the Western peoples. Ravaged by war, weary of the West, and with the Emperor's offer to return them to their homelands to the East fresh in their minds, the Mandarini armies did not resist to their best abilities, and one by one the Mandarini fell.
While the Mandarini ruled, they built, most of them, vast treasure vaults in which to guard and secret their treasures. They did this originally to protect their hoards from the tax collectors and agents of the Emperor. When rebellion threatened, many further fortified their troves.
One such Mandarinate, the Wak-hasho-tu family, governors of the province that included current day Jaggarth, was a family known to be scholars as well as warriors, and they collected, during their reign, a vast library of knowledge, much of it plundered from the libraries of the Amorian Empire.
When the Mandarini fell, their treasure troves were found, the guards and wards overcome, and the treasures plundered. However, the trove of the Wak-hasho-tu was never found by the rebels, nor by treasure hunters for centuries after, and the legend of the missing trove of the Mandarins grew more distant, but also more legendary over time.
Indorritan the Wise is a priest and sage of Cotrunal, the god of knowledge. The Mandarin Occupation is his specialty of study, and he is one of the leading experts in Western Jerranq on that subject. For decades he has sought out the location of the missing Mandarin hoard, lusting more after its lost lore than its other treasures. After a long and arduous scholarly pursuit, he believes he has found the location of the treasure vault of the Wak-hasho-tu family.
Indorritan is learned enough to know how well the Mandarini guarded their treasure vaults, and he knows he cannot brave its dangers alone. But he has run into a problem, in that any freelance adventurers he hired who were powerful enough to gain the treasure for him would also be powerful enough to betray him and take it for themselves. And those in legal positions of authority who could aid him would almost certainly claim the treasure for themselves as their sovereign right.
Discouraged, Indorritan performed a divination ceremony to tap the wisdom of his god. After long rituals and careful decipherment of the strange rhymes and omens that resulted, he was told to seek out the PCs as a group he could trust and who also, whether they know it or not, seek the same trove as Indorritan does.
Thus, has Indorritan left the safe confines of his temple and travels, seeking out the PCs.
Note to DM:
The above assumes the party is seeking the ancient Morakki teleportation towers mentioned in the introduction. If the party is not, but is composed of good aligned trust-worthy sorts, then the DM can simply have the Cotrunal divination name the party as a group that could be trusted and is pure of heart.
If the party is neutral and less trustworthy than required for the god to recommend them, then the party should simply have Indorritan skip the divination and merely seek out the party by reputation and offer them a share of the treasure if they aid him.
Starting Things Off:
If Indorritan has done his divination and seeks the party by way of divine recommendation, then it is perfectly plausible that he has been searching for the party for a long while and he may finally meet up with them at any conceivable distance from the treasure trove. In this case, the DM should simply introduce Indorritan when it best suits him.
If Indorritan seeks the party out simply as mercenaries for hire, then it is less likely he will have travelled hundreds of miles to procure them. In this case, the DM should have the PCs travel near to the site of the treasure trove or to Indorritan's temple.
Player Background:
(The Player Background and the rest of this adventure assumes
Indorritan has divine recommendation and that the party seeks
knowledge of the Morakki Towers. DMs should adjust things to fit
their campaign situation).
The party is approached by an aging man with a crown of white hair around his balding pate and a staff supporting his slightly stooped frame. A long flowing beard dangles from a pointed chin. He wears the robes of a priest, and the sigils embroidered in his robes bespeak knowledge and sage lore.
This priest will stand before the party and ask for them by name. Assuming they acknowledge, he will ask to sit and then introduce himself and his purpose (this assumes it is not the 5th day of the week, when the priest must remain silent…the DM should not have the priest approach on this day of the week):
I am Indorritan, priest of Cotrunal, god of knowledge and lore, and head scholar of the temple at Aggrum in Jaggarth. My god has decreed, through divine omens and portents, that I seek you out, for the signs have told me that what I seek you seek, and that we can assist each other to the benefit of ourselves and our gods.
I see the puzzled looks on your faces, so let me explain.
Long ago, when the Deceiver made war on us, and was about to prevail, an ambassador of the crumbling Amorian Empire sailed east to the Morakki lands for help. His pleas were heard, for out of the haunted Pilong land came the mighty hordes of Xydlont. These made battle with the overstretched forces of the Deceiver and managed to stop the onslaught and save the lands from evil.
Ah, but the Morakki saw now a chance to dominate the West, and so they did not leave, but instead declared lordship over our lands and set upon them governors, called Mandarins. Now, the Mandarins were charged with collecting taxes and tribute for the Emperor in the East, and they did so, willingly at first, but as the Emperors' demands became more and more, they grew resentful, and they built themselves vaults, well hidden and well warded to guard their treasures from the tax collectors and spies of the Emperor.
Eventually, the Mandarini revolted, and the Emperor marched again from the east to crush the rebellion. But in the midst of this civil war the Deceiver attacked, and forced the two sides to unite. Still, the Deceiver would have prevailed had not our ancestors risen up to save the Morakki overlords. Chastened, the Emperor ordered his forces and people to abandon the West and return to the East. Some did, but others remained. These were attacked by our ancestors and one by one the Mandarini were driven off or killed.
And the victors found, over time, all of the Mandarini treasure vaults…all but one. This one was never found. It belonged to a Mandarin who was known to be an avid collector of lore. Indeed his family were noted as scholar-kings. It is said his hidden cache contained not only magicks and treasures plundered from the ruins of Amoria, but also a great store of its ancient lores.
For years have I searched for the location of this lost trove…and finally I have determined it! But alas, how could I…a mere scholar, hope to defeat the strange and terrible traps and guardians likely to be set in place to fend off intruders? And alas still, how could I procure the services of those mighty enough to overcome such dangers, yet still trustworthy enough to honour my services and give me and my temple its due? What lord could I convince to not claim the entirety of the trove?
Dejected and undecided, I turned to my god, and through divinations he told me that there was a group of heroes, whose names I possibly had heard, who also seek a certain bit of Morakki lore. And my lord told me to seek these persons out, for they are skilled, yet also trustworthy.
Thus, have I searched for months now, hoping to finally catch up with you…and blessed be Cotrunal…I have tonight done just that!
With that, Indorritan will ask the party if they truly seek Morakki knowledge, and if they would be willing to undertake this god-given quest. If the party inquires, he will state that he is mostly interested in lore, and will propose the following:
All non-magical lore is to be the property of the Temple of Cotrunal. The party may, however, peruse and copy any of this lore.
All monetary treasure to be divided 60% to the party and 40% to Indorritan.
All magical treasure to be chosen by lot, with Indorritan getting a single draw of the lots. However, any relics or magic specifically relating to or once the possession of Cotrunal shall be returned to the temple.
If the party agrees, Indorritan will produce a scroll with the terms written down, and will draw forth a quill pen and bottle of ink. He will then sign his name and ask the party to do the same (or to put down their mark if they cannot write). Finally, he will ask the party to make ready to leave within the week.
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Indorritan the Wise Race: Human Strength 10 AC 10 Spell Points: 100 (6 spells per
level, max 4th) Usual Spell Choice: Detect Magic (4) Special Priestly and Kit Abilities: Identify (1/day), Weapon Proficiencies: Quarterstaff Non Weapon Proficiencies: Read/Write Common Weapons: Quarterstaff [D6/D6 Fast, L, B, D10kd] Other Possessions: Numerological Tome Satchel |
Indorritan will tell the party that the trove lies under the current modern day city of Oretrade in Jaggarth. He believes that the old fortress city of the Mandarin was ruined and the current city built over that, but he knows from inquiries that Oretrade bears a sewer system beneath it. According to Indorritan's sources, the Mandarin's palace was built at the edge of a great cliff, and it is likely that the trove is beneath the palace.
Part One - Oretrade
Introduction to Oretrade (refer to the City Map)
Oretrade is a smallish sized city at the heels of the Aynayjor Mountains as they ripple down to the vast plains of Northern Jaggarth. The city is so named because it is the principal point of trade between the dwarves of Aynayjor and the humans to the west. The dwarves bring their weapons, armour, precious metals, and gems by mule train and trade for foodstuffs, wood, and textiles. As such, the city has a sizeable, if fluctuating population of dwarves. There are a few elves living in the Vuldoon Woods to the south, these being direct descendants of the refugees from Blanthil in ancient times, and they are for the most part sylvan in heritage and reclusive, though an occasional elf trader can be found in Oretrade, usually to conduct business with the dwarves.
The city is well walled, this from assistance rendered by the dwarves during its founding over 500 years ago. The city was built upon a smallish mining town that was, itself, built upon the ruins of a Mandarini fortress/city. Population, not counting traders visiting the city, is approximately 4,500 persons, supplemented by a garrison of 500 troops who regulate the trade, collect taxes, and ward against the dangers of the nearby mountains.
The city is run by the Mining Guild, which founded the original town. While the city is more concerned with trade than mining these days, the Mining Guild, having been the oldest established authority in the area, retained its power, and the Guild council meets once every 5 years to elect a Guildmaster who also serves as mayor. The city itself, while run by the Guild, is under the authority of the Consul of the Cohort of Nule, who is based in Nule and governs all the lands from Upper Nule and Oretrade to Nule and Veynor.
There is a constant underlying rivalry between the Guild and the Consul. The Consul is represented by the garrison, which is commanded by a Praetor. The Guild is constantly jealous of its ancient prerogatives and seeks to retain as much autonomy from the Consularship as possible. For this reason, the Guildwatch (the city watch) and constabulary is often at odds with the soldiery stationed here, occasionally erupting into brawls.
Religious authority here is decidedly Pantheistic, Mordants being despised or feared as a legacy of this area's Imperial heritage. Temples to Neengrum, Malaktum, Indolle, Aghorrit, and Vastalla are here.
There are no magical colleges here, though there is a 5th level Earth Mage named Krossarus who is known to have an affinity for beautiful women (especially elves) and strong drink. The city has no thieves' guild, though a few freelancers ply their trade.
Arrival to Oretrade
When the party arrives at the city, they are likely to attract attention. While traders and miners are commonplace here, powerful freelance warriors and wizards are rarer, and the party is very likely to gain the attention of the Miners' Guild, as they will see the party as possible spies or agents of the Consul at first.
Nothing in Oretrade is high society or upper class, this owing to the fact that even the city worthies are descended from miner stock and are accustomed to earthy living. However, due to the wealth brought by dwarvish trade, and the Guild's need to remain popular with the people in order to maintain its power, there are no poor or squalid sections either. As such, comfortable lodgings can be found at any of five inns in town.
The Guild will hear about the party's arrival unless they purposefully come in disguise. Within an hour, a low ranking but clever Guild man will come to the inn or tavern where the party is lounging (or any other public place they congregate) and will try to strike up a conversation with the party. He will be very subtle in his manner, not actually asking any questions other than a "what brings you folk to these parts?" but will listen intently to the party and give them a surreptitious once-over.
It is very likely that from that point on, the Guild will have one of its best men tail the party. This will be Chalance, the Guild enforcer, and he will have 3 of his best men stationed around the city loosely following the party and trying to get close enough to listen in on conversations. Chalance and his men are VERY good at what they do, so unless a party member SPECIFICALLY suspects a tail and takes countermeasures, the party will not notice the watch set upon them.
Interaction with the Guild
Few people in Oretrade know that their city is built upon the
ruins of a Mandarin stronghold. Most do know that there are sewers
under the city, but almost everyone can say that the sewers are
off limits to anyone but officials, as they have a bad reputation
and Krossarus the Mage has pronounced them evil and dangerous.
A few old timers can tell the party of a few wags who went down
into the sewers and never returned. There is even a running legend
that a being called the Crimson King rules a kingdom of rats in
the sewers, though almost all of the population dismisses this
as folklore. For this reason, the 6 sewers entrances are locked
shut with thick iron grates locked by a keylock. Only two persons
have the key, the Guildmaster and the Praetor.
In addition, the grates are warded as described in the Sewers section.
Once the Guild finds out about the party's interest in the sewers, whether by overhearing inquiries or by watching the party examine or bust into one of the grates, they will become extremely agitated.
If the party has not yet entered the sewers at this point, they will send Chalance along with 12 Guildwatch members and a Guild official to accost the party and inform them that the sewers are off limits. If the party asks, they will be glad to tell them why. A visit to Krossarus will back the Guild up, Krossarus saying that he spoke with the earth and it told him of a power within that had been brooding for centuries.
If the party has immediately broken into the sewers, then the Guild group described above will await them at the entrance to the sewers and explain to them that the sewers are off limits.
Once warned, any further violations will cause the Guild to attempt to arrest the party. The Guild has the following forces available:
Chalance
6 of Chalance's men
50 Guildwatch
5 watch commanders
1 Guild wizard
1 Guild priest
A party that is arrested must swear by their gods never to enter the sewers again. They must also forfeit a third of their wealth and possessions and are banished from the city. A second arrest means confiscation of all belongings and flogging. A third time would mean hanging.
If the party comes into open conflict against the Guild, the Praetor will not get involved initially. He wants to see the Guild's influence diminished, for he considers them arrogant and disrespectful to rightful Jaggarthi authority. His 500 soldiers, along with a wizard and several Aghorriti priests will only get involved if the city itself is threatened or if the bloodshed become overwhelming. The DM must use his judgement as to when and if the Praetor will intervene. Should he do so, his troops are professional and well versed in tactics, and should be able to give even a party of the level of the PCs much trouble.
If the party is foolish enough to tell the Guild or anyone in Oretrade exactly what they seek (i.e. the lost treasure trove of the Mandarin) they will have made a very big mistake. Treasure fever will grip the city. The Guild will attempt to be the first to the treasure, with Chalance and his men heading into the sewer. They will be followed by the Praetor and his men, and very likely open conflict between the Guild and Praetor will develop. Needless to say the Praetor will win, after the Guild's calls to the populace to rise up go largely unheeded. The Praetor will then post guards at all sewer entrances and send word to the Consul asking for more troops and treasure hunters to open the trove.
In this case, the party's only hope is to apply as treasure hunters for the Consul at a paltry share of 10% of the takings, none of the magic items, and possibly the chance to peruse any found lore enough to find clues to the next Morakki tower (if using that scenario).
Assuming the party is more discrete, then it is likely that they will contrive a way to foil their tails (by now they should probably be suspicious that they are being watched) and enter the sewers. About an hour after they enter, the entry will be discovered if they left the grate they entered disturbed. If not, then it will take 3 hours for the Guild to conclude that the party is nowhere to be found in the city, did not leave the city through any of its 3 gates, and therefore must have gone underground.
Whether 1 or 3 hours later, Chalance and his 6 men, along with the Guild wizard, 6 Guildwatch and 1 watch commander will enter the sewers and attempt to trail the party. Given the tracking ability of Chalance and his men, and the magic of the wizard, the party's trail will soon be found. Chalance will then slowly tail the party, using the wizard's familiar, until he determines what they are looking for. He will likely then send one of his men back to alert the Guild, while allowing the party to do the work of finding the trove for him.
Once the party has found the trove, Chalance will look for an opportunity to make his move, disabling or trapping the party as the opportunity presents itself. There is no set encounter with Chalance. The DM must play into the role of Chalance and determine the proper time to strike. Remember that Chalance is a Guild creature, but he is not evil, and his only goal is to keep the party from gaining the treasure and allowing the Guild to claim it. If he must kill to accomplish this, then so be it, but he will not kill or be killed needlessly.
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Chalance - Enforcer of the Mining Guild Race: Human Strength 16 (+1 damage) AC 3 Thief Abilities: Pick Pockets 20% Weapon Proficiencies: Longsword Non Weapon Proficiencies: Speak Common Weapons: Longsword (D8/D12, Average, M,
S, D8) Armour: Leather Armour Other Possessions: Potion of Clairvoyance |
Chalance's Enforcers:
All level 4 Thieves (Spy Kit)
HP 20 each
AC 4 (Leather armor, 16 dexterity, double specialized in 1H fighting
style)
Longsword
Dagger
Light Crossbow (bolts can be coated with sleep venom, save vs.
poison or fall asleep for D20 rounds)
Disguise, Tailing, Tracking, Alertness, Observation NWP
Guildwatch:
All level 1 Warriors
HP 10 each
AC6 (Studded leather and buckler)
2H Spear (specialized 3/2 attacks per round, +1 to hit, +2 damage)
Broadsword
Dagger (non-proficient)
Watch Commander:
Level 3 Warrior
HP 30
AC5 (Ringmail, target shield, 15 dexterity)
Longsword (specialized 3/2 attacks per round, +1 to hit, +2 damage)
Dagger
Specialized in Shield fighting style
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Krossarus - Guild Wizard: Krossarus is not at all an emotional person. In fact, his demeanour is as unyielding and steady as the earth he reveres. He never panics and is afraid of nothing (DMs could give him a +1 save vs fear). While not in any way brutal or evil, he will carry out his duties and protect the interests of his Guild inexorably. Krossarus Race: Human Strength 9 AC 10 Spell Points: 44 (+20) (4 [6]
spells per level, max 3rd) Usual Spell Choice: Detect Magic (4) Specialist Mage Abilities: +2 save vs earth attacks/spells Weapon Proficiencies: Quarterstaff Non Weapon Proficiencies: Read/Write Common Familiar: Cthaga - garter snake HP4 AC7 Mv 12 Weapons: Quarterstaff [D6/D6 Fast, L, B, D10kd] Other Possessions: Material components in several
belt pouches Krossarus does not carry his spellbook with him. If the DM needs to generate other spell choices for Krossarus, he should choose spells logical to his specialty and station. |
It is also quite possible that, through use of charm spells, suggestions, magic, and persuasion, that the party can convince the Guild to lift its edict against people going down into the sewers. This is not an easy thing to do properly. If the party mentions they seek treasure, they will be dealt with as detailed above.
On the other hand, if the party offers to rid the city of whatever menace lurks within, the Guild will be very reluctant, saying that they do not want whatever lurks below to be awakened. Nevertheless, by magic or fast talking, the party might convince the Guild to allow them into the sewers to defeat the "menace". Guild council meetings are held once per month, at the middle of each month, and neither Krossarus nor Chalance can alter the edict against sewer exploration outside of a council meeting.
The Guild council is composed of 13 members, the Guild master, a old conservative man named Phangre, and 12 other council members, mostly men but with a few women.
At the council meeting, Krossarus will argue against anyone entering the sewers. Bardic charm, spells, high charisma, reasonable arguments, threats, etc. can all sway the council vote. The exact outcome is left to the DM, but should the Guild allow the party to enter the sewers, it will be on a special dispensation basis (i.e. no others may enter) and the council will insist on Chalance accompanying the party. Unless the party can lose Chalance or convince the Guild to not send Chalance along (only accomplishable by magic), then at some point Chalance will know the party seeks a treasure trove and will seek to inform the Guild.
The Song
At some time while in Oretrade, the party will catch wind of an interesting sounding song (perhaps while in a tavern, or perhaps while passing an inn). A bard is singing a popular folk song about the Crimson King. If approached afterwards, the bard will simply say that there are ancient legends of a powerful being who rules a kingdom of rats beneath the city. It is said, the bard will tell the party, that the Crimson King favours those who bring him sweets.
The lyrics of the song are from "In the Court of the Crimson King" by King Crimson and are quoted without the author's permission:
The rusted chains of prison
moons
Are shattered by the sun.
I walk a road, horizons change
The tournament's begun.
The purple piper plays his tune,
The choir softly sing:
Three lullabies in an ancient tongue,
For the court of the Crimson King.
The keeper of the city keys
Put shutters on the dreams.
I wait outside the pilgrim's door
With insufficient schemes.
The black queen chants
The funeral march,
The cracked brass bells will ring;
To summon back the fire witch
To the court of the Crimson King
The gardener plants an evergreen
Whilst trampling on a flower.
I chase the wind of a prism ship
To taste the sweet and sour.
The pattern juggler lifts his hand;
The orchestra begin.
As slowly turns the grinding wheel
In the court of the Crimson King.
On soft grey mornings widows
cry,
The wise men share a joke;
I run to grasp divining signs
To satisfy the hoax.
The yellow jester does not play
But gently pulls the strings
And smiles as the puppets dance
In the court of the Crimson King.
Part Two - The Sewers
Entrance
The sewers beneath Oretrade were not built as such. Essentially, they are the streets and byways of the ancient Morakki fortress upon which the original Oretrade mining town was built. As Oretrade grew into a city, the dwarven builders cleared out the ancient streets and used them as a sewers. In other cases, natural shifts in the earth and erosion have cleared out other portions of the ancient avenues.
In a sense, there is now a city beneath the city.
Almost no one goes into the sewers. Although no one takes the legends of the Crimson King seriously, the sewers have an unsavory reputation, as from time to time someone does go down into them and sometimes they are never heard from again.
In addition, the current Guild wizard has stated that he has sensed a powerful malign presence within the sewers and has declared that it should be off limits.
Each grate leading to the sewers, aside from being stoutly made and forged by dwarves and closed with a stout lock, is also warded by a glyph of warding. Anyone not speaking the password, known only by the Guild and the Neengrum high priestess, will be subject to the glyph.
Each glyph will activate if the grate is lifted or bent. Shards of sharp, gemlike material will spray out of the glyph and subject everyone within a 20' radius to attack.
Damage is 2D6+1/2 of the victim's AC (rounded down). Half if a save is made.
The Sewers are home to several scavenger-like denizens as well as a powerful entity known as the Crimson King. The Crimson King is actually the spectre of the last Mandarin. So attached was he to his trove of lore and his demesne that his spirit lingered here even as his body was slain. The spectre now rules a kingly court of ghouls, the bodies of his servitors, a few of his slayers, and the corpses of the occasional wanderer.
The Crimson King appears as a spectral human with evil, glowing red eyes. He is swathed in crimson garb of ancient Morakki design and wears a Mandarin's crown upon his brow. The Crimson King is, as he was in life, a wu-jen (an oriental wizard). The Crimson King does not leave the sewers, for he is tied to his trove, whose entrance he guards. However, he will ruthlessly pursue anyone entering the sewers once he becomes aware of them.
There is no actual map of the sewers. Indeed, the whole is such a mish-mash maze of dead ends and rubble strewn twisting corridors that it would be impossible to present a map. In general, the sewers lie below the current city and are about the same size as the current city boundaries.
The Sewer Area
The portion of the sewers outside of the Palace Ruins is inhabited generally by wandering creatures. In addition, there are a few set encounters that should take place. These are detailed below.
The DM should keep in mind that, while wandering through the sewers, bits and pieces of Morakki architecture will shows on the walls, a carving here, a bit of fresco there, a bas relief on occasion.
Nevertheless, this is still a functioning sewer, and the whole is damp, punctuated by drippings, rivulets, and occasional torrents from above, often of smelly viscous substances.
Many of the creatures inhabiting the sewers did so before Oretrade grew as a city. These creatures settled amongst the ruins of the Mandarin city and took residence and bred and flourished over the centuries as the city of Oretrade was constructed above them. Others found their way here from small tunnels and accessways into the caverns and passageways within the Aynayjor Mountains.
A party that wanders randomly in the sewers could take hours to locate the Mandarin's palace. Assume a good D10 hours before stumbling upon it. However, a good guess, or asking the knowledge priest for advice would tell you that it is likely the palace was built on higher ground nearer to the cliff face. This would put it under the northeast section of the city. If the party heads to that quadrant straight away, then it will still take D3 hours to navigate the many passages, twists, turns, and many many dead ends and double backs necessary to travel anywhere in the sewers.
In addition, do not assume that the party will be able to find its way out of the sewers any easier, unless they are marking their trail or making a map. A successful map would require a cartography NWP roll at a -4 penalty, lest it be too confused to be of any use. Nevertheless, any attempt to map, successful or not, should double or treble the travel time in the sewers.
There are several paths that eventually lead into the mountains and the underground therefrom. The DM should discourage the party from taking those by emphasizing their danger and the fact that they tend to look naturally formed and seem to wander far from the city.
There is also a secret passageway in the buried cliff face that leads to an ancient stairway that rises up to the top of the plateau overlooking both the old and the new cities. The exit at the top is also secreted. There is almost no chance of the party stumbling upon this entrance, but a divination spell may reveal it and allow the party to come and go without entering the city of Oretrade. In addition, one of the tomes in the trove itself mentions this secret passageway, providing the party with a convenient way out of the trove without dealing with the city.
For every turn (10 minutes) in the sewers, the DM should roll a potential encounter. Many of these are merely noises or such to spook the party.
Each encounter lists a maximum number that may be encountered. This has been done in order to keep monster populations at an ecologically reasonable level. DMs should keep track of how many of those monsters are encountered, and then take the maximum living in the sewers into account when further encounters are indicated with that creature. Nevertheless, the DM can use his best judgement here. For example, if there are 3 wererats maximum in the sewers, and the party encounters all 3 but 1 escapes, then it is very conceivable that a further encounter with wererats will involve the one that got away.
SEWERS ENCOUNTER CHART:
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No Encounter |
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Dripping Water |
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Splash |
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Plop |
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Stone on Stone or Footsteps |
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Small Creatures |
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Boring Beetles |
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Giant Centipedes |
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Shriekers |
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Ghouls |
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Yellow Mold |
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Olive Slime |
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Ochre Jelly |
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Gray Ooze |
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Green Slime |
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Slithering Tracker |
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Neo-Otyugh |
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Giant Rats |
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Rust Monsters |
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Large Scorpions |
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Poisonous Snake |
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Large Spiders |
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Giant Spiders |
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Rot Grubs |
Random Encounter Descriptions:
Dripping Water - This could be a slow drip or a stream of water.
Splash - This is a small or large splash of something falling into water. The party might even quickly round a corner where the splash came from and see telltale ripples in the water.
Plop - A plop of something falling into viscous water or mud.
Stone on Stone - Stone grating against stone, either a long sibilant grating or a single clattering.
Footsteps - small scurrying sounds can be heard in the distance.
Small Creatures - Small relatively inoffensive creatures such as normal sized spiders, insects, rats, etc.
Boring Beetles - (D3, 6 max) A small colony of giant boring beetles dwells here. They will generally attack prey on sight.
(AC 3; MV 6; HD 5; hp 21, 12, 21, 27, 25, 32; THAC0 15; #ATT 1; Dmg 5-20; AL N)
Giant Centipedes - (2D12, no max) These pests are common throughout the sewers and will generally attack most prey.
(AC 9; MV 15; HD 1/4; hp 2 each; THAC0 20; #ATT 1; Dmg nil; SA poison [sv +4 or paralyzed for 2D6 hrs]; SD -1 save vs all attacks due to small size; AL N)
Shriekers - (D2, no max) These fungus grow here and there having migrated from the tunnels under the Aynayjor Mountains. There is a 10% chance that one of these is actually a violet fungus. There is also a 10% chance if they go off that D3 boring beetles will come to investigate within D3 rounds.
Shriekers (AC 7; MV 1; HD 3l hp 13 ea; SD Noise; AL N)
Violet Fungi (AC 7; MV 1; HD 3; hp 19 ea; THAC0 17; #ATT 3; Dmg nil; SA rotting touch [3 tentacles of 3' length]; AL N)
Ghouls - (2D4, 12 max) These are servants of the Crimson King, scavenging for victims. These wild ghoul packs do not directly serve the King, but simply prowl the passageways. These ghouls are cunning and will often try to set up ambushes.
(AC 6; MV 9; HD 2; hp 12, 8, 9, 12, 9, 8, 14, 6, 9, 6, 10, 9; THAC0 19; #ATT 3; Dmg 1-3 / 1-3 / 1-6; SA paralyzation; SD undead resistances; AL CE)
Yellow Mold - (1, 1 max) There is a single colony of yellow mold here, immobile and insentient. The intelligent inhabitants of the sewers avoid he area, but the mold feasts on rats and other vermin. The mold covers the floors walls and ceilings and will be encountered just around a corner, meaning the first in line must not be surprised and roll a dexterity check to avoid stepping on it.
(Ac 9; MV 0; #ATT1; SA Poison spores; SD affected only by fire; AL N)
Olive Slime - (1, 3 max) These patches of slime generally dwell on ceilings where they can drop on victims. Each of the slimes has slime creatures that serve it, and the party may first encounter the creatures.
Slime #1 - (AC 9; MV 0; HD 2+2; hp 9; THAC0 19; #ATT 0; Dmg nil; SA attach and subvert; SD immunities; MR immunities; AL N) controls 2 tiny (HD 1+2; hp 6, 4; Dmg 1-3), 1 small (HD 3+2; hp 10; Dmg 1-4) and 1 man-sized (HD 5+2; hp 29; Dmg 2-8) slime creatures
Slime #2 - (AC 9; MV 0; HD 2+2; hp 8; THAC0 19; #ATT 0; Dmg nil; SA attach and subvert; SD immunities; MR immunities; AL N) controls 6 tiny (HD 1+2; hp 3, 8, 9, 3, 7, 4; Dmg 1-3), 1 small (HD 3+2; hp 22; Dmg 1-4) and 1 man-sized (HD 5+2; hp 26; Dmg 2-8) slime creatures
Slime #3 - (AC 9; MV 0; HD 2+2; hp 12; THAC0 19; #ATT 0; Dmg nil; SA attach and subvert; SD immunities; MR immunities; AL N) controls 2 tiny (HD 1+2; hp 3, 3; Dmg 1-3), 3 small (HD 3+2; hp 19, 12, 11; Dmg 1-4) and 2 man-sized (HD5+2; hp 27, 34; Dmg 2-8) slime creatures.
Tiny THAC0 19
Small THAC0 17
Man-sized THAC0 15
Ochre Jelly - (D3, 5 max) These scavengers roam the ceilings and floors picking up carrion and waste.
(AC 8; MV 3; HD 6; hp 21, 37, 30, 34, 26; THAC0 15; #ATT 1; Dmg 3-12; SD immunities; AL N)
Gray Ooze - (D2, 4 max) These scavengers, like other jellies, scour the sewers for waste and prey.
(AC 8; MV 1; HD 3+3; hp 15, 19, 19; THAC0 17; #ATT 1; Dmg 2-16; SA corrodes metal; SD immunities; AL N)
Green Slime - (D3, 6 max) These patches have successfully spread into 6 colonies, and most denizens of intelligence know to look up for them as they wander.
(AC 9; MV 0; HD 2; hp 10, 7, 3, 15, 12, 13; THAC0 19; #ATT 0; SA infection; SD immunities; AL N)
Slithering Tracker - (1, 1 max) There is a single tracker here, haunting these sewers and preying on rats for the most part, though it certainly hungers for more substantial prey. This tracker is old, patient, and cunning.
(AC 5; MV 12; HD 5; hp 36; THAC0 15; #ATT 0; SA paralyzation and devouring; SD Transparency [95%]; AL N)
Neo-Otyugh - (1, 2 max) A single pair dwells here, though they only meet to breed…and that rarely, as their last offspring was a mutated version that haunts the sewers recently and has tried to devour its parents twice now.
(AC 0; MV 6; HD 11 and 9; hp 69 and 34; THAC0 9 and 11; #ATT 3; Dmg 2-12/2-12/1-3; SA grab, disease; SD never surprised; AL N)
Giant Rats - (2D10, no max) These vermin infest the sewers and will attack even humanoids when found in large numbers.
(AC 7; MV 12 [sw 6]; HD 1/2; hp 3 each; THAC0 20; #ATT 1; Dmg 1; SA disease; AL N)
Rust Monsters - (D2, 4 max) two mated pairs of these annoying creatures dwell in the sewers, continually grubbing for ancient metal and metallic items dumped into the sewers from above. Having been generally starved for nice batches of ferrous metals, they will ravenously attack armour wearers. The rust monsters have only attacked the sewer grates once…when the glyphs there killed one and taught the rest a lesson.
(AC 2; MV 18; HD 5; hp 25, 26, 22, 23; THAC0 15; #ATT 2; Dmg nil; SA rust; SD rust; AL N)
Large Scorpions - (D6, no max) These fierce arthropods hunt the sewers looking for giant rats to eat. They will certainly attack the party.
(AC 5; MV 9; HD 2+2; hp 13 each; THAC0 19; #ATT 3; Dmg 1-4/1-4/1; SA poison sting; AL N)
Poisonous Snake - (1, 3 max) These serpents dwell in the muck hunting rats. They will likely bite party members who surprise them.
(AC 6; MV 15; HD 2+1; hp 14, 6, 16; THAC0 19; #ATT 1; Dmg 1; SA poison; AL N)
Snake #1 = -1 save, 2-12 round
onset, 2-8 dmg
Snake #2 = +3 save, 1-4 turn onset, incapacitated 2-8 days
Snake #2 = 1-6 round onset, 3-12 dmg
Large Spiders - (2D6, no max) Hundreds of these arachnids dwell in the perpetual darkness of the sewers, preying upon centipedes and rats. They will attack parties unless large flames are presented. Most likely the party will run into the webs of these spiders.
(AC 8; MV 6 [wb 15]; HD 1+1; hp 7 each; THAC0 19; #ATT 1; Dmg 1; SA poison [+2 save, 15 minutes onset, 15/0 damage], webs; AL N)
Giant Spiders - (D3, 6 max) These larger, evil cousins of the large spiders haunt the sewers, hunting the same prey as large spiders, but also often hunting the large spiders themselves. They will certainly attack stragglers but are intelligent enough not to frontally assault a well-armed party. They are more likely to drop webs on a straggler and attack him or to stalk a party and wait until another encounter puts them at a disadvantage.
(AC 4; MV 3 [wb 12]; HD 4+4; hp 22, 27, 27, 18; THAC0 15; #ATT 1; Dmg 1-8; SA webs, poison [save or die]; AL CE)
Rot Grubs - (5D4, no max) Found on desiccated bodies or in piles of refuse, these little creatures will attack anything voraciously.
(AC 9; MV 1 [br 0]; HD 1hp; hp 1 each; #ATT 0; Dmg 0; SA burrowing; AL N)
In addition to the above, there are a series of set encounters that the DM should certainly have the party stumble upon. These serve to provide clues and warnings about the Crimson King as well as to challenge the party. The DM should administer these encounters in the order set forth below.
Set Encounter #1 - The Unseen Rider
As the party trudges through the dank sewers, one of the party will be victim to a sewerm. Almost certainly it will be the last person in line, as the sewerm prefers to so attack so as to avoid notice. The sewerm will quickly writhe up its victim's boot and leg and then latch into the victim's thigh to suck blood.
Sewerm (AC 4; MV 12 [sw 9]; HD 4; hp 21; THAC0 17; #ATT 1; Dmg 1-4; SA blood drain; SD anaesthetic slime; AL N)
Set Encounter #2 - The Warning
The party will come across the corpse of a human. The human is dressed in leathers and a close investigation will turn up a rotted pouch with tarnished thieves' tools. The corpse is old, perhaps a year old, and much of the bone shows through. Nevertheless, its outstretched finger still lingers at the place on the wall where the writing in its own blood stopped.
Upon the wall above the body can be seen:
This refers to the Crimson King (detailed below).
Set Encounter #3 - The Offspring
As the party makes its way down one of the many passageways in the sewer, they come into a large square, surrounded by the wreckage of ancient Morakki residences. The remains of a fountain lie smashed in the centre of the square. Suddenly, from out of a wide crumbled archway behind the party, and blocking their only way out of the square, emerges the mutated offspring of the neo-otyugh that dwell in these sewers.
This is the gulguthhydra, perhaps the most fearsome creature in these sewers excepting the Crimson King. The beast will bellow, having been awakened from its sleep, and will attack the party. If the party enters the square silently and/or invisibly, then they may encounter the creature asleep.
Gulguthhydra (AC 0; MV 6; HD 15; hp 72; THAC0 5; #ATT 2 and 6; Dmg 2-12 / 2-12 / 5-12 (x6); SA grab, constriction; AL N)
The Gulguthhydra is ravenously hungry and fearlessly aggressive. It is possessed of enough intelligence to form rudimentary tactics, but has not been exposed much to magic.
Within the beast's lair (past the crumbling archway) are the remnants of meals past and a scroll tube which contains a scroll with the following priest spells enscribed on it at 7th level:
Dispel Magic
Negative Plane Protection
Cure Disease
Set Encounter #4 - The Journal
Near a pile of bones the party will find a leather satchel, obviously rotten with age. Within is a journal, most of it ruined by water and time, but the final page is partially readable. It is written in Common Tongue:
I questioned the corpse using my prayers, and with a heaving sigh the breath of voice returned to that small portion of skull that remained. I asked the skull then three questions:
How were you killed?
Why did you slay yourself?
Am I in danger here?
The skull answered these as:
I slew myself with my own hand
To avoid an even worse fate
If you have found me, then you are as good as dead already. Slay yourself, lest ye cannot be slain ever!
I do not know what the enigmatic skull meant by these cryptic answers, but I shall en…………….
The script ends with a tear in the page.
The Court of the Crimson King
Refer to the King's Court map.
Eventually, the party will make its way to the section of the sewers that contained the Mandarin's ancient palace. As the party nears the palace they will notice more marble amongst the stone work of the ruins and rubble they traverse, and will see signs of ancient parks and plazas.
Finally, they will reach the grand edifice of the palace. Although battered from conflict and the centuries, there still shows much of its grandeur, though places where precious metals and gems might have been inlaid are clearly stripped away.
A single large portico stands open at the front of the palace, and within is a large courtyard, rubble strewn. Opposite the entryway into the courtyard are the ruined massive doors that lead into the throne room.
The throne room is huge, with vaulted ceilings and dotted with pillars done in the ancient Morakki style with curls and fluted runnels along their lengths.
The throne room is dimly lit by guttering torches, most of them burning at the far end of the megaron, where the throne is. The light is not very bright, and the entire atmosphere seems slightly oppressive.
At the far end of the hall sits the great throne, made of marble, chipped and battered and with pockmarks showing where inlays and gems had been pried away.
Sitting on the throne is the Crimson King, the spectre of the last Mandarin of the Wak-hasho-tu family. Fleeing the coming western armies, and fearing that his horde would be plundered if he were captured or even slain and compelled to reveal his secrets by a priest, the Mandarin entombed himself within his trove and there expired. However, after centuries, his spirit, corrupted and jealous of his treasure, emerged and took back the ruined Mandarinate throne, and now rules a court of ghouls as he continues to guard and ward the treasure that was his in ancient life.
The King is dressed in the royal red robes of the Mandarins, and his clothing is of ancient Morakki style and highly ornate. His features, translucent, are of Morakki mien, and his almond eyes burn with a glowing, spectral malevolence.
Around the spectre and his throne are the Mandarin's court, a pack of ghouls led by a ghast. These creatures are completely loyal to the King, they having been summoned to his malign presence and compelled to serve.
The Crimson King is extremely evil and extremely haughty. He does not enjoy his unlife nor the tedium thereof, and is plagued by the thought that he guards a treasure he can never again enjoy. For this reason, he will delight in playing with and tormenting victims, and takes great pleasure in having his ghouls hunt down people and bring them paralyzed back into his presence so that he can gloat above them before eventually either draining them of their life essence or feeding them to his ghouls.
That said, the King is very crafty and is unlikely to be taken in by crude tricks and the like. In addition, if he is severely threatened he will drop all pretense at playing games with the party and will attack with brutal efficiency.
Given that his entire reason for unlife is to guard his treasure, he will not flee, and attempts to turn him will work, except that he cannot be forced to move away from the entrance to his trove (his throne).
DMs should note that the Crimson King possesses a staff with Detect Invisibility powers.
Crimson King [Spectre Mage of the Mandarin] (AC 0; MV 15 [fl 30 B]; HD 8+3; CL WI [Transmuter Specialist - Wu Jen Kit]; LVL 8; hp 67; THAC0 13; #ATT 1; Dmg 1-8; SA spells, energy drain, +1 to hit with Bo-stick; SD spells, +1 or better weapon to hit, +2 save vs alteration spells and effects; MR undead immunities; AL LE)
Special kit Ability - cast any spell of 4th level or lower 1/day at maximum effect.
Spell Points: 137
Spells Memorized:
Chromatic Orb
Shocking Grasp
Grease
Phantasmal Force
Shield
Magic Missile
Displace Self
Detect Life
ESP
Scare
Mirror Image
Haste
Slow
Melf's Minute Meteors
Lightning Bolt
Suggestion
Charm Monster
Fire Shield
3 Cantrips
The King wears a Morakki crown of platinum studded with star opals worth 3,500gp.
He wields an ornate Bo-stick/staff, carved with the head of an oriental dragon upon its top. This staff is magical, it being the heirloom of the Wak-hasho-tu family, and has the following powers at the 12th level of ability:
Detect Invisible continuously
in a 30 yard radius
Striking (as the staff)
Knock
Wizard Lock
Hornung's Baneful Deflector
Thunder Staff
The staff has 25 charges in it. It can be recharged only by a member of the Wak-hasho-tu family praying for 1 day per charge. If all of the charges are used up the staff has no powers at all.
Detect Invisibility requires no charges. Striking uses charges per the sdescription in the DMG. Knock, Wizard Lock, and the Deflector cost 1 charge (and the Deflector usage may cause a wild surge). Thunderstaff uses 2 charges.
To invoke each power a specific Wak-hasho-tu family ancestor must be meditated upon. The only exceptions are Detect Invisible and Thunderstaff, which happen at will. The section of this adventure that details the contents of the trove include a tome that gives the family names that activate the staff, but the party must determine that such names are related to the staff in the first place via lucky guesses or magic.
The staff does not have a retributive
strike, but if broken, will emit a wild surge and the effect of
a Thunder Staff if at least 2 charges remain.
The King also carries a large ruby carved into a strange polygonal
shape on a leather thong around his neck. This gem, if the throne
is examined closely, fits into a depression on the right arm and
causes the throne to disappear (actually go ethereal) for 1 round.
Whenever it does this, due to the now long unused enchantments
starting to fail, there is now a 5% chance that upon its return
the throne will bear a denizen of that plane.
Ghast (AC 4; MV 15; HD 4; hp 32; THAC0 17; #ATT 3; Dmg 1-4 / 1-4 / 1-8; SA stench, paralyzation; SD undead immunities; AL CE)
Ghouls (x24) (AC 6; MV 9; HD 2; hp 4 each; THAC0 19; #ATT 3; Dmg 1-3 / 1-3 / 1-6; SA paralyzation; SD undead immunities; AL CE)
When the throne is gone, a small passageway will be exposed, revealing steps going down into the darkness….the party has found the entrance to the Mandarin's trove!
Part Three - The Trove
This trove, like all of the Mandarin troves, was designed not to keep out determined, intelligent intruders who have unlimited time to penetrate its traps. Were that the desire, then the Mandarin could have simply sealed up the trove and memorized a single password or had a single key that would allow access.
But the Mandarins recognized that their troves were things to be passed on to their heirs, and should they meet an untimely death and not be able to pass on such a password or key to their heir, then their horde would be lost forever.
So, the Mandarins designed their troves to be penetrable by well educated, smart, and patient Morakki…i.e. their heirs. Much of the trove is designed to delay or alert, which is sufficient to stop any thief long enough to allow the Mandarin to catch the interloper.
This is not to say there are not lethal traps and guardians in the Mandarin troves, but these are bypassable with proper reflection. In fact, some Mandarins used these vaults to test their heirs, with the son that successfully pierced the trove's wards being named successor.
The knowledge priest, as the party first enters the trove, can convey most of the above information to the party. He will warn the party that caution and thoughtfulness will likely prevail where brute force fails.
When the last Mandarin of the Wak-hasho-tu family heard that the walls of his fortress had been breached, he gave one of the strange polygonal gems that allow access to the trove to a servitor, with orders to flee to Morakki lands. Nothing is known of the fate of that servitor or the gem.
The Mandarin then, determined not to let the Western hordes take his trove or his body, opened the throne, entered his trove, closed the throne behind him, and killed himself.
But the Mandarin's greed and will were strong, and centuries later, he emerged from his body as a spectre. In this state he took his crown, staff, and gem (which, when picked up by him became non-corporeal) and passed through the throne and back into his throneroom.
The steps under the throne are only 5 feet wide and descend steeply for about 100 feet before coming to an antechamber. This antechamber is the first room of the Mandarin's Trove. Upon the steps lies the dusty remains of the Mandarin, shards of bone and naught else.
Looking up at the bottom of the throne from the stairway, a polygonal indentation can be seen. If the gem is placed into this indentation, the throne will disappear for 1 round, allowing access back into the throne room.
Trove Map Key (Refer to the Trove Map)
Note: Unless otherwise mentioned, all passageways and rooms are 8 feet tall. All are of worked stone, granite, mortared together and tightly fitted as well. All doors are of solid steel and have weathered the centuries well. Walls are plain grey and there is a slight dusting over most surfaces. The walls of the trove have been enchanted to prevent any sort of stone affecting magic from working upon them. This means passwall spells, stone shape spells, etc. will not function. In addition, this enchantment stops etheral beings from passing through the walls. Spells such as teleport and dimension door still function however.
The knowledge priest is crucial to this adventure, and what he will be able to glean from each room is enclosed in boxed text. It is assumed that the priest can translate all writings. Assume all writings are in the ancient Morakki dialect. Nevertheless, the knowledge priest will generally not volunteer the information he knows (mainly because he will be distracted observing minutiae and the like) unless queried by the party. The idea is to have the party conquer the adventure, not the knowledge priest.
Assume the knowledge priest, once he believes a room is safe (i.e. the party has entered it safely) will usually be poking around looking at inscriptions and adornments and even taking tracings and notes. This is his main area of study and he is very eager to note every minute detail about the place. He will also be making a map.
Although the Mandarin's family was known to be proficient in the magickal arts, more so than most other Mandarin families, nevertheless, many of the traps and tricks in the trove are of a mechanical nature (room 19 being a major exception). Each trap description includes a section entitled HOW IT WORKS. This information is not really meant for the players, but is presented to the DMs in order to help maintain the "realism" of the scenario and, just in case the party gets curious and tries to delve into the inner workings of the trove.
Most of the mechanical traps are maintained by a troop of 2 dozen zombies that toil in chambers and walkways dug beneath the trove. These zombies reset traps and in some cases renew substances.
DMG = these symbols show where glyphs of warding are set to cast a dispel magic at 13th level of ability when passed. Each site actually has 6 such glyphs set into a 6 sided stone with one of its faces facing the hallway. When the glyph is activated, a portion of the glyph's energy serves to work a mechanism that rotates the 6-sided stone so that a new face (and new glyph) are thus exposed and activated.
1. Antechamber
This room is adorned with bas-reliefs that mostly resemble long sinuous wyrm-like creatures coiled around what look like scrolls. A few of the wyrms wear spectacles and seem to be reading books opened before them.
On the south wall is a massive stone archway, closed by two large bronze valves which are only slightly tarnished by the centuries. The valves are engraved cunningly with a stylized wyrm coiled around a scroll above an arrow. Above the valves running along the entire lintel of the archway are enscribed Morakki characters.
|
This is the insignia of the Wak-hasho-tu family. The words on the lintel read: Ware thieves, for the eyes of the ancestors are upon you. Ware spies, for the ancestors shall abide thee not. Ware my heirs, for the ancestors shall judge thee as they judge themselves. |
The doors open inward easily, and expose a long hallway that leads to an arch at its far end.
2. The Hall of the Ancestor
This long hallway is 100' long and 10' wide and its floor is of polished white marble shot with maroon veins of some unknown mineral. Turquoise has been inlaid through the marble in a crisscrossing double helix pattern.
Sconces dot both sides of the hallway, each shaped like an arm emerging from the wall grasping a torch, with a bas relief face, each differently carved, staring out from the wall at torch level. These faces are Morakki in appearance. Within each sconce is a metal torch that is lit with a guttering blue light. These torches are actually a part of the sconces, which are fed from natural gas tapped from the surrounding rocks. The whole effect is to cast the entire hall in a wavering, eerie blue light.
In the exact centre of the hall a face glares up from within the double helix. The face shows a Morakki man wearing a crown (the crown matches the one the Crimson King wears) gaping out of the floor. The image is not a painting or a carving, for it possesses a 3 dimensional quality, as if the face were entrapped in ice.
The whole is actually an illusion of the first scion of the Wak-hasho-tu family, a fact the knowledge priest will not be able to recognize, as no portraits of that worthy survived to his researches.
There is a pressure plate set before the image, and anyone who stands or walks within 4' of the image will trip the plate. Instantly, a whirling, ancus-bladed wheel (2' in diameter) will whip out of the west wall (from a hidden panel) and arc across the hallway at chest level on a human. The blade will disappear into the east wall (into another hidden panel), the whole lasting no more than a second.
Anyone who approaches the image to within 10' can clearly see the face and its features. Of course, any respectful, well-learned Morakki noble of the Wak-hasho-tu family would recognize their most venerable ancestor and would immediately bow prostrate before such a figure and would remain so until out of sight of it., thereby avoiding the blade.
Anyone not so respectful will incur the wrath of the spinning blade. Halflings and gnomes are bound to have the blades whirl above them and dwarves are likely to get a close haircut. Elves will find the blade chopping at them at neck height, while half elves and humans will take the blade in the chest.
There is almost no chance to avoid the blade, assuming it catches its victim unawares. A person with Tumbling NWP can make a proficiency check at 1/2 his normal chance, and if successful can make a second such reduced roll. A failed second roll means half damage taken, a successful second roll means no damage (and an incredible backflip too!).
The blade causes 4D8 damage and always hits. For critical damage purposes, it strikes as an 8th level warrior. Elves and short humans who are attacked on the head or neck use their helmet AC to determine criticals.
|
At the end of the hallway, where a lintel of gold plated marble squares borders the archway into the Central Chamber, are enscribed Morakki characters. The words read: He who observes the greatest virtue deters the greatest woe. The knowledge priest can merely comment that this is a common Morakki saying and it has no right answer that he knows of. He can also recite the 12 Morakki virtues. |
HOW IT WORKS:
The trap is mechanical. The pressure plate releases a hidden panel in the wall which is spring loaded. Springs and counter weights propel the blade across the hall, expertly aimed and timed to be caught by a hidden panel in the opposite wall.
The trap is effectively then disarmed until zombie workers in a chamber far below can turn a crank to reset the trap to spring across the hall in the opposite direction. These zombies reset the trap once every 3 hours.
3. The Central Chamber
This chamber, entered through an archway from the Hall of the
Ancestor, is a large octagonal room, with steel doors set every
10' along its almost regular shape. In the centre of the chamber
is a raised platform, accessed by steps that climb 10' to the
top of the granite platform. The ceiling here is 20' high at the
walls and vaults to over 30' high directly above the platform.
Upon the platform is a large statue of a Morakki warrior, accoutered with lacquered armour and helm and a fearsome war mask. The figure has a Daiyku across its shoulder, a quiver of arrows sprouting from its back, and bears a long curved katana in one hand and a wakasashi in the other.
Each of the 13 doors in this chamber is bedecked with a sigil. The vaulted ceiling is gilded in silver filigree and shows stylized representations of the four seasons and the four winds.
The sigils on the doors will be familiar to the party if they are pursuing the Morakki magical towers, for each of the doors except for the north door bears a rune that represents the Morakki philosophy of the Twelve Chambers of the Mind. From the southern archway clockwise (and skipping the northern door) the runes represent:
Love
Hate
Contemplation
Piety
Base Instinct
Desire
Altruism
Sloth
Indulgence
Courage
Memory
and Forethought
If the party cannot recognize the runes (because they do not recognize them or because the DM has not run The Secrets of the Towers scenario), then the knowledge priest can inform the party as to the meaning of the runes.
The northern doorway bears a Morakki rune shaped as follows:
| The northern rune might be a rune representing studiousness or scholarship. The knowledge priest has encountered the rune in documents dealing with the Wak-hasho-tu family, but it is not a part of the standard Twelve Chambers of the Mind. The statue is of a warrior noble called a samurai. |
The steel doors are all locked. None of the locks are trapped. The locks are of decent cunning and thieves are at -5% to pick the locks. The doors can be opened with a knock spell or with exceptional strength.
None of the doorways lead to anything but a series of traps designed to delay, confound, demoralize, incapacitate, and slay intruders.
The writings on the archway into this chamber give a clue as to how to proceed. The greatest virtue of the Wak-hasho-tu family was arguably scholarship and learning, and the northern door DOES provide a way through to the rest of the trove, though it is a very dangerous path.
The most overriding virtue to any Morakki noble would be honour, and especially honour in the face of the enemy. This is represented by the statue on the platform. This statue is actually a special Morakki stone golem. It will animate and attack anyone who mounts the steps to the platform without first bowing and raising a weapon in salute.
The golem, when it animates, can remove and use its stone longbow (daiyku). There is no string to the longbow, but nevertheless, the golem can draw a stone arrow from its quiver and make the motions of knocking and firing an arrow, and the arrow will fire at its target. Such arrows are drawn magically from the golem's quiver and its supply never depletes.
The golem will fire arrows until it is engaged in melee. If the golem unanimates or is destroyed, its bow reappears attached to its shoulder and across its back.
The golem will unanimate 3 rounds after the platform is vacated by the party.
If the golem is bowed to and saluted by a party member, its will stand aside and open a trap door below its feet. The golem will only allow those to pass through the trapdoor who bow and salute to it. Such persons may emerge from the secret passageway from below by ringing a small brass bell on the underside of the trap door. This bell causes the golem to stand aside so that the door may be opened.
Once a person leaves the secret passageway, they must again bow and salute in order to reenter the passageway.
If the golem is killed, the party can move its heavy body and find the trapdoor just as any other secret door. The trapdoor is not locked or otherwise trapped.
Morakki (Stone) Golem (AC 5; MV 9; HD 14; hp 60; THAC0 7; #ATT 1 [daiyku] or 2 [katana and wakasashi]; Dmg 1-12 [daiyku] or 3-24 [katana] and 2-12 [wakasashi]; SD spell immunities, +2 or better weapon to hit)
The golem, unlike most stone golems, will fight with weapons. It is quicker and more agile than a normal stone golem. However, it cannot cast a slow spell like normal stone golems can. The golem also possesses a gem within its chest (in the same position as a heart). This gem contains a bound spirit of earth friendly to the Wak-hasho-tu family that will cast a mud to rock spell upon the golem once per week. This spell will heal the golem completely and will be cast when the golem is reduced to less than 20 hit points.
If the golem is broken into pieces and the gem obtained, the spirit within can be made to cast its spell once per week. However, it would require a person not a member of the Wak-hasho-tu family to dominate the spirit. This requires a round of concentration, and then the person must make a percentile roll equal to or under their charisma plus wisdom plus constitution scores. Such an attempt to coerce the bound spirit can only be attempted once per day.
The secret trapdoor leads to an iron ladder that descends 20' to a passageway that heads north for 85' before arriving at another iron ladder ascending to another such secret trapdoor which emerges at the northern end of the North Hallway (room 18).
4. Love
At the far end of this hallway is a stone chest. The stone chest is actually carved from the floor of the hallway and therefore cannot be picked up or moved.
The chest is locked and trapped. Whether or not the lock is picked, if the chest is opened, it will set off an explosion of compounds ignited by the action of opening the chest.
This explosion will erupt in a 5' radius around the chest and will cause 2D6 damage (save vs. dragon breath for 1/2 damage).
Within the chest are 5000 ancient copper pieces and a cursed silk rope of constriction coiled up into a torus and tied off with a red silk ribbon.
HOW IT WORKS:
Flint and steel strike together when the lid is opened. A spark ignites chemicals beneath the flint which then react violently, causing the explosion.
5. Hate
At the far end of this hallway is a steel door. The door is barred from this side and is dented outwards as if something on the other side has dealt it a great blow.
If the door is unbarred and opened, from the other side will spring 4 spring-loaded spears, which will shoot forth with great velocity. The door must be completely opened for the spears to take effect. Opening the door only a crack and peering inside will reveal darkness but if a light is shined through the crack the wall behind the door will be seen.
The spears attack anyone before the door as an 8th level fighter and each does D10 damage.
The door is a false one and leads to a blank wall with 4 holes where the spears reside.
6. Contemplation
This small room is 30' high and has iron rungs of a ladder bolted into the west wall. The rungs go up 18' and then stop near the ceiling.
If the top rung is depressed by the weight of a hand or foot, several things happen. The door closes quickly and a sleep gas fills the room. All those within must save versus poison or fall asleep comatose for D3 hours. Anyone at the top of the ladder or more than 5' up will take damage from falling. Because they are asleep, damage will be more than normal due to their not being able to cushion their fall with their hands and body.
5' will incur D6 damage. 10' will incur 2D6 damage. 15' will incur 3D6 damage.
After the trap fires, the door to room 3 will be relocked and must be picked again.
The sleep gas will quickly settle and dissipate (after 3 rounds), and there are enough doses of gas stored up for 3 more uses.
7. Piety
This room is situated at the end of a short hallway which is unadorned. The room is also bare except for a statue of a large rat with a human face. The face of the creature is contorted into a grimace…the kind of grimace one gets when constipated…and his tongue is sticking out.
This is a semi-insulting depiction of Flupnir, the most hated of gods for the Mandarin and his family.
Set within the statue's mouth is a wand of wonder. Only the tip extrudes from the mouth, and is fashioned as a part of the tongue.
The Mandarin was able to attune the wand to the statue, so that the statue itself could wield the wand. This was at the cost of making the wand unusable by any other being.
The wand's command word is "Flupnir".
At the base of the statue are Morakki characters.
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The characters read: Name he who grimaces and receive your reward. |
If the word "Flupnir" is pronounced anywhere in this room, even in whispers, the wand will fire. It is aimed generally at a point about 5' before the altar at about knee height, but for wand purposes, anyone within 5' of that spot will be the primary target of the effect. The DM should roll on the wand of wonder chart to determine the outcome. Anything that normally affects the wielder affects the target instead.
The wand has 56 charges left and will not function unless held by the statue it was attuned to. The statue must be relatively intact to wield the wand.
8. Base Instinct
The steel door from room 3 opens into a diamond-shaped room. At the far corner of the room is chained a nude Morakki woman of amazingly beautiful proportions and build. Metal shackles bind her hands to the walls above her head and bind her ankle spread-eagled to the floor. She appears to be asleep or in a coma, though one can hear her breathing and see the sigh and heave of her chest. She will respond to no noises or gestures.
The woman is a permanent illusion. Just before her is a pit trap, some 6' square, that is 20' deep. The victim of the pit will take 3D6 damage and will then have the lid of the pit de-hinge and fall on him for another D6 of damage.
9. Desire
A long hallway leads south to a set of steps which descend out of sight as they turn to the east.
There are two traps herein. The first is a pressure plate 30' down the hallway which activates a spiked gate that shoots out of the east wall to clang against the west wall. This has the dual purpose of causing 2D6 damage to anyone who fails a dexterity check. The victim(s) who make the check must roll a D10. On a 1-5 they jumped back, and on a 6-10 they jumped forward.
The gate then blocks the hallway until a bend bars/lift gates is performed.
The steps are trapped as well. When the step just before the stairs turn left is depressed, the stairs will collapse, forming a slide. At the same time the wall at the end of the steps will slide up revealing a hidden wall of 6" sharpened spikes.
Those on the steps will slide headlong into the spikes, hitting D2+AC (count only body armour and magic) of them. Each spike causes D4 damage.
Neither of these traps will reset.
10. Altruism
This room is lit by guttering natural gas torches similar to those in room 2. There are 2 steel doors in this room aside from the one leading from room 3. These two steel doors, if examined VERY closely, can be seen to have some sort of rubbery substance jammed in the cracks between the door and the lintel. The net effect is to make the room beyond air-tight (relatively speaking…it is not a perfect vacuum beyond).
When either of the two steel doors is opened (both are locked), the explosive methane held in room 11 will be released into room 10. The torches will then ignite the gas (as will the party's torches) and there will be a split second, deadly flash fire. All within the room must save versus dragon breath or take 6D4 damage. A save is for half damage.
11. Methane Room
This room is kept relatively air-tight by the seals on the doors to room 10. Methane is slowly piped into this room through small pipes that draw the gas from natural sources. The replacement of methane is very slow. It would take a week or so to replenish the supply once the trap in room 10 is set off.
There is nothing else of note in this chamber.
12. Sloth
There is a pressure plate in this hallway at the point it turns south. The pressure plate is designed specifically to go off on the third passing of weight over it. When so activated, a portcullis slams shut blocking off the western 40' of the hallway from the remainder. Then, the south wall opens, releasing a large stone roller, 9' wide and 9' diameter, which rolls off of the steep ramp it is resting on and barrels up the hallway before crashing into the north wall and coming to a stop.
The effect of this is…catastrophic. A well-timed jump at the last moment into one of the gaps between the square hall and the round stone could allow a person to escape unscathed, but that will take some very quick thinking. A quick successful bend bars lift gates will also allow some chance of escape.
Otherwise, the best one can do is dive to the sides and hope to at least keep one's vitals out of the path (as there is a 6" space to each side of the roller).
All within must save versus death. Anyone failing a save takes 50 points of damage and must make another save vs. death.
Those who make their save have managed to dodge or jump enough to avoid catastrophic damage. They suffer 5D10 damage.
The DM should allow smart players who quickly realize that at the end of the roll there will be spaces to hide in to get to such spots safely and avoid damage.
Needless to say, this trap does not reset itself.
13. Indulgence
Almost a mirror image of the hallway of room 12, this passage turns north after 50'.
There are two traps here that work in conjunction. At a point 30' down the hallway is a thin veneer of wood and stone made to look like the passageway. Beneath this veneer is a pool of acid. Anyone stepping on the 10' by 10' veneer will take 2D6 damage per round by falling into the acid.
Set just after the pool is a pit set to go off on any appreciable weight. The pit is 20' deep and will cause 3D6 of falling damage. The pit is designed to trap those who find the pool and attempt to jump over it.
14. Courage
This long windy hall eventually veers north before coming to a dead end.
As the party approaches the first bend, they will hear from up ahead a low guttural growling and mumbling.
Just before the hallway turns north is a permanent illusion of a beholder. The beholder is hovering at about 3' off of the ground and its eyes are closed. Every so often it will open an eyestalk and look around for a few moments, mumbling to itself.
This is merely an illusion and no harm can befall anyone in this room, but it is designed to cower intruders and to perhaps make them use up spells and items in preparation for combat against the beholder.
15. Memory
This small room contains a statue of the first wife of the last Mandarin of the Wak-hasho-tu family. When the door is opened, 3 darts per round will shoot out of the statue's mouth towards the door. The statue also pivots and moves slightly while firing, covering the entire doorway. The statue will activate as long as the door is opened. The statue has 24 darts within it. Each dart, at one time poisoned, is now simply a normal dart that attacks as if by an 8th level fighter.
Morakki characters have been engraved along the base of the 4' tall statue.
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They read: In memory of my first wife and the gentleness of her words. The knowledge priest will note that the sarcastic tense is being used here. |
HOW IT WORKS:
The door is connected mechanically to a series of pendulums that rock the statue back and forth. The statue's base is actually convex, and rests in a slight concave depression in the floor, allowing some range of motion.
The opening of the door also opens the statue's mouth (again mechanically) and the mouth opening releases the firing mechanism on the darts.
16. Forethought
This small room contains a weapon rack upon which rests a naginata, a katana, a longbow, and a wakasashi (short sword). All of these weapons, once handled and swung, prove to be ornamental fakes unsuitable for combat.
At one time they had a contact poison coating them, but over the centuries this poison has long since dried up and has not been reapplied.
17. Scholar's Failure
Behind the scholar's door in the north of the Central Chamber is a 30' by 30' room with a steel door at its northern end. This room is barren of adornment, which is a sure sign that it is not a place of honour.
The room was designed by the Mandarin to punish those who chose scholarship as the greatest virtue, while still allowing such person to progress into the trove beyond. This is essentially an object lesson posed by the Mandarin, for scholarship is, of itself, merely a means to a higher end, and not an end unto itself.
Those who choose scholarship instead of honour in the face of an enemy must now face just such an enemy to prove their worth to continue.
Within the chamber are a small army of Guardian Warriors, terra cotta soldiers animated by their creator. When the southern door is opened, the warriors will animate and stream out of the door (their combined weight will almost certainly push open the door). They will pursue all intruders and living beings as far as they are able, but will not be able to bash down any locked doors. Very likely, the battle between the warriors and the party will occur in the central chamber. Woe betide the unfortunate party that, while fighting the warriors, tries to mount the platform steps in the Central Chamber to gain a tactical advantage (for that would animate the golem there!).
There are 24 such warriors, half of which are mounted on terra cotta horses. All are accoutered in the fashion of ancient Morakki warriors. Guardian Warriors are described in the Monstrous Compendium Mystara Appendix.
24 Guardian Warriors (AC 4; MV 9; HD 5; hp 30 each; THAC0 15; #ATT 1; Dmg 1-12; Weapon terra cotta 2H long spears or flanged swords; SD immune to fire, acid, mind affecting, and vision based spells, 1 point of base damage from edged and piercing weapons; AL LN)
12 Guardian Horses (AC 4; MV 15; HD 5; hp 25 each; THAC0 15; #ATT 3; Dmg 1-6 / 1-6 / 1-4; SD immune to fire, acid, mind affecting, and vision based spells, 1 point of base damage from edged and piercing weapons; AL LN)
Each mounted warrior has garnets for eyes, 24 such in all worth 100 gp each.
The warriors will not attack anyone entering the room from the northern door unless they have already been activated. If they can find no intruders after 2 hours they will return to their chamber. These warriors are semi intelligent (4) and can respond and react to changing situations. If they are attacked, even by those entering from the north, they will activate and pursue.
Across the face of the northern door (which is unlocked) in this plain room is engraved a scene of wispy, spirit-like faces laughing at a beleaguered bowed scholar clutching books and scrolls in his arms. Atop the engraved scene are Morakki characters.
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The writing on the door reads: Behold the emptiness of study without virtue. Scholarship is always a means unto an end and never an end unto itself. |
18. Northern Hallway
This hallway, like the room before it, was designed to further test the mettle of those who chose the northern door from the Central Chamber.
7' up from the southern door there is a pit trap. However, this is no ordinary pit trap. First, the trap is designed to go off at the second significant pressure put on it. This means the second rank in a party marching order or the first rank if the hallway is first probed with a pole or weight of some sort.
The pit is 10' square, and is triggered in its centre, so assuming a normal marching order, the second rank will surely fall, and the first and third ranks should make dexterity checks to avoid falling.
The pit is 30' deep (6D6 damage) and ends in a hard granite bottom. The walls of the pit are lined with razor sharp metallic rims (which thrust out 1' from the walls of the pit) spaced every foot or so, designed to quickly sever any ropes lowered down into the pit and to thwart climbing. These razor bands go from the top of the pit to within 10' of the bottom and also effectively shade most light from reaching the bottom of the pit.
After someone falls into the pit, a magic mouth spell will activate, intoning words in ancient Morakki.
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The words intoned by the magic mouth are: Wallow in the darkness of the ignorance you have aptly displayed, for the light of knowledge shall blind the ignorant. |
If a light source is activated at the bottom of the pit, the north, west, and east walls are covered with mirrors. The south wall is not mirrored, and instead has a glyph inscribed upon it. The glyph, when spotted…and there is no way to avoid seeing it if light is present and someone looks towards any wall…will activate in an amazingly intense blinding flash of light which is further amplified by the mirrors. All those with open eyes must save versus spells or be blinded per the 3rd level priest spell Cause Blindness.
HOW IT WORKS:
The pit lid is silently unlatched by the first pressure and sprung by the second. The pit remains open until closed by zombies roaming the passageways underneath the trove. These zombies will reactivate the pit trap once every 3 hours.
19. The Room of Squares
This room is large, with a 20' high unadorned ceiling. The floor of the room is arranged in a semi-checkerboard pattern as shown below.
On the floor of the doorway leading into this room are words in Morakki characters.
Each square is 10' by 10' and is tiled in marble of a variety of colours. The squares are opaque, but glow with a dull inner glow and they detect as magic of the abjuration and conjuration variety, both in moderate dweomers.
The various colourings are a decoy, designed to throw off those not concentrating on the words within each square (a Mandarin and his heirs should never be distracted by such petty triflings as colour when noble and profound words are also present).
There is a specific path of squares to step upon that guides one safely through the room. This path touches every single square once and only once and follows a Morakki philosophical logic.
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The correct path is, in order:
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| Beginnings | None | None |
| Void | Creation | Poison, save or die (save takes half damage of total hit point) |
| Darkness | Creation | Cause Blindness (save negates) |
| Dimness | Creation | Negative Energy Bolt (10D4 damage, save vs magic for 1/2 damage) |
| Twilight | Creation | Faerie Fire Spell for 52 rounds and Heat Metal for 7 rounds (save vs magic negates each) |
| Glow | Creation | Electric Shock for 6D4 damage (save vs magic for 1/2 damage) |
| Light | Transitional | Continual Light at caster (13 day duration, save vs magic negates) |
| Spark | Fire | Spark Shower (6D6 damage, save vs magic for 1/2 damage, but metal armoured persons save at -4) |
| Flame | Fire | Burning Hands (4D4 damage, save vs magic for 1/2 damage) |
| Fire | Fire | Fire Trap (D4+13, save vs magic for 1/2 damage) |
| Blaze | Fire | Flame Strike (per Priest spell) |
| Conflagration | Fire | Fireball (at 8th level) |
| Eruption | Fire | Hands of marble sprout and grab as per Maximillian's Stony Grasp (with 60 hp for 6 rounds) and a column of fire appears for 6 rounds causing 4D4 damage per round to anyone in the square |
| Lava | Transitional | Hold Person for 7 rounds and Heat Metal for 7 rounds, save vs magic once to avoid both effects |
| Mountain | Earth | Spikes of marble shoot from the floor causing 3D4+AC in damage |
| Boulder | Earth | Bigby's lenched Fist attacks for 4 rounds (the fist has 60 hp) |
| Rock | Earth | Flesh to Stone (save vs magic negates) |
| Pebble | Earth | 4 Magic Missiles strike the victim |
| Sand | Earth | High pitched wail acts as a Shatter spell on all glass items on the victim (roll for potion miscibility if necessary) and the victim must save vs magic or be defeaned as per the Cause Deafness spell |
| Mud | Transitional | Square turns to mud as the Transmute Rock to Mud spell for half a round and then reverses, trapping the victim |
| Pool | Water | Cause Disease (as the Priest spell, save vs magic negates) |
| Lake | Water | A Water Weird appears and attacks until destroyed or 6 rounds have passed. The Water Weird can attack anyone within 30' of the square |
| Ocean | Water | Acid spray for 8D4 damage, 1/2 if a save vs magic is made |
| Hurricane | Water | Ice Storm spell (the damage causing form) pelts the square |
| Storm | Transitional | Lightning Bolt (at 6th level) |
| Rain | Air | Cone of Cold (6D4+6, save vs magic for 1/2 damage) |
| Cloud | Air | Cloudkill (at 10th level) |
| Wind | Air | Lance of Disruption (at 6th level) |
| Dying Breath | Air | Harm spell |
| Endings | None | Wall of Force blocks this square entirely until approached after the proper sequence |
If at any time the proper path sequence is broken, and this includes flying above the wrong square as well, then a punishment will be meted out to the transgressor and will continue until he sets foot back on the last proper square and resumes the proper path from that point on.
The punishments for each square are listed in the table above.
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The Morakki characters at the floor of the doorway read: Life encompasses all The knowledge priest can translate the squares exactly. He does not know the proper path, but can suggest, if asked for a historical Morakki order to the four elements, that the traditional order is fire gave birth to earth which mated with water to give birth to the air. There is no Morakki element associated with light or darkness, but the knowledge priest, if asked specifically, can relate the Morakki belief that light and dark preceded all and wrestled, and in their mingling of sweat and blood as they wrestled came fire. |
HOW IT WORKS:
The punishments are meted out by glyphs (exotic Morakki glyphs of warding), multiple ones of which (a dozen for each square) are enscribed upon a stone set underneath each square. Each stone has 12 facets [like a 12 sided die] and the same glyphs is enscribed on each face of the stone. As each glyph is set off, a small portion of the glyph's energy is directed to a mechanism that turns the stone to expose a new facet. In this manner, 12 glyphs can be activated for a single square without violating the prohibition on casting multiple glyphs on the same spot.
If a given square is set off more than 12 times, then the square will not punish any further. Dispel Magic can remove some of the glyphs, but only if cast to a depth of 6" below ground (where the glyphs are enscribed) and the dispel must overcome the glyphs' caster's level of 14 (which is rolled for each glyph).
20. Summoner's Chamber
This smallish, plain room's floor is adorned with a bewildering array of lines, circles, pentagrams, and other symbols, all inlaid into the floor in various metals, including cold iron, silver, gold, electrum, and even fused powdered gems of some sort.
The room is designed to allow someone with good knowledge of Morakki circles of confinement and protection to pass unmolested, while causing less-well learned folk to blunder into a real circle and come under attack by an entrapped entity.
A conjurer specialist, or one with an applicable NWP who also has Ancient History - Morakki as an NWP can spot the real circles from the fake lines and drawings easily.
A conjurer specialist with no Morakki historical knowledge can try to make a roll equal to his half applicable NWP or half his level if no such applicable NWP exists to spot the real circles.
Any mage or priest with a spell in his spellbooks that requires protective symbols can make a roll of 1/4th his level to spot the real circles.
When a spotting roll is called for, it must be made for each of the 3 circles.
The real circles are located on the maps. Anyone flying over or stepping into or defacing any of them (including rolling something through them) will break that circle and release the entity therein. Until a given entity is released, it cannot be noted as it is imprisoned in the floor until released.
Released entities are angry and under compulsion to attack human and humanoid beings and to ignore their fellow prisoners. The trapped beings will not necessarily try to release the other prisoners by stepping into their circles, but may randomly do so if the fighting takes them in that direction.
The entities are:
Circle #1 - An Uridezu Tanar'ri (Rat Fiend) [see MC4 page 83] (AC 0; MV 18; HD 7; hp 51; THAC0 13; #ATT 3; Dmg 1-8 / 1-8 / 2-12; SA paralysis, summon and command rats; SD never surprised, immune to sleep and cold, cold-iron or magical weapons to hit; AL CE) This fiend will summon 7 giant rats when it is released and will have those go after spellcasters.
Circle #2 - A Blue Slaad (PMC page 88) (AC 2; MV 6; HD 8+4; hp 47; THAC0 13; #ATT 5; Dmg 2-12 / 2-12 / 2-12 /2-12 / 2-16; SA disease, hold person [1 person only], telekinesis; SD passwall; MR 40%; AL CN)
Circle #3 - A Salamander (AC 5/3; MV 9; HD 7+7; hp 56; THAC0 13; #ATT 2; Dmg 2-12, 1-6; SA heat damage 1-6; SD +1 or better weapons to hit, immune to fire and sleep/charm/hold spells; AL CE)
HOW IT WORKS:
The 3 entities are actually entrapped in stone binding containers set into the floor and made to match the floor perfectly. This, the creatures are in no way visible to the party until the circle is broken.
21. Hall of the Gods
This hallway is topped by a vaulted ceiling some 30' high at its apex. The arch of the ceiling is covered in gold leaf and shows Ki-rin fighting off evil looking humanoids with big heads.
The floor is of white marble streaked with black flecks, and along each wall, at 10' intervals, is a small niche. Each niche appears to begin at about 3' high and is 3' tall. On closer inspection, each niche is also 2' deep and shaped like a quarter-sphere.
Within each niche is a statue representing one of the deities of Therra. Of course, with only 10 niches, not all deities are represented. In fact, the deities here are the 5 most revered and the 5 most hated deities of the Wak-hasho-tu family. With the bottom of the below table representing the west end of the hall, the deities and their descriptions are:
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| Hastaffor | A tarnished brass statue of a stooped, round eyed, beak-nosed man skulking with a dagger partially visible under his cloak | Somni-tul | A marble statue of a beautiful nude Morakki man bathed in flames | |
| Mergurr | A tarnished brass statue of a skeletal figure wielding a scythe | Retuyar-tul | A marble statue of a beautiful Morakki woman dancing in a cloak of sea water | |
| Lothar | A tarnished brass statue of a round eyed berserk fur clad barbarian frothing at the mouth | Queethar-tul | A marble statue of a Ki-rin standing atop a whirlwind | |
| Hindarr-quag | A tarnished brass statue of a fat, nude Morakki man drooling and throwing lightning bolts at a pile of burning books | Grummni-tul | A marble statue of a kindly, stooped old woman holding a diamond | |
| Flupnir | A tarnished brass statue, also heavily dented, showing a faceless man buried up to the neck in what may be a pile of mud or dung | Cotrunal | A marble state of a Morakki man holding a tome in his upraised hands that reads "All Knowledge" |
The floor in the centre of the room, as indicated on the map, is illusory, and covers a 30' drop into a 10' by 30' pit filled with spikes. Anyone falling down the pit takes 6D6 damage from the fall and is impaled on a number of spikes equal to AC+D3 (do not count dexterity or shield for AC). Each spike does D6 damage. While the spikes were, at one time, coated with poison, that liquid has long since evaporated and has never been reapplied.
The 10' walkway around the central pit that approaches the brass gods is also trapped. When weight is placed on the middle 10' of that walkway, the entire walkway will violently tilt up and to the south, dumping all upon it through the illusory floor and into the pit.
The 10' walkway around the central pit that approaches the marble gods is also trapped, but this trap may be avoided. Each of the 10' sections of walkway before each niche is trapped by pressure to activate each god's mouth, from which a variety of substances shoot. The proper way to avoid these substances is to walk past the gods on one's knees, reverentially. While proceeding on one's knees will still set off the traps, they will not harm anyone at knee level, instead passing harmlessly overhead. Halflings and gnomes can walk upright and suffer no ill effects.
Somni-tul - sprays burning naphtha in a stream. Anyone standing in its way must save or be covered, taking 2D6 the first round, D6 the second, and D3 the third.
Retuyar-tul - sprays acid in a stream. This acid will cause armour or cloaks or another torso wear to save vs acid or be destroyed if the character fails his save. In addition, the acid does 4 damage per round for D6 rounds as it eats the skin away. Save for no damage.
Queethar-tul - spews a quick blast of poison gas. Victim must save or die within 6 rounds.
Grummni-tul - shoots a spiked lead ball with great force that attacks as an 8th level fighter and does D8 damage. In addition, it has a knockback rating of D8 (very important when one considers the pit).
Cotrunal - causes a magic mouth to intone "he who reveres not knowledge is lost to madness". The statue then pivots 180 degrees showing the symbol of insanity enscribed upon its back. The symbol is inscribed in a portion of the statue that is not easily visible from kneeling level.
HOW IT WORKS:
The pit is self-explanatory, and covered by an Illusionary Wall spell cast on the floor. The tilting walkway is worked by pressure plate and counterweights and resets itself using the force of its own motion and the weight of its victims.
The various marble gods' traps involve small storage tanks filled with the proper liquid or powder and with bellows and pumps powered by pressure plates linked to counterweights. These traps also reset themselves, though they have only enough stored substances left for about 8 activations each.
The Contrunal statue's pivoting works by way of mechanical linkages to the pressure plate before it. The magic mouth will intone only once, but there are a dozen such mouth spells cast on the statue, each set to activate only after the preceding one has spoken.
22. Room of Verse
This 30' by 30' room has a ceiling that is unadorned and is 15' high. Crossing the room in a diagonal, splitting the chamber in half, is a wall of iron which rises from the floor to the ceiling. Within the wall are set three steel doors. Upon the face of each door is enscribed Morakki verse. From left to right these are:
Left Door:
Kenay wahashta no
Valashikta sin
Maru venetu-cho
Middle Door:
Ang-kara inishto ma'a
Tuni venehoto amabo
Kami kiru wasu na
Right Door:
Hingkaru ato
Mina chino-go eso
Welashamin no
Each of the left and centre doors bears false Haiku. The syllables are incorrect and the subject matter is also not traditional. The right door bears a proper Haiku verse penned by the last Mandarin himself.
If the left door is opened, both exits from the room will be blocked by falling stone blocks and spores will fill the room. These spores are dormant cysts that can survive centuries of encystation until they are breathed in and find themselves in the warm moist environment of the lungs.
Inhaling the spores requires failing a save versus dragon breath. Failure means the spores exert a powerful psychotic effect on the victims. These cause the person to go berserk and attack his companions as viciously as possible. If all companions are fallen they will then continue to attack their fallen comrades until they are dead. After that, or if alone, the victim will begin to attack himself, beating himself into unconsciousness and possibly killing himself.
The spores last a number of rounds equal to the 20 minus the victim's constitution and can only be negated by a cure disease.
Once the spores settle to the ground they are relatively safe as long as great handfuls of them are not gathered up and re-inhaled. There are only enough surviving spores for this trap to work once. Thereafter, if the left door is opened, the stone blocks will fall, but no spores (or only a trickle) will be released.
The stone blocks are 10' high by 8' wide by 6" thick and weigh several tons.
The stone blocks are raised by zombie workers underneath the trove once every two hours.
If the middle door is opened, a pit will open up beneath the door and the 10' area around it. In addition, the door itself will come loose, so holding onto the door will not work.
The pit is 15' deep (D6+D3 damage) and is coated with a thin stain of green for its bottom half. This was once a very deadly trap, for the pit held a colony of green slime. One can even observe the small holes in the bottom of the pit through which water was pumped and small mice and insects were sent to feed and sustain the slime. However, something went wrong with the zombie worker designated to maintain the slime and the green slime eventually died out centuries ago.
The right door opens normally and has no trap connected to it.
|
The poems translate as follows: Left Door: All honour to the gods Middle Door: A king who wisely rules Right Door: The seasons whirl |
23. The Vault
This room is 20' wide by 30' long and its western face is entirely made up of a panel of thick steel which blocks access to room 24 beyond.
This steel panel is inset with 6 large dials, set at about 4' height equidistant across the middle 10' of the panel. Above the dials is an engraved image of a snake consuming its own tail. The snake is stylized to look much like an oriental dragon, although it has no legs, arms, or wings. The engraving is large, some 20' wide and 5' tall and is done in intricate detail, every single scale on the snake having been carefully and cunningly wrought.
Just below the dials is a metal lever which is in the up position.
The panel is actually a vault door. If the vault is successfully worked, the panel will slide back and to the right, eventually coming to rest against the north wall of room 24.
The panel is held in place by 6 adamantium bars almost an inch thick each. Each bar is controlled by a dial, and the entire mechanism is constructed in such a way that when the lever is pulled down, those bars that are unlocked by their respective dials will retract into the panel. Unfortunately, if all six bars are not retracted, a mechanism senses this and activates, resetting the lever and all six bars to the locked position.
This means that partial solutions to the opening of the vault have no incremental value. It also means that the entire mechanism is immune to Knock spells unless 6 such spells are cast SIMULTANEOUSLY at the panel.
Each of the 6 dials is made of gold and has ruby characters etched into them, each around the edge of its face. The ruby characters are Morakki numbers, and are the same on each dial, ranging from 1 to 8. There is a notch engraved into the panel adjacent to each dial at its topmost tangent point. It should be clear to most observers that the thing is a giant combination vault, and that the dials are rotated so that a number at the top of each dial aligns with the notch above each dial.
Currently, all the dials read 8.
The combination to the vault is:
1 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 8
This is what is known in real life as a Fibonacci Sequence. It is a mathematical progression whereby the next number of a given sequence is derived by adding the two previous numbers together (and the first number is always presumed to be 0 and the second 1).
Mathematically speaking, the sequence is analogous to a snake eating its own tail, in that each number is generated by its predecessors (or tail). The snake engraving is a subtle clue regarding how to open the vault.
If the proper combination is displayed and the lever is pulled down, then the vault will open.
Of course, given a little time and patience, this sequence could be stumbled upon, so the Mandarin designed further intricacies into this trap. Therefore, there are two consequences to trying the improper combination.
The first is that every time an improper combination is attempted, a section of the floor will give way. The floor of this chamber is actually comprised of close fitting 10' by 10' stone panels each about and inch thick. These panels are held in place by metal rods which extend from the panels to the actual floor of the chamber some 30' below.
A wrong combination causes a mechanism to pull away the rods from one of the stone panels, causing it to crash into the floor 30' below.
There are 6 such panels comprising the "floor" of this chamber. Arranged as follows:
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The panels will fall in the numerical order given above. Anyone on a panel as it falls will take normal falling damage (6D6 for a 30' fall).
In addition, when the wrong combination is tried and the lever pulled, an electric shock will be emitted through the lever and across the vault face, causing 3D6 damage to anyone touching either surface.
HOW IT WORKS:
Much of the workings of this chamber have already been explained in the main text. The crashing floor is not resettable and once fallen will remain so forever after. The electric shock is delivered by a large crude battery hidden beneath the chamber, and this battery has enough "fuel" to produce hundreds of shocks, even this great many years after it was crafted.
24. The Point of No Return
This large room contains an insidious trap. The floor of the room is made up of a strange mineral found only in rare portions of Pilong and southern Amabong. This mineral emits a very subtle poison into the air around it (much like real world plutonium). Anyone entering the room must save versus poison (and this save should be made in secret by the DM) or become subject to its effects.
The poison begins to work in 1 turn. Thereafter, it causes 1 point of damage per turn until the victim dies. The effect is subtle enough that the victim will not notice the damage until they fall unconscious or until they lose 25% of their original hit points.
The poison will run its course in 1 turn per round spent in this chamber. The chamber is crossed with iron gates that are locked and require a bend/bars to break, and so it is very likely that the party will spend a lot of time in this chamber.
|
When the chamber is first entered, a magic mouth will speak in Morakki: Know that your trial has now assuredly begun. Judgement must be cast swiftly, lest ye die. Seek ye the adjudicator, for he alone shall decide your destiny. |
The hallway leading out of this room to the west goes for 30' and ends abruptly. This is actually an illusionary wall made to look like the stones of the trove.
25. The Pivot
This long hallway is designed to delay intruders, allowing the poison administered in room 24 to take more effect. The hallway appears extremely long, some 170' in length. The hallway is adorned with images of Morakki ancient domesticity, including women weaving at oriental looms and cooking in woks and eating with chopsticks. Further down the hall are frescoes, now slightly fading, showing Morakki men and women engaged in various excruciating-looking sexual positions.
The hallway is designed to pivot, but very subtly. The entire hallway rests on a bed of slick oil, except for a single metal shaft that runs from under the centre of the hallway to the bottom of the oil-soaked floor below. Metal rollers also support the ends of the hallway and roll through the oil.
Bound air elementals dwell in the oil filled space between the hallway and the surrounding room, and they have been precisely trained to rotate the hallway at a speed that corresponds to the distance someone has travelled down the hallway.
The reason for this is to preserve the subtlety of the rotation. When a long body rotates, the portions of the body farther away from the centre of rotation move faster than the portion at the pivot point. The aim of the air elementals is to have the hallway pivot, in its entirety, 180 degrees in the time it takes someone to walk from one end to the other.
Thus, the hallway begins to rotate slowly at first, as the party first enters from room 24. It then picks up speed in its rotation exactly proportionally to proximity of the party to the centre of the hallway. When the party reaches the hallway centre, the rotation will be quite fast. As the party then proceeds past the centre point, the rotation again slows down.
These elementals were trained and drilled to this art by a wu-jen for over 3 decades, and so they are now quite good at what they do.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of ways to defeat tem. The best is to split up the party, having some remain at an end of the hallway while others proceed to the centre. As the rotation speeds up, those remaining at the end of the hallways will begin to feel the acceleration and rotation, as they will be moving very fast.
Both ends of the hallway are covered by illusionary walls, which stop those in the hall from seeing the ends rotating.
The net result of this hallway is that, for a time, the party is likely to troop along this long hallway and find themselves stepping back into room 24. They can then turn around and proceed back and they will find themselves arriving back in room 24! No matter how many times they cross the hallway, they will always end up back in room 24.
Even once the party determines that the hallway is indeed rotating, they still cannot avoid the rotation effects. Flying down the hallway doesn't help since the elementals are actually observing the party through small holes in the floor and walls.
Should somehow the party arrive at the other end of the hallway that is not at room 24 (most likely by going to the hallway centre and then running towards each end simultaneously), they will find nothing but stone wall past the illusionary wall at the far end.
The real way out of this predicament is at the centre of the hallway. Here there is a secret trap door that descends down through the oil layer and through the true floor of this room and into a passageway leading down iron rungs.
HOW IT WORKS:
Although most of this mechanism is explained in the main text above, zombie workers do pump oil in from natural reserves stored beneath the trove.
26. The Chasm
The iron rungs descending from the pivoting hallway go for about 25' before arriving at a level hallway. The hallway goes south for 50' and then turns left, emerging into this chamber.
The chamber is 20' high and is comprised of two 10' ledges separated by a 40' wide chasm. The chasm is over 150' deep.
There is a permanent illusion on the southern portion of the chasm. There is a 3' ledge running across the chasm from one end to the other about 4' below the level of the ledges. This small ledge is covered by a permanent illusion that makes it appear to be chasm. The illusion even reacts to stones dropped in it, showing viewers the rock plummeting down to the bottom and hearing the rock hit 150' below, even if, in reality, the rock landed 4' down on the ledge.
The other hazard in this chamber are the DMG glyphs (see the trove notes just prior to room 1 for details on DMG glyphs) set into the ceiling at various points designed to foil fly or levitation spells. These are not noted precisely on the map. Assume anyone flying or levitating across will activate D3 such glyphs on the way across.
27. The Room of Judgement
The steel door leading to this room is engraved with a Morakki man with 4 arms, one of which holds a scale, the other a flaming katana, another a longbow, and the last a two-pronged tree branch. The door is locked with a normal lock that is accompanied by a poison needle trap. The poison has not been renewed in centuries and is inert, though it will still give a surprising and painful jab to the opener/picker.
| The engraving on the door is the Morakki depiction of Meredros. |
Within the 20' by 30' chamber the walls are coloured jade green. Along the wall opposite the door is a bas relief showing some sort of tribunal sitting at a desk. There are 5 figures. One is of a Morakki woman glancing at herself in a mirror. Another is of a fat Morakki man asleep with his feet up on the desk. A third is of a fool who is gaping stupidly at the party. The fourth is of a stern Morakki man who seems to be looking intently at the party. The fifth is of a Morakki male and he has a sneer on his face and his hands are tucked in his robes.
The fourth figure can be rotated slightly, causing a secret door behind it to swing open. Beyond the secret door is a passageway leading to room 28.
The door to the west is steel and locked. It has an engraving of a man hanging at a gallows, and below it a man having his head chopped off by a strange looking axe (actually a naginata). Anyone failing to pick the lock will have a spear fire from the east wall at the door, attacking as an 8th level fighter (probably with a back shot at +2 and no dexterity or shield bonus). The spear, propelled with great force, causes 2D6 damage.
This trap cannot be reset on its own and, once activated, will not again fire.
28. Chamber of Retribution
This chamber is barren except for a pedestal in the centre of the room. Atop the pedestal is a hemisphere of crystal which emits a clean white light.
The pedestal is adorned with carvings of people dancing and cavorting merrily amongst trees that might be cherry blossoms.
On the floor in a circle around the pedestal are Morakki characters carved into the floor and inlaid with silver.
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The characters read: You have judged yourself and have found yourself worthy. Rejoice and be redeemed and present your palms to the light. |
29. Room of the Elements
Across the lintel of the archway that enters this room are Morakki characters.
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They read: Honor Tul, the Balance. |
The knowledge priest can tell the party that Tul is a mythological primal being that supposedly embodied all of the creative forces of the four elements, and when the world was created, Tul split into 4 aspects and became the 4 gods of the elements. The knowledge priests doubts that such an entity as Tul actually existed.
The Morakki greatly revere the primal forces of nature, and especially as embodied by the four elemental gods, collectively known as the Tuls.
This room reflects that devotion, as in each corner of this 30' square chamber (which is also 30' high) is a statue of one of the Tuls. Starting from south of the passageway leading to room 27 are:
Grummni-tul - a Morakki female with hair in the form of an avalanche. In her right hand is a boulder and in her left a clod of dirt. Her eyes are of iridescent brown crystals.
Queethar-tul - a Morakki male with windblown hair and beard. From his right hand springs a whirlwind. His eyes are of clear quartz.
Retuyar-tul - a Morakki female with hair of frothing water. From her right hand springs forth a fountain of water. Her eyes are deep blue sapphires.
Somni-tul - a Morakki male bathed in flame with hair, beard, and eyebrows of fire. He has eyes of fire opals.
In the centre of the room is a small concave depression in the floor, like a 3' diameter 6" deep bowl.
If Tul is honoured by proceeding to the centre of the room and offering a coin or other valuable as a sacrifice, then the room may be bypassed safely.
However, if any of the statues is approached, showing favour thereby to one aspect of Tul and disfavor to the other, then that statue will release its elemental.
If the bowl is passed without sacrificing something of value (even as little as a copper piece from each person), then a random elemental will attack (1 for each person so passing the bowl).
Each elemental is bound into the eye of its statue. The sapphires of the water goddess are worth 2000gp each, and the fire opals of the fire god are worth 1500gp each. The crystals and quartz on the other statues are not worth much at all.
Air Elemental (AC 2; MV fl 36[A]; HD 8; hp 39; THAC0 13; #ATT1; D 2-20; SA whirlwind, bonus vs aerial [+1 to hit, +4 damage]; SD +2 or better weapons to hit; AL N). Note the ceiling the elemental can only form a partial whirlwind (kills under 2HD and does 1-8 damage to others).
Earth Elemental (AC 2; MV 6; HD 8; hp 43; THAC0 13; #ATT 1; Dmg 4-32; SA lesser damage versus creatures in the air or water [-2 per die]; SD +2 or better weapons to hit; AL N)
Fire Elemental (AC 2; MV 12; HD 48; THAC0 13; #ATT 1; Dmg 3-24; SA light flammable objects, less damage vs fire dwelling/using creatures; SD +2 or better weapons to hit; AL N)
Water Elemental (AC 2; MV 6, sw 18; HD 8; hp 50; THAC0 13; #ATT 1; Dmg 5-30; SA -1 damage per die attacking out of water; SD +2 or better weapons to hit; AL N)
Any elemental released will attack and pursue to the best of its ability. However, for each turn in existence, there is a 5% chance the elemental will return to its own plane of existence (starting with the first round).
30. Sprung Trap
Not everything is perfectly maintained over the course of several thousand years. This room was the site of a spectacular trap that, at some point, due to a mechanical defect, sprang.
What is now visible is a room pierced at an amazing number of locations by hooked chains and long metal lances. The place is so clogged with them, as well as two opened pits (each 30' deep) that the party will find it difficult to maneuver to the southern stairway without having to clamber over various lances.
31. Ending Stairway
The stairs leading to this room are trapped.
The third step is actually made from a substance that is like hard putty. It looks like a normal step but anything coming into contact with it becomes stuck….only unstickable by a universal solvent. For the most case that will mean someone's shoes will have to be removed and left behind.
The seventh step is a false step, designed to break away, except for the middle strip, which has been honed to a razor sharp point. The end result is if someone with soft shoes or no shoes steps on it he will sever a foot.
A severed foot can be reattached only by a regenerate spell. Otherwise, damage is 2D6 and the person will lose 20% - 60% of their foot. Losing part of one's foot will have the following effects:
-1 to movement rate for every 20% lost.
-1 to foot-based dexterity for every 20% lost.
The sixteenth step will cause all the remaining steps to form a slide dumping the person to the bottom of the stairs (no damage) but also opening a panel in the floor at the foot of the stairs exposing wicked barbed spikes.
Someone falling into the spikes will take 2D6 damage and another D6 when removing his body part from the barbs.
The glue trap is always active. The razor trap, once exposed, cannot be reset. The slide and spikes trap is reset every 3 hours by zombies in the passageways below the trove.
The walls of this 20' square room are covered in frescoes, now much faded, of clouds and vague faces peering out therefrom.
Along the west wall is a secret door. The door is opened by pushing in and is not locked. However, when the door is opened, it releases a weighted pendulum from the ceiling east of the secret door. The pendulum quickly swings down and will hit anyone before the door, throwing them into room 32 and subjecting them to the first trap therein.
The pendulum inflicts D6 damage and a knockback of 10. Anyone saving versus the knockback will not be thrust into room 32.
32. The Hall of Death
This hall is the final set of traps that awaits the party.
Refer to the map to index the following traps contained within the hall.
The hallway itself is adorned with gold and silver leaf dragons sitting on piles of treasure or lecturing avid human students.
A = Pit trap works on first weight. Drops 30' for 6D6 damage.
B = Scything blade springs from the wall on second weight, attacking as a 12th level fighter and doing 3D6 damage.
C = As A but works on second weight.
D = On second weight; an iron cage 10' by 10' drops from the ceiling. At the same time, iron shackles emerge from the floor and secure the base of the cage to the floor.
E = Stone block drops from above on first weight. Roll under dexterity or take 5D6 crushing damage.
F = Spikes jut up from the floor on first weight. Victims take 2D6 damage.
G = As A but activates on the fourth weight.
Opposite from G is a secret panel in the west wall which contains a lever. If this lever is pulled the trap at H will not function. This hidden panel is behind a portion of the fresco that has an open book on it. The words on the pages of the open book can be read by close inspection.
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The words read: Here is surcease. |
H = Two zombie guards stand in small enclosed cubicles to either side of the hallway here. They peer through tiny peepholes.
The zombies have orders to activate the trap whenever someone touches the doors to room 33. The lever opposite trap G stops the zombies by covering their peepholes.
When the zombies activate the trap, and they do so only for the 10' section being occupied by the one who touches the door, a pit opens up. The pit is 20' deep (3D6 damage). The zombies then quickly closes the pit lid. There are essentially two pits at H, one for each 10' section before the double doors.
Within each pit are 2 zombies which will attack intruders.
2 Zombies (AC 8; MV 6; HD 2; hp 14, 15; THAC0 19; #ATT 1; Dmg 1-8; SD undead immunities; AL N)
The lids to the pit can only be opened by knock spells or by bend bars/lift gates.
33. Room of the Spectator
The double doors from the Hall of Death (room 32) lead into this 40' by 30' chamber, which has a 30' high ceiling decorated with various regular geometrical patterns, such as hexagons, dodecagons, etc. All are interlocked in a rather bizarre interlacing, so that it is difficult to tell where one shape ends and another begins without concentrating.
The floor of the room is barren, but 5' before the door in the east wall floats a spectator, a 4' diameter sphere with a large central eye and 4 small eyestalks. Beneath the central eye is a mouth bearing small but sharp teeth.
Spectator (AC 4/7/7; MV fl 9 [B]; HD 4+4; hp 36; THAC0 15; #ATT 1; Dmg 2-5; SA eyes; SD eyes; MR 5%; Al LN)
Hit Chart:
01-70 Body AC4 HD 4+4
71-90 Eyestalk/Eye AC7 1 hp
91-00 Central Eye AC7 1 hp
Eyes:
Central - Reflect any non-touch spell in a 60 degree arc before it if the spectator makes a save vs. spells (this happens before MR is checked)
Eye 1 - Create Food and Water
for 6 people
Eye 2 - Cause Serious Wounds (2D8+3 60 yards save for 1/2 dmg)
Eye 3 - Paralyze (90 yards, 1 target, save or paralyzed for 8D4
rounds)
Eye 4 - Telepathy (120 feet, 1 target, suggest "leave in
peace" if save is failed)
Most spectators are bound for 101 years. However, the Mandarin performed a service for the extra-planar lord of this spectator, and in recompense, the spectator was made to serve indefinitely. If blinded, the spectator will return to the Astral Plane to regenerate, and if the treasure is removed it will then leave.
This spectator is a guardian designed to test honesty.
When the party first approaches it, it will tell them to stand where they are and to come no closer.
It will then say to whichever party member is in the lead, by telepathy:
I am the final guardian of the Mandarin's trove, and none may pass without giving the proper answers to these questions…
Are you an heir to the Mandarin's
throne?
Why do you seek the treasures herein?
What god do you venerate?
The spectator is not really concerned with the exact answers here…he is merely seeking the truth. If the person being contacted answers truthfully, then he will be allowed access to the door to the east. If not, the spectator will then bar the way to that door forever more to that person and all who are with him to the best of its abilities. The spectator will use his telepathic abilities to divine the true answers.
34. Final Deception
This hallway is the final trick the Mandarin placed in his trove. It is not particularly deadly or ingenious, but was designed merely to delay any wily thief who made it this far, in the hopes that he would then be caught while so delayed.
The door at the far end of this unadorned hallway is a false door. It is locked and, as it pushes inward and is set flush against the wall behind it, cannot be forced open (though trying that will tell the pusher that something very solid and heavy is pressed up against the door). The lock that holds the door is cunningly wrought, and any picking it incurs a -10% penalty to their open locks chance.
The real way past this hallway is a secret door set 7' back along the north wall. Which pushes inward.
35. Trove Anteroom
This ante chamber contains a crumbled desk and remains of a couch and chair, an old brazier, and other tattered items that indicate that this was once a chamber of study. Remnants of frescoes and tapestries adorn the walls, all too faded or torn to examine closely.
As rooms 36 and 37 are approached, signs of aging disappear. The air becomes fresher and dust thins and then disappears from the walls and floor. Both of the trove rooms are magicked so that their contents remain preserved against the ravages of time.
36. Trove of Wealth
This room is full of monetary treasure. Within are 12 large chests, all locked but none trapped. All coins found herein are either of old Morakki mint brought over from the East, Mandarin mint coined by the Mandarin, or old Imperials from the Amorian Empire.
Chest #1 - 10000cp, 2500sp, 450gp,
110pp
Chest #2 - 4000cp, 4000sp, 1570gp, 1000pp
Chest #3 - 5000cp, 8000sp, 700gp, 900pp
Chest #4 - 2000cp, 1475sp, 6000gp, 500pp
Chest #5 - 3500cp, 500sp, 400pp
Chest #6 - 4000sp, 200pp
Chest #7 - 10000cp, 10000sp
Chest #8 - 20000sp, 1000pp
Chest #9 - 5000gp, 1000pp
Chest #10 - 7000gp, 1200pp
Chest #11 - 4500cp, 260sp, 4000gp
Chest #12 - 2600cp, 4000sp, 25gp, 10pp
In a box upon a shelf is a Quill of Law made from a Ki-rin feather (Tome of Magic)
In another box is a gold and jade Necklace of Memory Enhancement (Tome of Magic)
Upon a shelf is an Hourglass of Fire and Ice (Tome of Magic)
3 Jars of Preserving (Tome of Magic)
A silk bag containing a Glass of Preserved Words (Tome of Magic)
6 pouches of Dust of Mind Dulling (Tome of Magic)
A silver and jade Amulet of Magic Resistance (15% for spells of level 1-6, ruptures on a 95-00) (Tome of Magic)
A wooden Amulet of Far Reaching shaped like a hawk (7 levels per day) (Tome of Magic)
Condamabir - an ancient Amorian sword wielded by the hero Grosslar the Vein. It is a rune-covered jet black broadsword +2 which, on a critical hit against a living non-extraplanar opponent, will give the wielder 2-5 hit points of healing.
A tower shield +2 emblazoned with the ancient crest of one of the princely houses of Amoria, an argent ram over 3 stars on a field of blue.
An Efreeti Bottle (DMG) in the shape of a brass urn stoppered with rune covered wax. The efreet inside is quite insane from its millennial imprisonment and will attack immediately, railing at those whom it attacks as its captors.
Efreet (AC 2; MV 9 fl 24 [B]; HD 10; hp 60; THAC0 11; #ATT 1; Dmg 3-24; SA see below; SD see below; AL LE)
Invisibility 1/day
Gaseous Form 1/day
Detect Magic 1/day
Enlarge 1/day
Polymorph Self 1/day
Wall of Fire 1/day
Illusion (with visual and audial components until touched) 1/day
Produce Flame at will
Pyrotechnics at will
A Figurine of Wondrous Power Serpentine Owl (DMG)
A stoppered vial which contains a rare poultice brewed by a dragon which causes its imbiber to make a system shock roll. Failure equals death, but success raises the imbiber's constitution by 1 permanently. Drinking the potion incapacitates the imbiber in writhing spasms of pain for D6 hours.
A lead vial containing Wild Magic Essence. If unstoppered it will release a Wild Magic Pulse once every D6 rounds until 6 pulses have been released, at which time it will become inert. Each pulse will sweep out in a 100 yard radius at a rate of 100 yards per round.
A crystal vial containing ki-rin blood (acts as quadruple strength holy water)
An amber and lead beetle-shaped Scarab of Death (DMG) in an ornate wooden box marked with a prominent Morakki rune for Death.
Inside a jade box carved with Tantric-like scenes are 4 blocks of Incense of Delight, which will cause all within a 100 foot radius when burned (assuming its smoke can waft that far) to save above Charisma or fall into an insatiable sexual lust. Such a lust lasts for D3 hours.
An Arrow of Slaying Ogre Mages wrapped in a purple cloth showing a scene of an ogre mage slaying a Morakki man.
2 vials of an extremely deadly Morakki poison, both marked with the Morakki name of Kanamushi (the knowledge priest will only translate as the juice of spirits). These poisons, which are ingestive only, will cause a save vs poison at -5 or death will occur in 1 round. Save results in incapacitation in 1 round, loss of all but 1 hit point, and loss of half constitution (latter regained 1 per day of complete bed rest).
A pouch with 4 Ioun Stones (DMG);
Dull Grey Spindle (useless)
Scarlet & Blue Sphere (+1 intelligence)
Pink Rhomboid (+1 constitution)
Clear Spindle (sustains person without food and water)
4 Shuriken +1 which will return to the thrower once all 4 are thrown by saying "Return" in Morakki.. (Shuriken have thrown range and do D3 damage).
A dire wolf-hide Cloak of Protection +1
Dire wolf-hide Boots of Striding and Springing (DMG)
Ganajorn - a legendary 2-handed Axe +1, +3 versus Giants wielded by an ancient Jarl of the Thaneeri barbarians.
An ivory Fan Wand with 50 charges. This wand can be flicked open into a paper fan with a flick of the wrist. In fan form it can cast a Gust of Wind spell at 6th level for 1 charge or a Protection from Normal Missiles spell at 6th level for 1 charge. The fan has no command words but must be waved slowly at all times to gain the benefits.
A Potion of Super-Heroism
A Potion of Haste
A Potion of Longevity
A Scroll of Protection from Spirits
An ornate Pyi-Pya (a 12 stringed, long-necked quitar-like instrument) engraved with ivory flowers which, when played by a bard, may summon one of 3 spirits contained within the instrument. Activating each takes a full round of playing and requires a music proficiency roll for each round of playing.
The first spirit will cause discord in a 30' radius (excluding the player). Those hearing the song must save vs. magic or attack the player (50%) or the nearest being (50%) for 2-5 rounds. Thereafter the effect wears off. Those who save are immune to the spirit for 24 hours.
The second spirit pacifies. All within 30' of the player, including the player, are under the effects of a Sanctuary spell for as long as the song is played. The player cannot attack in any way. Others lose the benefits if they make a successful attack. Those losing the benefits cannot regain them for 24 hours.
The third spirit charms. The player can cast a suggestion spell on one person in a 30' radius once per round. Each listener can only be suggested once in a 24 hour period. A save negates the suggestion.
37. Trove of Lore
Row upon row of shelves line the walls here, full of books and scrolls and tablets and wax cuneiforms preserved over the ages by the magicks that cover the trove rooms.
Most of the items are ancient and sagely in nature, enough to stock a sage with interests in Ancient History - Amorian Empire and Ancient History - Morakki.
There are also a few special books here:
2 scrolls of Raise Dead at 11th
level of ability
2 scrolls of Restoration at 16th level of ability
A huge book entitled The Secret Meditations of the Gods. This book, if studied, will allow a character to spend a NWP slot (assuming he has one open, or he may wait until he gains one) on the skill Meditation. It takes a month in full to read the tome, and to fully grasp it an intelligence plus wisdom roll must be made on percentile dice. If the roll is failed, another full month must be spent studying and practicing the rituals described therein.
If the NWP is gained, it is based on the average of Wisdom, Intelligence, and Constitution. Meditation takes 1 hour of quietude to perform. A person who meditates gains its benefits for the next 15 hours. Meditation allows the following:
+1 on saves versus mental attacks
+1 to intelligence for purposes of learning, researching, or memorizing
spells
Slow poison
If a Meditation roll fails, the character will not know it has failed until he is finished meditating. He may not then attempt another meditation (even if successful) for 24 hours.
A Manual of Stone Golems (makes the type found in room 3 of this trove).
A tome that tells of the location of Tower #9 from The Secrets of the Towers scenario.
Spellbooks and scrolls of various sorts with the following spells upon them:
Accuracy (level 1)
Cloud Ladder (level 1)
Fire Shuriken (level 2)
Ice Knife (level 2)
Fire Wings (level 3)
Dancing Blade (level 4)
Creeping Darkness (level 5)
All of the above spells are taken from the wu-jen spells from 1st edition AD&D Oriental Adventures. If the DM does not have access to this tome, then he may either substitute exotic spells of his own or ignore them altogether.
A passage in a book mentioning the secret passageway that leads from the cliff wall near the palace to a secret exit at the top of the cliff.
There are enough tomes here dealing with astrology and magic to provide training for learning NWP in astrology and to stock a spell research library. There are also potion and scroll recipes in amongst the texts that can be used for a library dedicated to the creation of both such magic items.
Part Four - Conclusion
Once the party gains the trove, it will probably take some time and effort to arrange to move the items out of the trove, through the sewers, and into the city. The DM can roll for wandering encounters in the sewers of course.
The party will then, depending upon how they dealt with city officials in the first place, arrange to smuggle the items out of Oretrade. If the city officials find out about the trove, they are certainly going to want to try and take as much of it as they can in taxes and fees. It is up to the DM to decide how much the Guild thinks it can claim for itself, as well as whatever the Praetor can wrest for himself and his Consul. That said, the party is likely to be strong enough at this point to be able to threaten the Guild and the Praetor should they become overly greedy.
But that, of course, is another story for another time.