Dungeon23: Week 8

 Level 2 – Area D

This map is created under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Room 22: Foyer

This room has a high, vaulted ceiling with frescoes depicting idyllic scenes of Paradise.  The floor is decorated with a mosaic in a hypnotic, spiral pattern that gives it the feeling of movement.   In a corner is a humanoid skeleton, its clothes tattered with the exception of a wide-brimmed, black hat with a silver band and a threadbare pouch with a key inside (Note: what the key opens is undetermined at this time.)

The hat is enchanted, but damaged and defective.  It provides a +1 bonus to the wearer’s AC. However, any successful attack upon the wearer deals one additional point of damage.  It can be repaired by an elvish tailor with knowledge of magical garments.  It will then provide the bonus without the penalty (Note: the details of this individual and where they live is left to the GM.)

Room 23-24: Champion’s Chambers

These were the personal chambers of the Cult’s great Champions, Thomgrir and Xor.  

Room 23 belonged to Thomgrir.  The remnants of the Cult moved Thomgrir and his riches to his own sepulcher (see Room 7.)  However, they left a trap for would-be robbers: opening the door pulls a rope and pulley mechanism that fires a unique ballista that shoots three javelins for 1d6+3 damage (save against death rays for half.)

The room is empty save for stripped furniture, dust, and cobwebs.

Room 24 was Xor’s.  His body was never recovered (but his shade persists; see Room 26.)  The remnants of the Cult kept his room as a shrine of sorts.  The door is locked and trapped with a poison needle (1 point of damage and save against poison or die.)

The room is dusty, but has been kept largely as Xor would have enjoyed in life, with objects of opulence and other material luxuries – now tarnished or rotted.  A table has been turned into a shrine with half-melted candles, dried flowers, and a small altar made from the shell of some unusual crustacean.  Above the altar hang a symbol of the Cult and a small, painted portrait of Xor: a low-browed man with a severe stare and fantastic mustachios.  The symbol above the portrait is also a key that can unlock access to Levels 1-3 via the elevator (“E”).

Inside the shell altar are coins (1200 silver, 100 gold,) a handful of small garnets (worth 50 gold,) an amethyst (100 gold,) and an emerald (500 gold.)

Disturbing the treasure alerts the shade of Xor, which precludes him and his shadows in Room 26 from being surprised and allows them to surprise in turn on a three-in-six chance.

Room 25: Cistern

This cavern has an underground pond, 10-20 feet deep, which is fed by rainwater from above and was used as a cistern for the Temple.  Characters may fall here from Room 14 in Level 1.  A large, gray ooze (HP 18) dwells in the cistern, growing fat on kobb-man waste and the occasional fall victim.  Disturbing the water rouses the ooze.

At the bottom of the cistern are the remains of its victims, along with treasure: coins (600 silver 175 gold,) a citrine (50 gold,) a golden drinking horn (189 gold,) and a magical sword etched with lunar runes.  It grants a bonus (+1) to hit and damage, which doubles (+2) when fighting were creatures (it is ineffective against weregrognards, however.)

Only a katana crafted from meteorite can do that.

Room 26: Chamber of Paradise

This cavernous chamber has three levels, separated by stairs.  The center area is a balcony with painted walls depicting exotic flora and fauna.  It leads to a dais, also covered in old pillows and other luxurious accouterments.  Silk curtains, some burned, cover the walls, concealing a door to Room 27.
 

The lowest area has scattered finery and pillows, now rotted and moldy.  It is supported by two, large pillars carved in the likeness of a jackal-headed man and a coiled serpent, which has collapsed in a pile of stone debris.  The bottom stairs lead to the caverns of Level 3.


The chamber is haunted by the shade of Xor, another Champion of the Cult who failed in his duty to protect his charges.  He is a special type of undead, which appears as a silhouette of his former self – a horn-helmeted warrior armed with a flamberge (sword.)  A hit from this shadowy sword deals 1d8 points of damage and drains the victim’s Strength as a shadow.  In addition, his unliving rage grants him a +2 bonus to damage.  He and two (2) other shadows materialize to attack any interlopers disturbing this chamber, especially the upper gallery.

Xor, Champion of the Cult: AC 7 [12]; ATK 1; DMG 1d8 (shadow sword) plus special (Strength drain); HD 2+2; HP 16; MV 12; SAVE 14 (or as warrior); SPECIAL Berserking (+2 DMG,) Drain Strength (1 point per hit,) hit only by magic weapons; AL C; XP 600 (or HD + specials.)

The uppermost gallery has a few notable items of value.  A small table with a magical crystal scrying ball on a bronze stand.  A tiny, ornate flask (a cure potion)  buried under the old pillows.  Finally, a shelf on the wall has a scroll case with a map to a magical piece of armor or shield (Note: I have not decided as to the specific item or whether the location is inside the dungeon or the nearby wilderness.  Watch this space for a future update.) 

Room 27: Panic Room

This chamber was a place the High Priest of the Cult could escape to in the event of invasion.  The floor of this room is inlaid with an 15-foot radius, arcane circle that amplifies magic.  Any magical or (un)holy spell cast within the circle has its range, duration, and/or effect doubled.

The western wall has ten bronze pipes that emerge from the ceiling and end at openings at about head high.  Listening at the openings allows one to hear conversations in the following rooms in Level 2 (from left to right): 2, 9, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, and 24.  The eastern wall also has ten pipes that allow one to listen to the following rooms in Level 1 (from left to right): 1a, 2, 7, 8, 9, 15, 19, 20, 21, 27.

The northern wall has a cabinet with old and worn traveling clothes, a bag with personal travel supplies and a sack with coins (500 gold, 600 silver.) the southern wall has a secret door to the elevator (“E”).

Room 28: The Halls of Ick

This hallway has a slight, downward grade (detectable by dwarves.) The ceiling at the beginning of this grade (“e”) is covered in green six (6) masses of green slime that will drip on any living creature that passes this area.

The end of the hallway bifurcates into passages to the north and south.  The north passage once lead to the gorge outside, but has since collapsed.  The south passage ends in a one-way, secret door to Area A near Room 5.  It can be opened by merely pushing on the wall.  However, it closes automatically unless blocked in some manner.