Encounter Key: Inner Ward Third Floor

The Third Floor of the Inner Ward consists of three towers.

The East Tower is a maze of cramped corridors. Ceiling height is about seven and a half feet in most places and the walls are made of mismatched planks and boards of wood. Corridors next to exterior walls will generally have small windows.

The East Tower portion of the Third Floor is actually divided into lower and upper portions (“Third Floor” and “Third and a Half Floor”). In the lower portion, gravity works normally in most places, while in the upper portion (It's denizens sometimes refer to it as “The Half”), gravity is reversed in most areas. This means the ceiling for the Third Floor is also the ceiling for the Third and a Half Floor.

In order to show this on the map, the portion showing the Third and a Half Floor is placed next to the Third Floor. It should be viewed as if “flipped” over horizontally. West and east are to be switched when using the Third and a Half Floor Map. The squares for Room 13 on the Third Floor and Rooms 3 and 25 on the Third and a Half Floor are left empty, to show they cannot be walked upon.

There are three important factions dwelling here.

COBBLING ELVES. In general, they will be friendly to adventurers of good or neutral alignment. They are not particularly interested in teaming up to fight other factions but they may allow adventurers to rest with them for a time. If attacked, they will put up as good a resistance as possible. If harried successfully over a period of time, they will relocate rather than face extinction.

EVIL GNOMES AND GNITS. The strongest faction, their presence is felt most strongly on the Third and a Half Floor. The chaotic evil gnomes seem to have mysterious motives and their actions are bizarre. Their leader, Grog Haven, is cruel and cunning. It is possible for the evil gnomes to be forced to knuckle under a more powerful force, but they are treacherous allies who will always seek to subvert and enslave or kill their masters. The gnits are the willing servants of the evil gnomes. If the evil gnomes are attacked successfully several times, they will take intelligent defensive measures, including placing evil toys where adventurers are likely to find them. They also have assassins who will be skillful in setting traps.

GUTTER GREMLINS. The gutter gremlins do not have any real organization. Those seeking to ally with gutter gremlins are wasting their time, as these creatures generally resent intrusion unless they are paid off with bribes in the form of snacks, gems, jewels, magic items, or other interesting things. Gutter gremlins are usually mild nuisances, but if attacked, they will usually flee then spread the word to harass the party and make their lives miserable by use of their magic and pick pockets ability.

The Northwest Tower was primarily living quarters and domestic space for Triskelion family members. It is more like the lower stories and very unlike the unusual East Tower. The majority of the rooms are of dressed stone, with wooden beams supporting the ceilings. Ceiling height is sixteen feet, unless otherwise noted. Most rooms have cressets mounted on the walls for torches.

PELLEAS TRISKELION. Pelleas carries out his mad experiments in the Northwest Tower, assisted by his koalinth henchmen. If not attacked immediately by the party, he could be available for hire as a sage. If faced with repeated attacks by a party, Pelleas will take reasonable precautions and also attempt to grow some new vat monsters to defend himself.

The Southwest Tower consists of a single room, Room 106, and is described separately.