Saturday, April 30, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 85 DORMITORY.

85 DORMITORY. This large room is where the cult members normally slept. There are about eighty rough cots with gray blankets and sheets. The walls are painted in with vast gray worm-like shapes, meant to inspire those cultists who still have their eyes. No wealth is here.

Friday, April 29, 2016

NEW MAGIC ITEM: MYTHOLITH

This magic statue is about one foot high and weighs about 300 gp weight. It resembles a heavy-set woman sitting cross-legged, with ill-defined face, large breasts, and upper extremities so faint as to be almost absent. It is made of a bluish-gray firm stone. This magic item may only be used by druids, it has the following properties:

  • Druids who carry this item with them can memorize and additional spell of levels 1 to 4, provided that they are of a level high enough to use a spell of that level. If the stone is not on their person (such as in a backpack or sack, or being held), these spells may not be used.
  • All spells cast by druids while the statue is on their person always act as though greater mistletoe is being used.
  • Owning the stone causes the druids head and body hair to fall out, including any beard hair if the druid has such. These will be replaced with fine green foliage resembling ferns or soft pine needles. Thereafter, the druid does not need to consume food while out in sunlight.
  • Owning the stone allows the druid to recover hit points at twice the usual natural rate.
  • When placed in a garden or on the earth, it attracts beneficial insects and other animals, such as worms. Plants in such a garden grow at an increased rate. Plant monsters regenearte hit points at the rate of 1 per turn while in such a blessed garden.
XP VALUE: 2,500

GP VALUE: 15,000

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 84 RELIQUARY.

84 RELIQUARY. This room holds three stone tables. One each against the east, south, and west walls. Each is draped with gray cloths, decorated with interweaving worm designs.

The east table holds a unholy water font of silver, gold, ivory, and fine wood and a basin made of silver and gold. The basin is worth 9000 gold crescents and weighs 100 gp weight. The font is worth 1000 gold crescents and weighs 800 gp weight. The basin currently holds 7 vials of unholy water, but it can fit up to 18 vials. Ten specially leaded vials are here, made for holding holy or unholy water and worth 3 gold crescents each.

The south table is larger than the other two and holds a large gray painted statue of a worm with a fanged mouth at each end. Four emeralds are attached to the structure, two for each head, as if to act as eyes. This statue will animate if touched, becoming a gray skinned snake-like creature resembling and attacking as a giant amphisbaena snake.

Man Sized Two Headed Worm Statue (AC 3; MV 12”; HD 6; hp 23; #AT 2 bites; D 1-3/ 1-3; SA Poison; SD Not harmed by cold; XP 613)

If the beast is killed it will return to being a stone statue. The emeralds are worth 350 gold crescents each.

The west table holds a stone statue of a cross-legged extremely obese stylized human figure. It is not painted gray like the many other statues in the area, but is made of a bluish-gray solid stone. The breasts are large and not well-defined. Ormond Triskelion discovered this item during his travels, and he noticed that when he put it on the ground it attracted large amounts of earthworms. He figured it was a sacred item and brought it here. It is actually a druidic magic item, a mytholith.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 83 CIRCULAR CHAMBER.

83 CIRCULAR CHAMBER. The room holds a large gray stone statue on a raised platform. It has a domed ceiling, about twenty feet high at its apex, and is well lighted by torches arranged on holders about the circumference of the room.

The central statue is about eight feet tall and the platform is another three feet high. The statue is man-like in general shape but has a very long neck and a ends bluntly, giving the impression of having a worm grow from the torso, or perhaps having a worm's body for a head. The hands are clasped together, as if in prayer.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 82 CLERICS' WASH ROOM.

82 CLERICS' WASH ROOM. This has five bath room stalls against the east wall. A large basin-like sink is near the south wall.

Each stall holds a gray toilet with running water to flush waste. A pull cord hangs from the ceiling for each toilet. All of the toilets have their pull cord on the right of the toilet except for the center one, which is on its left. If the pull cord for the center toilet is pulled twice quickly in succession, the secret door will reveal itself. the whole toilet will sink and the wall will move back and to the right exposing the corridor leading to Rooms 93. This process involves well-oiled machinery and is almost silent.

The secret door can be closed from the corridor side by a lever on the north wall of the corridor, or it can be closed on the room side by pulling the cord twice again.

The sink to the south is very similar to the one in Room 81, but it has hot and cold water faucets and the faucet heads are decorated to resemble worms.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Outer Ward Maps updated.

New Map pages up.  I've finished the Outer Ward Map pages, all converted over from photobucket, with which I've been having problems.  They should be working.  Next up is the Inner Ward Maps.

This is the Outer Ward Lower Level.


UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 81 WASH ROOM OF THE DAMNED.

81 WASH ROOM OF THE DAMNED. One Orthodox cleric guards this room with two cultists and some undead servants. They are more wary of attacks by heretics coming from the east door than they are from intruders coming through the west door.

Wernogard the Fervent, Lawful Evil male human Cleric of the Worm God (AC 5; MV 9“; C3; hp 15; #AT 1; D Hammer; SA Spell use; SD Only surprised on a 1, see invisible; S 10, I 8, W 13, D 10, C 9, CH 3 (14 to Worm Cultists only); XP 185)

First Level Cleric Spells:
Cause Fear, Cure Light Wounds, Darkness

Second Level Cleric Spells:
Spiritual Hammer

2 Worm Face Cultists (AC 5; MV 9"; F2; hp 10 each; #AT 1; D Scimitar; SD Only surprised on a 1, see invisible; XP 65 each)

6 Worm Face Zombies (AC 5; MV 6"; HD 2; hp 5, 4, 7, 7, 12, 12; #AT 1; D Scimitar; SA Always lose initiative; SD Limited spell immunity; XP 30, 28, 34, 34, 44, 44)

Wernogard is dominating the zombies . He has 31 gold cylinders, each worth one gold crescent. He wears chain mail armor and a great helm and has the Kiss of the Worm God stigmata. He carries an extra hammer for the spiritual hammer spell and a cursed silver holy symbol of the worm god like the others seen in this area.

The cultists and zombies are armored the same as Wernogard. The cultists each have between 7 and 12 (1d6+6) small gold cylinders, while the zombies have no money.

The zombies have been raised from Orthodox cultists slain in combat. It may not be immediately apparent that they are zombies since they are armored and carry weapons. If the delvers pay attention to their appearance, however, they will note that the worms under their visors do not writhe, and each zombie has sustained severe wounds which are not bleeding. They are also slow.

The room is furnished as a bath room. There are four toilets near the north wall with working draw-pulls that flush away the contents very similar to a modern toilet. A large basin-like sink with running cold water is against the south wall.

Monday, April 25, 2016

NEW MAGIC ITEM: SLORM

This is an intelligent lawful evil long sword +3. It has a dull gray metallic blade and has the following characteristics:

  • It can be used as a standard +3 long sword in melee.
  • It can STRETCH to a length of 15 feet, hitting opponents up to that distance from the wielder. In this case it manifests a tiny mouth and appears to be made of a gray rubbery substance. When it attacks in this fashion it will bite, although the damage is the same as a +3 long sword. It will also cause the victim to save versus poison or be slowed. When attacking like this it is willful, and the attack is made at one level lower than the skill of the wielder.
  • Intelligence 12
  • Ego 9
  • Communicates through semi-empathy
  • Detects evil and good in 1”
  • Unlike most other magic swords, it does not shed light

XP VALUE: 1,600

GP VALUE: 10,500

NEW MAGIC ITEM: TRI-HAMMER

This magic hammer may be wielded as a normal weapon, in which case it is +2 to hit and damage. Alternately, it can be used in the following fashion:

The wielder raises the hammer to their own eye level, says 'Tri-Hammer' loudly, and lets go of the weapon. This formal activation takes either one round or all surprise segments if the owner has gained surprise.

At this point, the hammer will magically triplicate itself. Each hammer will act independently of the owner and do one of the following:

  • The first is the parrying hammer, it effectively improves the owner's armor class by 1 as it intercepts attacks and hinders opponents.
  • The next is the melee hammer. It acts similar to a sword of dancing, striking as a +1 weapon as wielded by a 5 hit die monster. It stays within two feet of the owner at all times and does not need to return to the owner's hand.
  • The third is the hurled hammer. It acts by itself as a hurled +1 weapon, subject to the usual restrictions in range (short 1”, medium 2”, long 3”). It has a fire rate of once per round and returns to the vicinity of the owner after each attack before launching itself again. It also attacks as a 5 hit die monster.

The melee and hurled hammers will choose their own targets each round from among the owner's enemies. If the owner is not in melee or missile weapon range it is possible that one or both will remain idle. The owner does not need to concentrate in order for the Tri-Hammer to work, and may cast spells, engage in combat, and perform any other normal actions at the same time the Tri-Hammer is working.

XP VALUE: 7,000

GP VALUE: 36,000

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 80 SACRISTY.

80 SACRISTY. Eight Orthodox Worm Cultists are here, wary of attack by the heretics.

Preng, Worm Cultist Captain (AC 4; MV 9“; F5; hp 24; #AT 1; D Slorm +2 to damage due to strength; SD Only surprised on a 1, see invisible; S 17, I 12, W 9, D 15, C 8, CH 3 (15 to Worm Cultists only); XP 369)

Flangorr the Reverent, Lawful Evil male human Cleric of the Worm God (AC 5; MV 9“; C1; hp 6; #AT 1; D Footman's Mace; SA Spell use; SD Only surprised on a 1, see invisible; S 10, I 11, W 13, D 13, C 9, CH 3 (12 to Worm Cultists only); XP 40)

First Level Cleric Spells: 
Bless, Cure Light Wounds 

3 Worm Face Cultists (AC 5; MV 9"; F2; hp 10, 11, 12; #AT 1; D Scimitar; SD Only surprised on a 1, see invisible; XP 65, 68, 71)

3 More Worm Face Cultists (AC 5; MV 9"; F1; hp 3, 4, 7; #AT 1; D Scimitar; SD Only surprised on a 1, see invisible; XP 26, 28, 34)

All of these cultists wear chain mail armor and great helms. They have all received the Kiss of the Worm God so the writhing gray worms are clearly visible through the slits of their helmets. Each of the fighters carries between 7 and 12 (1d6+6) small gold cylinders, each equivalent in value to a gold crescent. Preng has 74 cylinders and Flangorr has 17 cylinders. Preng also has the magic sword Slorm. Both Preng and Flangorr have a small silver holy symbol of the worm god on a chain around their necks. These appears to be worth 10 gold crescents, but are cursed. If placed around the neck, they causes blindness in 1d4 rounds unless a saving throw vs poison is made.

The room holds several tables clothed with gray cloths. There are many sacred objects here. There are six silver chalices (50 gold crescents each), a dozen silver candlesticks (30 gold crescents each), a specially made iron helmet decorated with silver, gold, and ivory (600 gold crescents), and a silver scimitar (80 gold crescents, functional as a silver weapon vs lycanthropes, etc.). All of these objects are decorated with worm-related designs and ornamentation.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 79 BLAFTOX'S WAR ROOM.

79 BLAFTOX'S WAR ROOM. This room is furnished with a large table and several chairs. The leader of the Orthodox Worm Cult is here with her bodyguards.

Blaftox the Devout, Lawful Evil female human Cleric of the Worm God (AC 4; MV 9“; C6; hp 30; #AT 1; D Tri-Hammer; SA Spell use; SD Only surprised on a 1, see invisible; S 15, I 16, W 16, D 15, C 12, CH 3(18 to Worm Cultists only); XP 640)

First Level Cleric Spells:
Bless, Cause Fear, Command, Cure Light Wounds (X2)

Second Level Cleric Spells:
Chant, Find Traps, Hold Person (X2), Snake Charm

Third Level Cleric Spells:
Animate Dead, Dispel Magic

4 Worm Face Cultists (AC 5; MV 9"; F2; hp 18, 14, 16, 11; #AT 1; D Scimitar; SD Only surprised on a 1, see invisible; XP 89, 77, 83, 68)

All of these cultists wear chain mail armor and great helms. They have received the Kiss of the Worm God so their worm papillae can be seen through their visors. Each of the fighters carries between 7 and 12 (1d6+6) small gold cylinders, each equivalent in value to a gold crescent. Blaftox has 74 such cylinders, an elaborate silver holy symbol (45 gold crescents), an iron bar for the hold person spell, and three specially leaded crystal vials (5 gold crescent value each). One holds unholy water for the bless spell, one holds human blood for the animate dead spell, and one holds a dried human finger (flesh and bone) for the animate dead spell.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 78 GUARDED CORRIDOR.

78 GUARDED CORRIDOR. This hall is guarded by two of Blaftox's trusted clerics.

Dunbak the Flagellant, Lawful Evil male human Cleric of the Worm God (AC 5; MV 9“; C3; hp 16; #AT 1; D Footman's Flail; SA Spell use; SD Only surprised on a 1, see invisible; S 12, I 11, W 14, D 12, C 15, CH 3(10 to Worm Cultists only); XP 189)

First Level Cleric Spells: 2
Cure Light Wounds (X2), Protection From Good (X2)

Second Level Cleric Spells:
Hold Person

Carbonak the Defiant, Lawful Evil female human Cleric of the Worm God (AC 5; MV 9“; C3; hp 15; #AT 1; D Footman's Mace +1 to damage due to strength; SA Spell use; SD Only surprised on a 1, see invisible; S 16, I 14, W 15, D 13, C 10, CH 3(14 to Worm Cultists only); XP 185)

First Level Cleric Spells: 2
Cure Light Wounds (X2), Light (X2)

Second Level Cleric Spells: 1
Hold Person, Silence, 15' Radius

These clerics wear chain mail armor and great helms, with their worm-like excrescences on their faces clearly visible writhing through the slits of the helm. They each have 11-30 (1d20+10) small gold cylinders and each has a small silver holy symbol like Slosh does (see Room 75).

They each have a small straight piece of iron for the hold person spell and Dunbak has three crystal vials (each worth5 gold crescents) of human blood for the protection from good spell.

Friday, April 22, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 77 WEAPON ROOM.

77 WEAPON ROOM. This room holds weapon racks. A large wooden table is near the north wall.

There are 17 spears, 21 scimitars, and 9 daggers. All are in good condition.

The table holds whetstones, files, and oil for sharpening weapons.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Updating Maps, New Level PDF Expected Soon, Links to Castle Triskelion

I will be fixing the maps to the right. I am creating blogger pages so that the maps should be easier to open. Every time I open up photobucket it takes forever. Now all you will have to do is click on the map and 'view image' on your browser. You should be able to download the maps. Let me know if it isn't working out. All the Upper Dungeons are fixed already.

When I finish this level, there will be a Sublevel 3A, then I'm going to The Grounds, which is like the back yard of the Castle.

& Magazine and I have been working on putting out more pdfs for the Inner Ward. I really appreciate Brian and Handley's work. I realize that they are spending a tremendous amount of their time putting out a free magazine and I hope it is as appreciated by the rest of the OSR (and mainstream RPG) community as much as it is by me. I'll let you know as we get closer to finishing the editing and are ready to post it at & Magazine.

Next, it has been already two months (!) since Jens at Disoriented Ranger sent me a shout out here. Thanks! I appreciate it so much. There are a couple of sites listing megadungeons that have linked me:

http://tikijoegames.blogspot.com/2015/03/mega-dunegon-marchpart-1.html

http://therustybattleaxe.blogspot.com/p/dungeon-links.html

http://quasarknight.blogspot.com/2016/03/a-comprehensive-list-of-megadungeons.html

There's a few more out there. I apologize if I didn't link back to you.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 76 STORAGE ROOM.

76 STORAGE ROOM. This room contains fifty seven wooden crates and twenty six large wooden casks. Most of the crates hold fresh vegetables and fruit, salted and smoked meat and fish, and preserved foods like pickles and jams in glass jars. The casks hold drinkable water. There are easily enough provisions to support a hundred people for three or four months.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 75 CONTEMPLATION ROOM.

75 CONTEMPLATION ROOM. This room was originally used to place for cultists to come and meditate about the greatness of the Worm God, but the gray homespun prayer mats have been placed aside and the room now holds men on guard for trouble and their priest.

6 Orthodox Worm Cultists (AC 5; MV 9"; F1; hp 7, 4, 1, 3, 8, 2; #AT 1; D Scimitar; SD Only surprised on a 1, see invisible; XP 34, 28, 22, 26, 36, 24)

Slosh the Penitent, Lawful Evil male human Cleric of the Worm God (AC 5; MV 9“; C4; hp 20; #AT 1; D Hammer; SA Spell use; SD Only surprised on a 1, see invisible; S 12, I 11, W 14, D 10, C 12, CH 3 (15 to Worm Cultists only); XP 265)

First Level Cleric Spells:
Cause Fear, Command, Darkness

Second Level Cleric Spells:
Resist Fire, Silence, 15' Radius

All of these men wear chain mail armor and have received the Kiss of the Worm God. Each of the fighters carries between 7 and 12 (1d6+6) small gold cylinders, each equivalent in value to a gold crescent. Slosh has 20 such cylinders, a glass vial of mercury stoppered with a cork for the resist fire spell, and a small silver holy symbol of the worm god on a chain around his neck. This appears to be worth 10 gold crescents, but it is cursed. If placed around the neck, it causes blindness in 1d4 rounds unless a saving throw vs poison is made.

The men are seated about a table, and are wary of attacks from the heretics. They are not interested in fighting random adventuring parties, and if they are not immediately attacked and their reaction rolls are high enough, Slosh may bring them to Blaftox in Room 79 in order to enlist the adventurers against the heretics.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 74 ABANDONED SACRISTY.

74 ABANDONED SACRISTY. This room holds numerous wooden tables, spread with heavy gray tablecloths embroidered with worm-related designs. Under one table, hidden by its low-hanging cloth there is a wooden box with an open top holding seven gold rings. These rings are large and resemble napkin rings but are actually used to hold scrolls. Each is worth 70 gold crescents.

Monday, April 18, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 73 CIRCULAR CHAMBER.

73 CIRCULAR CHAMBER. This room looks much like Room 70. The ceiling is about twenty feet at the apex of its dome and there is a large, raised central statue. The room is unlit, however, and the floor is littered with corpses. Two groups appear to have struggled with each other and the bodies suffer from stab wounds and slashing cuts.

Seven of the corpses belong to men and women in heavy gray robes, not unlike those worn by the pilgrims in Room 70. Another five wear chain mail armor and great helms, like the cultists from Room 12, Upper Dungeons Level Two.

Each of the five chain mail wearing cultists has between 7 and 12 small gold cylinders, each worth one gold crescent. They appear to have been armed with scimitars. If their faces are examined, they will show the 'Kiss of the Worm God' stigmata. In death, the worms are not moving, of course.

The seven robe wearing cultists have daggers but wear no armor. Each has 5 to 14 (1d4+10) small gold cylinders. If these bodies are disturbed, however, their mouths will gape wide, and an otherwise quiescent gray wormpawn will slither out of their body. Once one worm has emerged, the others will do so on the next round. 

7 Gray Wormspawn (AC 7; MV 9”; HD 2+1; hp 12, 12, 15, 13, 6, 12, 7; #AT 1 bite; D 1-4; SA Drain blood for 4 hit points per round; XP 86, 86, 95, 89, 68, 86, 71) 

The great gray-painted statue in the center of the room is that of a large muscular man with his face showing worm-like lesions of the face above the mouth, like the 'Kiss of the Worm God'.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 72 WORM GATE.

72 WORM GATE. This portcullis is made of strong iron bars decorated with writhing and crawling worms. One bar is thicker than the others. It holds a key-hole, and if the key is inserted, mechanisms inside will cause the portcullis to raise. It is kept oiled and will not attract wandering monsters. It can also be opened by a knock spell or other magic. If forced (bend bars/lift gates roll) or broken down by force, it will call for an immediate wandering monsters check.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 71 SIDE ROOM.

71 SIDE ROOM. Nine more pilgrims are here, dressed like the ones in Room 70, but they are reclining or resting on rough mats and gray carpets. Four are sorely wounded from battles in the dungeon, two are elderly, and three suffer from chronic diseases. They are hoping from relief from the Worm God.

9 Pilgrims (AC 10; MV 3”; HD 1-6 hit points; hp 1 each; #AT 1; D Dagger; XP -)

Each is so debilitated they strike at -4 on “to hit rolls”.

The room is lit by a hooded lantern. There are seven flasks of oil, nineteen torches, flint and iron with tinder, standard rations to allow forty people to survive for three weeks, several full waterskins, 200 feet of rope, and three iron tithe boxes holding a total of 6 gold crescents, 232 silver spanners, and 624 copper pieces. At the beginning of the journey Arlondon brought fifty pilgrims into the dungeon, but the ones here and in Room 70 are all that are left.

Friday, April 15, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 70 CIRCULAR CHAMBER.

70 CIRCULAR CHAMBER. This large circular room holds about two dozen figures, wearing heavy gray robes which obscure their faces. They are arranged prostrate before the large central statue. The room has a domed ceiling, approaching twenty feet and is well lighted by torches arranged on holders about the circumference.

23 Pilgrims (AC 10; MV 12”; HD 1-6 hit points; hp 6, 2, 1, 4, 3, 6, 5, 3, 6, 1, 3, 5, 6, 1, 6, 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 2; #AT 1; D Dagger; XP 11, 7, 6, 10, 9, 11, 10, 8, 11, 6, 8, 10, 11, 6, 11, 8, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 7)

Arlondon Messwack, Pilgrim Leader, Lawful Evil male human Fighter (AC 5; MV 9”; F4; hp 19, #AT 1; D Long sword +1 to damage due to strength; S 17, I 15, W 13, D 10, C 11, Ch 17; XP 185)

These are men and women who have been recruited by Arlondon Messwack to join the cult. They are strong in their new found belief and willing to fight if attacked. They are all new and have not experienced any of the body modifications earned by other cultists. They have agreed to give all their possessions to the worm cult, so they have no treasure.

Arlondon has a key which allows the gate at Area 72 to open easily. He wears chain armor under his robe and has a belt pouch with 53 gold crescents, 12 silver spanners, and 6 copper pieces. His job is to go out and recruit, thus his high Charisma score. He also has not experienced any worm-related changes to his body, to keep him from being too scary while trying to recruit.

Despite his alignment, he really is not interested in a combat. The trip here is, of course, dangerous, and he has lost several new followers to monsters already. He has arrived very recently and is unaware of the schism currently taking place within the cult. He also doesn't know about the harpies that have taken control of the chapel area (Rooms 62 to 69).

The central statue is raised on a pedestal. It is gray stone and has the torso of a man and the lower body of a great snake or worm. It's head is devoid of expression, except for three mouths, located at equidistant points each one third of the way around the head. It has three large muscular human arms, with two in the normal position and a third projecting out of the back.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 69 SECRET ROOM.

69 SECRET ROOM. The walls of this room are decorated with bas-relief stonework of men with no facial features except mouths. In the center of the room is a stone table supporting the body of a mummified man strapped to the table by metal braces. Another stone table is against the north wall, holding treasures.

The body is that of Karnath Zhul, once an important member of the Worm Cult. He tried to splinter the group away from the leadership of Ormond Triskelion a generation ago. He was defeated and imprisoned. For his heresy, he was mummified alive so that he could never be returned to the earth to be consumed by and reborn as a worm, the greatest punishment available to the twisted logic of the Worm Cult.

Karnath is currently only a corpse, and a badly treated one at that. His desiccated body shows signs of burn marks, and areas where the skin was removed from the underlying muscle. His head is covered by a metal stylized mask of a man screaming. He does not have the traditional mummy-like wrappings, however. He can be awakened to act as a mummy if the Gray Tear is placed into a small cone-shaped cavity in his chest. If this is performed he will serve the one who awakened him, though he can never regain hit points if wounded and he will turn to dust if brought to 0 hit points or if exposed to sunlight.

Karnath Zhul (AC 3; MV 6”; HD 6+3; hp 39; #AT 1; D 1-12; SA Fear, paralyzation, disease; SD Limited spell immunity; XP 1462)

The stone table against the north wall holds cult objects: a gold staff with a twist to its head like a shepherd's crook (meant to resemble a striking worm) worth 1000 gold crescents, an intricate silver and ivory arm band resembling twisting worm-like creatures worth 800 gold crescents, and a gold chalice (100 gold crescents) full of the gray liquid that brings the Kiss of the Worm God (see Room 63).



Wednesday, April 13, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 68 PUZZLE STATUE.

68 PUZZLE STATUE. This short passage ends in a gray stone statue of a man holding a book in front of him. Inscribed on the stony open pages of the book are the words: “NOURISH YOUR HATRED AND IT WILL SERVE YOU”. About his neck is a stone-worked version of the gray tear (see Room 92)

On the north wall, there are letters arranged in a 6 X 6 grid. If the letters 'H', 'A', 'T', 'R', 'E', and 'D' are pushed in that order, the secret door to Room 69 will open.




Tuesday, April 12, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 67 HIDEOUSLY TRAPPED STATUE.

67 HIDEOUSLY TRAPPED STATUE. A large statue is at the end of this short corridor. As the corridor is approached, the sickening smell of rotting flesh becomes almost unbearable.

The gray-painted stone statue is tall, about eight feet, and that of a muscular man in ornate armor. Four wicked looking scythe-like claws extend from his sides, like great legs of a scorpion or spider. Its eyes are rubies. A demonic-appearing face is working into the chest and abdomen of the statue, and a twitching pair of harpy legs extend from the horribly fanged mouth.

The statue is an obviously sprung trap, having caught the harpy. She is now a zombie, and will emerge from the maw of the chest-face.

Harpy Zombie (AC 8; MV 6”; HD 4; hp 18; #AT 2 claws and 1 weapon; D 1-3/1-3 and short sword; SA Always lose initiative; SD Limited spell immunity; XP 132)

She can be turned, any roll that would affect three zombies will also be effective against her.

The statue is trapped in two places. The eyes are real rubies (1500 gold crescents each), but if they are touched, the scythe-like claws of the statue will clamp shut, attacking as a fifth level fighter. If they strike, they will do 1d12+6 points of damage. The tongue of the chest face is painted bright gold and this attracted the harpy to her doom. Anyone who reaches in to investigate it must save versus paralyzation or the jaws will extend out(!) and crush down for 1d10+10 points of damage.


Monday, April 11, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 66 STATUE AND TREASURE.

66 STATUE AND TREASURE. This short passage terminates in a gray statue resembling a writhing worm wrapped around a sword. Four corpses are here. One is a twilight dwarf, while the other three are gnolls. All show signs of having been fed upon (by the harpies) recently. The harpies keep their treasure in an untidy pile: 376 copper pieces, 222 silver crescents, 543 gold crescents, 85 Sealean copper zithers, 18 Sealean silver harps, a gold ring worth 350 gold crescents , a silver plate with an embossed head of a griffin valued at 100 gold crescents , and a silver scroll case worth 55 gold crescents. 

 

Sunday, April 10, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 65 CHAPEL UPPER LEVEL.

65 CHAPEL UPPER LEVEL. This upper level consists of a 'U' shaped walkway supported by very thin pillars and guarded by a bannister. It gives an excellent view of Room 62 and can only be reached from the Lower Chapel by the two sets of stairs. The floor of the Upper Chapel is fifteen feet above the Lower Chapel. The three passages beyond the archways can only be seen from this upper level.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 64 HARPIES' CHARMED SLAVES.

64 HARPIES' CHARMED SLAVES. Three men are here, victims of the harpies' charm ability. The harpies have been torturing them (see lowered hit points) and are going to eat them soon. If a party fights with the harpies in Room 62, but do not defeat them, the harpies are 75% likely to command these men the guard them against a repeat attack and move them to Room 62. If all three harpies have been killed before these men have been encountered, the men will be freed of the charm, otherwise they will resist violently those who try to take them away from the harpies, who they believe are sweet nymphs that they are in love with.

Gaucho, Jungo, and Caldomar, male human men-at-arms (AC 10; MV 12”; HD 4 to 7 hit points; hp 2, 1, 1, (normally 7, 5, 5); #AT 1; D By weapon type; XP 7, 6, 6 (normally 12, 10, 10))

Gaucho is Chaotic Neutral and wields a long sword. Jungo is Chaotic Good and has a spear and a dagger. Caldomar is Lawful Evil and has a military fork. They have given all their money to the harpies.

Friday, April 8, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 63 STATUE GALLERY.

63 STATUE GALLERY. This short hall is joined to the main chapel by impressive arches carved with squirming stonework worms, serpent-like beasts, and multi-armed monstrosities somewhat resembling octopoid life seen through the eyes of a demented sculptor. The three free-standing statues within the alcoves are similarly bizarre, each painted gray and resembling a Triskelion statue, complete with Phrygian cap and normal style of rainment, but having disturbing differences.

The face of the north statue is a mass of feelers, tentacles, or worms instead of normal features from above the mouthy extending to the forehead. The hands are arranged in front, cupping a bowl of pale gray syrupy liquid. If any amount of this fluid is consumed, the imbiber must save versus poison receive the blessing known as the kiss of the worm god, a disease that will slowly cause polyps to grow from the face until the eyes and nose have been completely replaced by moving worm-like growths. The recipients of this blessing are known as 'Kissed by the Worm God'. They will be blinded but become super-sensitive to their surroundings in other ways. They will only be surprised on a 1 (in 6), can see invisible, and have their Charisma score immediately drop to 3 (except to worm cultists, for whom their charisma score improves by 1). A side effect is that the blind Kissed are now more sensitive to sound-based attacks, including the harpies' song, and make saving throws at -4 against them. It can be reversed by a cure disease spell if cast be a cleric of at least 10th level requiring holy water prepared by a gold or platinum receptacle as an additional material component.

The central statue holds a sharp sickle made of gold and black iron. The face appears to have a malevolent smile. It is trapped, and if approached a pressure plate two feet from the base of the statue will cause it to swing the sickle at the place where a person would be two feet from its chest. This attacks as a fifth level fighter and does 1d8+2 damage with a successful strike. The sickle can be removed if the stone fingers are broken. It is worth 500 gold crescents for its gold and craftsmanship.

The south statue has its head completely replaced by a long sinuous gray pseudopod or tongue-like structure. This is actually a great gray sacred worm occupying the hollowed out body of the statue. It will be still until approached.

Gray Worm (AC 5; MV 9”; HD 6+1; hp 31; #AT 1 constrict; D 2-8; SA Constriction; XP 473)

It is capable of crawling out of its home within the statue. It can constrict in the same way as a giant constrictor snake but it will not attack those who have the kiss of the worm god.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 62 CHAPEL LOWER LEVEL.

62 CHAPEL LOWER LEVEL. This room is one of the most sacred to the worm cultists and is a site of important rituals. It has been recently been occupied by three harpies. The worm cultists are planning on driving them out, when they get their succession issues resolved.

The harpies will begin singing when they notice the adventurers. They prefer to reside in the Upper Chapel (described as Room 65), and will wait as entranced adventurers climb the steep stairs fifteen feet up in order to deal with them. If this technique proves unsuccessful, they will engage the party in combat, attempting to touch and charm adventurers if possible.

Harpy 1 (AC 7; MV 6”/15”; HD 3; hp 17; #AT 2 claws and 1 weapon; D 1-3/1-3 and by weapon type; SA Singing & charm, missile weapon; XP 211)

Harpy 2 (AC 7; MV 6”/15”; HD 3; hp 14; #AT 2 claws and 1 weapon; D 1-3/1-3 and by weapon type; SA Singing & charm; XP 187)

Harpy 3 (AC 7; MV 6”/15”; HD 3; hp 13; #AT 2 claws and 1 weapon; D 1-3/1-3 and by weapon type; SA Singing & charm, missile weapon; XP 199)

These harpies have blue hair and purple-gray feathers. Their talons are bright yellow and their skin is dull gray. The first harpy has a short sword, a short bow and a quiver with six arrows and two arrows +1. The second has a scimitar and the third has a cleaver (treat as hand axe), a short bow and quiver with five arrows.

This room smells foul and the floor is littered with excrement, bones, and offal. The slightly arched ceiling is thirty feet high and radiates an unpleasant dull gray light that is enough to see by although it is uncomfortable the eyes, causing a dull ache after a few minutes. The two sets of steep stairs lead up fifteen feet to the Upper Chapel, as mentioned above. The walkways of Room 65 overlook the center of this room and are supported by numerous pillars. An additional eight pillars are present in the center of the room, reaching to the ceiling.

The walls are made of the same raised stucco-like substance with weird spiral designs found throughout the Church of the Worm. When not viewed directly, they appear to writhe and wriggle in a disquieting way.

The dais in the north portion of the room has an ornate gong with a hanging mallet. Behind the dais are scattered weapons and possessions belonging to doomed adventurers: a falchion, two longswords, three daggers, a lucern hammer, three normal shields, and scraps of armor. The stairs from the south ascend twenty five feet to Room 68 of Level 2.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 62 TO 97 CHURCH OF THE GRAY WORM.

62 To 97 CHURCH OF THE GRAY WORM. The style of this area is different from the rest of the level. Archways, lintels, and doors are decorated with intertwined gray-painted designs resembling worms. The walls are made of an irregular raised white substance like stucco, shaped into spiral designs.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 61 SLOPING PASSAGE.

61 SLOPING PASSAGE. This wide corridor slopes down at a slight grade to the west. It slopes down fifty feet over one thousand feet of corridor, giving it a a grade of 0.05, and it can only be detected by gnomes, dwarves, etc. using their ability to notice grades and slopes. It leads to the Twilight Dwarves' Sublevels “House of Air” and “House of Earth”.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 60 SECRET ROOM.

60 SECRET ROOM. The secret door to this room is quite cunningly concealed from the great corridor. Most characters will half only half the normal chance of spotting it. Thus elves, for example, have only a 1 in 12 chance of spotting it as they walk by, or a 1 in 6 chance if actively searching for it. Dwarves, however, have a 1 in 6 chance of noticing it if they walk by, or a 2 in 6 chance if actively searching.

The mechanism for opening it involves a hidden switch inside one of the eyesockets of the monstrous faces that line the corridor. Once triggered, the door will move in and ascend due to a system of pulleys. This is fairly quiet, but will take several segments, giving the occupants of Room 60 plenty of warning. Thus, the four twilight dwarves within this room will not be surprised under normal circumstances.

Lorfleet Thungerbarbs (AC 5; MV 6”; F4; hp 18; #AT 1; D Broad sword or dagger; S 15, I 14, W 11, D 9, C 15, Ch 9; XP 180)

Lorfleet carries 14 gold mabans, 7 electrum lugdushes, 18 silver khurams, and 56 copper ganes.

3 Twilight Dwarf Guards (AC 5; MV 6”; F2; hp 7, 12, 8; #AT 1; D Footman's military pick or dagger; XP 56, 71, 59)

Each guard has both a pick and a dagger. Each carries 0-7 (1d8-1) mabans, 0-9 (1d10-1) lugdushes, 0-19 (1d20-1) khurams, and 1d100 ganes.

These guards are neutral in alignment and are not apt to act violently, unless attacked or the party includes obviously monstrous beings. They are here to guard the mines of the Twilight Dwarves, but are also open for trade with wealthy adventurers. If the party does not attack them, they will be willing to guide them down Corridor 61 to the caverns of the dwarves.

Against the north wall is a winch and crank system that opens the massive door at Area 59. It has not been used in the last three years.

Monday, April 4, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 59 TWILIGHT GATE.

59 TWILIGHT GATE. These massive double doors are made entirely out of steel and lead and reach all the way to the fourteen foot tall ceiling. They are decorated with magic runes which read 'TWILIGHT GATE'. They can be read by any dwarf, elf, gnome, magic-user, or illusionist (100% chance). A thief, assassin, or bard can read them if he or she makes a 'Read Languages' special function roll.

The doors are four feet thick and so heavy and artfully made that it would require great strength, mass, and /or ability to move them, such as that of multiple giants, titans, earth elementals, stone or iron golems, or very large dragons. A maul of the titans employed by a person of at least 21 strength and used repeatedly, a chime of opening, or certain artifacts could also open it. A good guide for attempts to break it down can be found on page 109 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, treating this structure as twice as strong as 'Hard Rock' and having a defensive point value of 45. Attempts to batter the door, however, make a huge amount of noise and call for immediate and subsequently frequent random encounters rolls.

Teleport and dimension door would work, but attempts at most types of scrying will be blocked by the lead built into its structure. It is not locked or barred, so knock spells and such will not be effective. It is up to the Dungeon Master to adjudicate attempts to open the door, but it will be clear to most that even the combined strength and mass of a typical adventuring party is not capable of performing the feat.

The twilight dwarves use a complicated system of pulleys and levers built in to the walls surrounding the door to open it quite easily. The mechanism for doing so is found in Room 60.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Saturday, April 2, 2016

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL THREE 57 LONG PASSAGE.

57 LONG PASSAGE. This corridor travels about three miles, where it meets Room 57 in the fourth dungeon level of the Red Keep (see the Grounds).

Friday, April 1, 2016