Six months down and over half-way there, and we are still going! For July we return to the Found Tombs of Arvakaten to see what terrors are lurking on level four of the mega-dungeon crypt-complex.
The Found Tombs of Arvakaten, Level Four
The Room of Maps (#1/31; #182/365)
"This is a dusty chamber with complicated inscriptions covering all four walls. In the centre of the room, heaped with dust and sand, is some sort of stone slab with a very uneven surface. The room did not appear to be inhabited when you entered it, but now a weird glowing figure is materializing above the stone slab, and floating towards you, pointing at you with claw-like fingers and muttering a in language you do not understand."
Contents: The figure is a GREATER SPECTRE, the undying guardian of Ymhu-Tepris the Map-Keeper, who will attack immediately, unless the Heroes can communicate with him in Djaratian and/or offer him maps. Ymhu-Tepris loves maps, especially ones he has never seen before, and will trade information and safe passage through this room for quality maps.
This is a map room, with the geometric designs on the walls actually depicting maps of the various levels of the Found Tombs (Test versus Secret Signs or Djaratian to realise this). How complete and accurate these maps are, is up to the Director to decide. If the sand and dust is cleared from the slab, it will appear to be a three-dimensional topographic map, actually depicting what this area looked like in Irritarian times, during the hey-day of the Djaratian civilisation (again, Test versus Secret Signs or Djaratian to realise this). This could obviously be very valuable to scholars (or tomb-robbers) in showing them potentially unexplored Djaratian ruins in the area, among other uses.
Stats:
Yhmu-Tepris, a GREATER SPECTRE: SKILL 10, STAMINA 14, 2 Attacks, Large Claw. Only wounded by magical weapons. Immune to normal and silver weapons. Anyone wounded by the Spectre will lose 1 SKILL point at the end of the battle on a roll of 1-5, assuming they survive.
In a secret compartment under the stone slab is an ancient papyrus magical Scroll of Mapping; Yhmu-Tepris will give this as a reward for especially interesting maps.
An Evil Wizard's Lair? (#2/31; #183/365)
"This chamber is dank and dusty, but, surprisingly, lit by a solitary torch bracketed to the wall. There is some simple wooden furniture here - a bed, a table, and a chair. On the table are a number of scrolls, a book, and a quill and inkwell, while under the bed is a box of some sort. Sitting in the chair is a ragged figure that looks up at your approach, with wild hair and beard, and reddish eyes, they may well have been human once. They begin to rise at your approach, their hands, loosely manacled, gesturing in your direction, while you also notice they are chained to their bed. Glowing light begins to form around their hands, but the figure is strangely shaking their head, looking fearful, and mouthing something you can't quite make out. It sounds like 'Help me'?"
Contents: The figure is Gzeld Stormbringer, once a promising wizard of the Pellod Spellcasters' Guild, but now a captive-puppet of the evil Lich-Lord Arvakaten of the Sable Pavilion. Unless the Heroes can break the chains and manacles, or yell out their peaceful intentions, Gzeld will attack them with all his spells, especially Lighting Blast.
If the Heroes do not attack, Gzeld will relate his sorry tale: he thought he was being rewarded with a sabbatical pilgrimage deep underground to the Palace of the Skull to learn secret Necromancy for his help in ridding the guild of Old Giblin the Sage. Instead he was set up by the Guildmaster Aldrag the Potent (and his co-conspirator, the Caarth Vessistra of the Rogues' Guild), who maintained contact with Arvakaten from his "dungeon wizard" days, taken to the Found Tombs, and controlled by Arvakaten's Amulet of Domination.
Unbeknownst to Aldrag however, Arvakaten has recently grown tired of lurking in tombs and desires new conquests. Hence, after capturing Gzeld and confiscating his firepowder pistol, he energetically set about learning all the wizard's secrets about this new firepowder technology. Once Arvakaten's undead hordes are armed and trained with firepowder weapons, he plans an epic campaign against the surface towns and cities!
If freed, Gzeld will desire to slay Arvakaten, if possible, reclaim his weapons, and return to the surface to take his revenge upon Aldrag!
Stats:
Gzeld Stormbringer, Human Male Wizard, 27 years old
SKILL: 7
STAMINA: 10
LUCK: 10
MAGIC: 7 (Magic Points: 18)
Talents: Attuned
Special Skills: Common Speech (Allansian) 4, Firepowder Weapons 2, Djaratian 2, Magic-Wizardry 2, Awareness 1, Brawling 1, City Lore 1, Magic Lore 1, Monster Lore 1, Religion Lore 1, Second Sight 1, Secret Signs 1, Undead Lore 1, World Lore 1
Spells: Weather Control (4), Lightning Blast (4), Counterspell (2), Force Bolt (2), Levitate (2), Darkness (1), Flash! (1), Light (1), Ignite (1), Thunder (1)
Weapon: Dagger
Armour: None
Notes: Has 2d6 GP in his pockets, but no other treasure. On the table are his Spellbook, and several blank scrolls, a quill and ink-well for writing down secrets of fire powder weapons with Arvakaten.
Nice!
ReplyDeleteThanks Stuart!
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