Death flits by on fluttering grey wings...

Mausoleum of the Moth Goddess (#26/30, #269/365)

"Through the gourd-stools and the baobab-shrooms you see a ruined building of grey stone. It is a large rectangular structure at the front, while the rear has an enormous domed hive-like shape, with many circular entrances. There is also an entry-portal at ground level, flanked with carved fluted pillars, but apparently unguarded."

Contents: This is the tomb of Ymphos the Moth Goddess, who is not actually dead, but instead imprisoned in a giant stone cocoon after losing a wager with Hammurabi, Lord of the Flies. The mausoleum is maintained by a devoted cadre of lepidopteran allies of all descriptions, insect pilgrims who have travelled across the Planes by means unknown to pay tribute to their sleeping nocturnal deity. The tomb consists of the following chambers:

a) Entry Chamber: This contains a laterite slab, upon which rests a glass dome full of STORM BUTTERFLIES. If the dome is lifted up, the SWARM of butterflies will attack.

b) Side Chamber: This chamber is full of Foul Weed and exotic fungi. 2-12 GIANT BUTTERFLIES of various colours will be here. They will attack if not placated with reptilian or part-reptilian prey. 3-18 Foul Weeds can be harvested here; for fungi, see the Random Fungi Creator!

c) Side Chamber: This chamber contains a rusty iron cage, within which is a SNAKE'S HEAD FRITILLARY, which will attack if freed.

d) Antechamber: This large hall had a square hole in the roof, through which 3-18 GIANT MOTHS fly out at dusk and return at dawn. Otherwise they will rest here, but only attack if attacked or their cocoons are tampered with. There will be 2-12 cocoons here; each cocoon can be harvested for enough silk to make a silk rope, but requires a Test for Luck. If the harvester is unlucky, the cocoon has burst, spraying poisonous liquid that causes 1-6 STAMINA points damage.

e) Tomb Hive: This tall domed chamber is pierced with irriegular holes, through which 4-24 MOTH MEN fly out at dusk and return at dawn. Otherwise they will rest here and attack all who enter, unless the Heroes can communicate they are here to free the Moth Goddess from her containment.

In front of the cocoon are the offerings left by MOTH MEN: 83GP, 12 Obsidian Chips (worth 1GP each), two Red Jewels (20GP each), a vial of silver Rust Bane, and a Gold-Backed Mirror.

The Cocoon is an enormous stone cylinder, some ten metres long and irregularly braced with rib-like supporting structures. It cannot be opened by any means, and is completely impervious to damage. The only way to open it (which needs to be discovered by copious research), is the use a blast of energy from the Eye of J'hai, the Watching Tyrant, an obscure relic of an even more obscure demigod.

If the cocoon is opened with the Eye, it will crack and collapse, revealing an enormous moth with wings of black, blue and purple - this is the Moth Goddess Ymphos. She will grant a wish (see the Ring of Wishes, Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 127) to whoever used the Eye to free her. Ymphos will then prise the top from the hive, which is revealed to have a lid, and fly out into the heavens, no doubt seeking leisurely vengeance upon Hammurabi.

Stats:

MOTH MAN, SKILL 7 STAMINA 7, Small Bite. (See Return to the Pit, p. 134)

GIANT MOTH, SKILL 7 STAMINA 10, Small Bite. Always attack with Surprise, but take double damage from fire. (See Beyond the Pit, p. 89)

GIANT BUTTERFLY, SKILL 5 STAMINA 3, Small Bite, 1 Damage. The Giant Butterfly attacks with its acidic proboscis; each hit causes 1 STAMINA damage with no Armour Roll allowed.On Titan, Giant Butterflies are known from the vicinity of the Riddling Reaver's manse, in southern Allansia, where they feed on tiny yellow Tyrannosauruses.

SNAKE'S HEAD FRITILLARY, SKILL 8 STAMINA 8, Small Bite. Poison in bite causes loss of 1 SKILL for every successful bite. The Snake's Head Fritillary has the wings and body of a beautiful Giant Butterfly and the neck and head of a venomous Serpent.

SWARM of STORM BUTTERFLIES, SKILL 7 STAMINA 7, Wind blast: Anyone who loses an Attack Round to the Swarm will be knocked about for 2-7 STAMINA damage by howling winds. Anyone attacking the Swarm must deduct 1 from their Attack Strength. (See Return to the Pit, p. 192)