The Final Four Portals

The Fourth Portal (#23/31; #235/365)

"This hemispherical chamber with a slime-dripping stained tiled ceiling has an immense bronze portal at the far end, surrounded by an archway covered in Djaratian inscriptions. In front of the portal, the entire chamber is taken up with a pool of stinking yellow slime, with a narrow ledge running around both sides of the pool. Lounging amidst the slime is a grotesquely obese blubbery creature, whose toad-like head is covered multiple eyes while its body is studded with long spines. On seeing you, a tail bearing a poisonous sting rises from the slime, and two huge clawed pincer-like forearms shoot out suddenly on either side!"

Contents: The guardian of the Fourth Portal is a MUTANT BLOODBEAST that will attack anyone in this chamber. The portal can of course only be opened with a Bronze Key. The inscriptions describe the fourth portal as belonging to M'Stanque, the Spirit of the Delta Swamps, the Djaratian aspect of the God Vurrk (see Rough Guide to the Pit, p. 48).

Bloodbeasts are a hideous melange of various creatures, possibly using Marrangha Magic or a similar arcane process, with multiple eyes, a toad-like face, a long pink tongue, a spine-covered body and a barbed tail. Mutant Bloodbeasts are a thankfully rare but even more powerful variant, with a much larger tail and venomous sting, as well as immense clawed forearms bearing scorpion-like pincers!

Anyone fighting the Mutant Bloodbeast on the ledge around the pool must Test their Skill every time they lose an Attack Round. If they are unsuccessful, they have fallen into the disgusting yellow acid of the pool. This causes 1-3 STAMINA damage per Attack Round, plus a further 1-3 STAMINA damage once they are out of the pool unless they spend an entire Attack Round wiping it off. To get out of the pool requires them to successfully Test their Skill every Attack Round until they are successful.

The acrid vapours given off by the slime in the pool are toxic. Every Attack Round anyone not wearing nose plugs or nose filters must Test their Stamina on four dice to avoid being knocked out by the gas. Failure indicates they have collapsed, and if they are on a ledge, fallen straight into the pool. Victims at either portal platform can Test their Luck to see if they fall by the door or into the pool.

Stats:

MUTANT BLOODBEAST, SKILL 14 STAMINA 14, 4 Attacks, Very Large Claws, Tongue (Test versus Skill to avoid being entangled and dragged into the acid), Venomous Sting (Double Damage if hits), Heavy Armour. An opponent who hits may Test their Luck to hit the creature's real eyes and cause double damage. However, if they are Unlucky they are automatically entangled by the Tongue attack. If the Tongue is cut off with a successful hit, the Mutant Bloodbeast will continue to attack with its Large Bite. Anyone who successfully hits the creature loses 1 STAMINA point due to the vicious spines that stud the creature's warty hide.

The Fifth Portal (#24/31; #236/365)

"This cuboidal chamber has walls of stucco and plaster, caked in dust and grime, and has an immense bronze portal at the far end, surrounded by an archway covered in Djaratian inscriptions. In front of the portal stands its guardian, a huge shaggy-haired black beast with blazing red eyes and a mouth full of gleaming fangs. With a dog-like snarl, it leaps towards you, mouth agape!"

Contents: The guardian of the Fifth Portal is the GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD, a mythic beast from Djaratian legend, charged with overseeing the way to the underworld and protecting the tombs of the lost and fallen, that will attack anyone in this chamber. The portal can of course only be opened with a Bronze Key. The inscriptions describe the fifth portal as belonging to Xlay-Yaw, a demonic hound with a variable number of heads, that watched the Black Door to the Lands of the Dead.

Stats:

GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD, SKILL 10 STAMINA 10, 2 Attacks, Very Large Bite, Light Armour, +2 to the Damage Roll. Only wounded by magical weapons.

The creature has a golden collar, studded with diamonds and emeralds worth 200GP.

The Sixth Portal (#25/31; #237/365)

"This expansive square chamber is tiled with crumbling terracotta, and has an immense bronze portal at the far end, surrounded by an archway covered in Djaratian inscriptions. From the ceiling rains a flood of golden droplets, so deft of touch to inspire confusion as to whether they are droplets of fluid or light.  In front of the portal stands its bizarre guardian, a muscular humanoid covered in red dust, with a ragged mane and the grossly warped facial features of a lion. The creature lurches towards you, waving a curved obsidian sword of some description."

Contents: The guardian of the Sixth Portal is the EATER OF HEARTS that will attack anyone in this chamber. The portal can of course only be opened with a Bronze Key. The inscriptions describe the sixth portal as belonging to Xoth-Ra, lesser fiend and younger brother of Amit-Ra, The Great Consumer.

The golden rain from the ceiling creates a permanent anti-spell field in this chamber. No spells may be cast, of any type including Psionics, including those read aloud from Spellbooks or Scrolls, however, all other magical items and effects will still be functional.

Stats:

EATER OF HEARTS, SKILL 12 STAMINA 15, 2 Attacks, Khopesh, Light Armour, +1 to the Damage Roll. If the Eater of Hearts rolls a double 6, it has disemboweled its victim with a torso strike and removed their heart for further consumption. If the heart is later consumed, the slain victim can never be resurrected. The Eater of Hearts is only wounded by silver or enchanted weapons.

The jagged obsidian khopesh with the gold hilt is actually a Sword of Slaying Humans, and can only be used by evil folk. Good Heroes who hold the weapon suffer 1 STAMINA point damage per Attack Round due to demonic burns. If the weapon can be safely contained it is worth 100-600GP to a collector of Djaratian antiquities.

The Seventh Portal (#26/31; #238/365)

"This long rectangular chamber with crumbling, plastered walls stained with filth, has an immense bronze portal at the far end, surrounded by an archway covered in Djaratian inscriptions. From the ceiling rains a flood of golden droplets, so deft of touch to inspire confusion as to whether they are droplets of fluid or light. In front of the portal stands its hideous guardian, with the head of a ferocious lion, but the long scaly body of some sort of lizard or crocodile, whose twitching tail terminates in an evil barb. It advanced slowly towards you, snarling while its fangs catch the light and glimmer evilly."

Contents: The guardian of the Seventh Portal is the DEVOURER OF SOULS that will attack anyone in this chamber. The portal can of course only be opened with a Bronze Key. The inscriptions describe the seventh portal and final portal as belonging to Muth-Ra, lesser fiend and younger brother of Amit-Ra, The Great Consumer.

The golden rain from the ceiling creates a permanent anti-spell field in this chamber. No spells may be cast, of any type including Psionics, including those read aloud from Spellbooks or Scrolls, however, all other magical items and effects will still be functional.

Stats:

DEVOURER OF SOULS, SKILL 10 STAMINA 14, 3 Attacks, Very Large Bite and Claws, Heavy Armour, +1 to Damage Roll. If the Devourer of Souls rolls a double for its Attack Strength it has wounded one of its assailants with its barbed tail and they must lose 1 SKILL and 2 STAMINA points as their life force is drained away. These points are added to the Devourer of Soul's current SKILL and STAMINA scores. The Devourer of Souls is only wounded by silver or enchanted weapons.