June: Week Three

 Welcome dungeoneers, to another full week of dangerous chambers for your players to explore and exploit. This week brings with it rooms filled with ancient knowledge, royal grandeur, and weird science! You will read about an arcane altar of ice, a chamber lit by a glowing forcefield, and the lapping shores of an ancient chthonic sea! If you want to get reacquainted with this level, check out week one. If your looking for a cool idea for your game's new antagonists, check out this article on brigands. 

Week Three

6/18: The Empty Room

This carved stone room is 45’ wide by 40’ long with 20’ tall ceilings. The walls show the myriad tool marks of countless chisels and picks. An errant stepladder about six feet long leans against the western wall next to two silk pillows and a couple of empty ration jars. The smell of perfume hangs in the air.

• North: A 10’ wide hallway with 20’ tall ceilings connects this chamber to the vaulted hallway to the north that runs perpendicular. There appears to be holes drilled into the sides of the entrance hallway where it meets the vaulted hall, a clear indication that doors once stood here. 
• South: On the southern wall, another 10’ wide hallway connects this chamber to room 6/19.
• East: A wooden door separates this room from a long hallway that leads to the east before connecting to room 6/21.
• West: The wall on the western side of the room has a hole in it from where water has eroded away a natural tunnel that now extends from the western wall of this room to cave 6/23. This tunnel is roughly five feet in diameter, forcing human-sized creatures to crawl if they wish to proceed down the tunnel.

6/19: A Residence

This 40’ by 45’ room is made of polished limestone with 20’ tall ceilings that have been painted to look like a trellis covered in vines. The walls have all been painted in idyllic woodland scenes. The chamber is split lengthwise by a thin stone wall with a doorway in it. The western room has a wall covered in rusted iron chains, and each of the eight lengths of chain are fashioned to the wall by an iron cleat. The eastern room contains a bedroom of sorts, with a large carved stone resting platform with stone headrests. The bedroom also contains two exquisitely carved wooden chairs, two small round tables with empty ceramic oil lamps, and a small credenza. The doorway that splits the chamber looks to have once held a door, though that is nowhere to be seen now.

• North: On the northern wall, a 10’ wide hallway connects this chamber to room 6/18.
• South: On the southern wall, a 10’ wide corridor links this room to chamber 6/20.
• The Credenza: The credenza contains a pile of moldy, moth-eaten silk clothes, a beautiful yellow-gold and platinum necklace with interlocking hoops of gold and platinum (600 gp), a ring of carved ivory (250 gp), a ring of silver with a yellow topaz set in it (400 gp), and a ring of yellow-gold with small chips of amethyst, green jade, and red carnelian set all over the top of it (Ring of Telekinesis).
• The Chains: Each length of chain is approximately 10 feet long and has a manacle attached at the end. The chains are rusty, but most are still strong.

6/20: The Main Residence

This polished limestone chamber is 45’ by 40’ with 20’ tall ceilings. The entire room has been painted a dark but inviting shade of green. This chamber has been separated into smaller rooms by two small stone walls, much like room 6/19. The first room one comes across when entering from the north is a simple entrance room with an altar in the corner made of magically preserved ice. The slab is shiny with ancient of dried blood.

Through the wide doorway to the south is the other room, a beautifully appointed bedroom. There is an ancient faded green chaise lounge next to a small table with an empty ceramic oil lamp resting atop it. In the back corner there is a stone resting platform with stone headrests. Next to it is a beautifully carved wooden chair and table like the ones in room 6/19. On the wall directly opposite the norther corridor is a set of two iron chains attached to the wall by iron cleats.

• North: A 10’ wide hallway on this wall connects this chamber to chamber 6/19.
• East: On the eastern side of the room is an iron-banded wooden door. The door appears to be stuck, but in actuality the doorknob is false. The door itself actually opens on the opposite end than what the knob’s placement appears to indicate. If one takes a closer look at the door, one can notice the nails on the door are all countersunk, except one nail that juts out a little in the top right corner of the door. If that nail head is pressed in, a click will emanate from the door and it will pop open. A footswitch on the wall of the corridor concealed behind the door opens it from the other side.
• The Chains: Each length of chain is approximately 10 feetlong and has a manacle attached at the end. The chains are rusty, but most are still strong.
• The Altar: The altar is made of a slab of magically preserved ice. Mist constantly billows off the top and rolls down the sides of the altar. Atop it sits a jagged black iron candelabra with two jet black candles nestled on it, a silver bell (100 gp), and the bronze holy symbol of the fire demon Aghlakak. Any spell cast within 10 feet of the altar is cast as though the caster were two levels higher than they actually are.

6/21: The Hall of Kings

This long, polished limestone room is 25’ wide by 80’ long with 40’ tall ceilings. The length of the room is dominated by seven granite statues of ferocious tiger-headed humanoids with backwards facing hands. The northernmost statue is twice the size of the others. All the statues are accompanied by bronze placards with odd demonic script written on them.

• South: A small hallway on the southern wall leads to a locked stone door to room 6/22.
• West: A 75-foot-long corridor on the northern end of the western wall connects this chamber to room 6/19.
• The Statues: Starting on the northern end of the room and working down the statues are:
• Rakshasa the Great. The Demon King, he from whom the Great Race take their name. Blessings of fire be upon him.
• Wearing baggy pants and riding boots with a long coat over them. Rakshasa is wearing a baldric with a wicked looking sword strapped to it (the blade resembles the Ghoul Seed in room 5/29.), diadem that resembles a crown of ferns, and a necklace studded with eight rubies (500 gp each.)
• Zurkonai Redtooth. The Wall Breaker, he that sailed a sea of blood at Aknar. Blessings of fire be upon him.
• Wearing similar clothes to Rakshasa with a large sash across his waist and a turban, Zurkonai has two serpentine daggers in his backwards hands and a large tome strapped to his back. He too wears the diadem of ferns.
• Jamresh Ash Lord. The Conqueror, he who fashioned an empire of iron and blood. Blessings of fire be upon him.
• Wearing flowing robes and a long cloak with a wide sash round his middle, Jamresh holds an orb in his left hand while his right rests upon the hilt of a long sword. He wears a crown with spikes over top of his diadem of ferns.
• Ultiponai The Wicked. The Scourger, he who made a meal of his rivals. Blessings of fire be upon him.
• Wearing long baggy pants, a long shirt, and a short cape, Ultiponai wears a baldric with a wide triangular dagger attached to it and wields a scourge with seven whips. He wears a crown of spikes with patterns of ferns beaten into it.
• Faraq Slave Binder. The Iron Lord, he who broke the enemy upon his wheel. Blessings of fire be upon him.
• Wearing billowy pants, a long robe, and a wide sash, Faraq wears a harness with many daggers strapped to it and a turban. Over top of the turban is a crown of spikes with patterns of ferns beaten into it.
• Baidasa Twist Talker. The Blood Drinker, he who bound the Gesh of Tibor and made of them his fodder. Blessings of fire be upon him.
• Wearing billowy pants, a long shirt, and a thin sash with an overcoat over top of everything, Baidasa holds a rod with a tiger head at the end in his left hand and an orb in his right. He also wears the same crown of spikes with fern patterns on it. If the rod in the statue’s hand is twisted, a small, concealed compartment in the statue’s back will open, revealing a small sack of 20 quarter-inch sized rubies each worth 200 gp.
• Qorlimesh Fire Friend. The Axe of the Demon, he who burned the towers of Liggak and rent the realms of Togrash twain. Blessings of fire be upon him.
• Wearing close-cut pants and a long shirt with a thin sash round his middle, Qorlimesh holds the same tiger-headed rod as the previous statue, and in his right hand he holds small cage. He wears the crown of spikes as well.

6/22: The Library

This is a polished limestone room, 50’ long by 45’ wide with 15’ tall ceilings. Glowing white crystals have been installed along the walls every two feet, fitted into ancient brass lamps for permanent illumination. The room is dominated by 24 bookshelves and a long wooden table with carved wooden chairs set around it. The bookshelves are filled with books of all sizes and colors. The smell of book glue and leather is strong in the air here.

• North: A locked stone door made of carved marble can be found on the northern wall. The door leads to a corridor that will direct explorers to room 6/21. (The door requires the loose knob to be pressed in before the lock will allow a key to rotate and unlock the door.)
• East: A heavy wooden door on the eastern wall leads to a hallway that travels to room 6/16.
• West: On the western side of the room is an iron-banded wooden door. The door appears to be stuck, but in actuality the doorknob is false. The door itself actually opens on the opposite end than what the knob’s placement seems to indicate. If one takes a closer look at the door, one can notice the nails on the door are all countersunk, except one nail that juts out a little in the top right corner of the door. If that nail head is pressed in, a click will emanate from the door and it will pop open. A footswitch on the wall of the corridor concealed behind the door opens it from inside the locked corridor.
• The Collection: The bookshelves are filled with too many books to list here. General information on ancient history and  geography, the ancient empires of the Rakshasa, demons, dragons, gods of chaos, fire magic, ancient literature, and warfare can be easily acquired after 1d4 turns of searching. Specific information on these topics takes 1d4 hours to find. Detailed information on supernatural subjects will take 4d6 hours to find. The information-seeker cannot take any other significant action while searching the archive. This time may be broken up, however. There is a two-in-six chance that each search attempt will also uncover a random arcane scroll hidden in a book. After six scrolls have been acquired this way, no more can be found.

 6/23: The Sound of the Sea

This limestone cavern is  roughly 35’ long and 15’-20’ wide with 10’ tall ceilings with small stalactites hanging down. The smell of dead fish is wafting from somewhere to the southwest. In the same direction the sound of lapping water can be heard. The ground here has been disturbed by many feet.  

• North: The walls of the cavern in the northeast corner have eroded away and now the northern wall has a tunnel going from this chamber to the vaulted corridor that runs east/west.
• South: The southern end of the cave narrows into a tunnel that travels south, then west before it connects to cavern 6/24. The smell of rotting fish and the cacophony of waves echoing through the caverns emanates from this direction.
• East: On the eastern end of the cave is a tunnel that leads back to room 6/18.

6/24: The Lizardfolk Camp

This immense limestone cavern is roughly 65’ long by 50’ wide with 25’ tall ceilings dripping with stalactites. The cavern interior is dominated by a glowing translucent half globe of scintillating green energy that casts chartreuse shadows across the cavern walls. Inside the clouded green dome are five tents, a couple of small braziers, and a large and unwieldy machine studded with wires, lights, and odd brass ornaments. The camp is inhabited by a group of green-skinned lizardfolk wearing odd goggles. They are all wearing harness, and some have packs strapped to them. The sound of waves crashing on a shore can be heard from the western end of the room. The air here smells of ozone and dead fish.

• East: A natural tunnel on the eastern end of the room leads back to room 6/23.
• West: The wall on the western end of the cavern has eroded way to reveal a truly massive cavern beyond containing an underground sea. Waves beyond lap upon the bone-white sand of the shore.
• The Device: The device resembles a metal tank with metal panels attached. Large cylinders about a foot long are attached under the tank. Wires lead from multiple points on the control panels to the tank. The device is maintaining the green energy field. While it operates, a forcefield of green energy enrobes the machine at a distance of 20 feet. The energy field prohibits anything solid or magical from entering. The field is impervious to dispelling and can not be destroyed by brute force. The machine has enough charge to maintain operations for another two months before the power source must be replaced. Anyone wearing the copper and green glass bracelets the lizardfolk are wearing can pass into and out of the field without trouble.
• The Lizardfolk: These lizardfolk are part of a technologically advanced underground society located further to the west. They are exploring the caves after having found anomalies in the area’s ambient magical fields due to the presence of the lemberite crystals in room 6/7. The lizardmen are led by their team leader, Ketsa, and their lead explorer, Locgral (who  can be found in room 6/7). Besides Ketsa, the group here consists of 1d6 +8 lizardfolk.
• Mien: The lizardfolk are wearing some manner of leather harness, and they all have a copper bracelet with a glass bobble on it. Some have on odd, heavy cloth jumpsuits with leather kneepads, elbow pads, and belt. As well, they all have a set of leather and glass goggles. Ketsa can be identified by her high leather collar and the steel and copper square she wears as a badge of rank. Four lizardfolk wield Disruptor-Rays and Personal Energy Shields (see further down), while the rest have electro-batons (see further down).
• Demeanor: Ketsa and the rest of their explorers are Lawful. She is cautious and takes the safety of her team very seriously. She won’t begin hostilities if she thinks a more peaceful solution is still tenable. Ketsa and the others speak to each other in a heavily accented form of Draconic, but she does know Undercommon, Dark Elf, and Goblin, as well as a smattering of Common. Ketsa and the others are willing to entreat with players that do not threaten them, and will consider a mutual exchange of information or possibly bartering for basic supplies. They Lizardfolk are eager to meet non-chaotic races for trade as well as to satisfy their intellectual curiosity.
• Means: The majority of the lizardfolk wield electro-batons if they have to (1d8 and save or become paralyzed till the end of your next round). The four lizardfolk  who guard the camp wield Disruptor-Rays (1d8, missile 5’-50’/51’-100/101’-150’, save vs. paralysis or fall unconscious for ten minutes.) and Personal Energy Shields (use a charge to activate. Once activated, the shield negates the first two hits against the target. Can only be activated once an hour. 4 charges remaining). The Lizardfolk have two self-propelling boats stashed on the beach to the west. They are anchored against the shore to the southwest of this chamber. The Lizardfolk have advanced knowledge and magical acumen that they can also trade.
• Desires: The lizardfolk are from a technologically advanced society to the west, across the underground sea beyond the chamber. They seek to understand their underground world, but have only just started to explore the caverns on this side of the sea. The lizardfolk seek knowledge on any parts of the dungeon that players have previously explored. They are also curious about the surface world, having dwelt under the earth for so long that they now view the world above as more than a little mythological.