[Hourglass of Zihaja] Chapter 10: Adventuring

[Zeta Kai]

Room #8: Western Stairway

Roaches scatter as you enter a 15’ square room, with faded tapestries depicting the history of Admaja on the walls. A dank, musty wind wafts up from the stairway in the north wall, leading down into the inky darkness below.

The southern corridor leads from either the Western Hall of Faith, Room #4 or the Grand Meeting Hall, Room #9. The stairs in the north wall lead to the West Landing, Room #17 on the Second Floor.

Arrow Trap: See the Western Hall of Faith, Room #4 for details.

NOTE: this is the only way downstairs that will reach all the way down to King Al-Felqa’s tomb (unless the party falls/jumps down into the pit in the Western Hall of Faith, Room #4).

[Zeta Kai]

Room #9: Grand Meeting Hall

A 45’ by 50’ room, with a slight east-west orientation, & lined with large columns. There are four (4) large columns in the center of this room, supporting the arched ceiling. Each column has four (4) lit torches on it, which burn without an apparent source. The torches illuminate most of the room, but the corners are still in shadows. Although a few cracks appear on the walls & ceiling of the southeast corner, the structure of the room seems sound & stable. There is a thick layer of dust at the edges of the room, but a north-south path between the doors is relatively clear, as if well traveled. In the center of the room, the remains of a small skirmish lie on the floor: a broken sword, a few pieces of damaged armor, & some sprays of old dried blood.

The torches are really braziers with continual flame spells cast on them (Everburning Torches). They can be removed from the wall with successful Strength checks (DC20). Among the detritus left from the battle is an intact Bag of Tricks, gray.

The shadows of the southeast corner, gleaming eyes can be seen (DC14 to Spot). If investigated, the eyes are revealed to be those of a Dire Weasel. It scurries off to a crack in between the corner pillar & the wall, hiding inside (Dexterity check (DC25) to catch). If provoked, it will attack.

NOTE: For 2nd level parties, replace the Dire Weasel with a Dire Rat. For 4th level parties, add a second Dire Weasel.

The rusty iron door on the southwest wall leads from a corridor from which one can reach the Western Stairway, Room #8 & the Western Hall of Faith, Room #4. The rusty iron door on the southeast wall leads to a corridor from which one could have reached the Eastern Stairway, Room #16 & the Eastern Hall of Faith, Room #5; however the passage has collapsed in two (2) places, preventing access to either room. The rusty iron door on the north wall leads to a long (70’) corridor from which one can reach the Northern Stairway, Room #10. This passage has several traps. There are two (2) skeletons, clad in adventure’s gear (backpacks, candles, water skins, rope, rations; only the 7 candles are still good, all the other items are decayed beyond use) laying about 50’ down the hall.

Spiked Pit Trap (20’ Deep): CR2; no attack roll necessary (2d6), +10 melee (1d4 spikes for 1d4+2 damage per successful hit); Reflex save (DC20) avoids; Search (DC20); Disable Device (DC20). 5’ down the corridor. The pit is lined with spikes, sticking straight up out of the floor & angled upward on the walls. The skeletal remains of several small animals & people lie in between the spears. The pit is 5’ wide, & cannot be walked around.

Poison Needle Trap: CR2; +8 ranged (1 damage + green-blood oil poison (Type: Injury; Fortitude Save DC13; Initial Damage: 1 Con; Secondary Damage: 1d2 Con)); Search (DC22); Disable Device (DC20). 20’ down the corridor. The body of an explorer lies crumpled on the floor, with several small needles sticking out of it. On his corpse is a leather-bound journal, but most of the pages are blank. Only the first page is written in, briefly describing the team’s members & mission. The only salvageable gear on the body is a set of seven (7) tallow candles in a moldy leather pouch.

Poison Gas Trap: 35’ down the corridor. This trap has already been sprung, & cannot reset. The corpse of another surveyor lies sprawled on the floor, covered in a fine bluish-green powder (burnt othur fumes poison). His gear has also decayed beyond use, with the exception of a magic scroll (any single 1st-level spell, arcane or divine) hidden in his robes; a successful Search check (DC18) is required to find it.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #10: Northern Stairway

A 15’ square room, with faded tapestries depicting the Admaja-Adabasha War (26-27 IR) on the walls. In both the eastern & western walls, chilly breezes blow up from murky stairways. The arched ceiling has a fractured crumbling fresco on it, but the images are too decayed to tell what it was.

The southern corridor leads from the Grand Meeting Hall, Room #9. The stairs in the west end lead to the Northwest Landing, Room #11 on the Second Floor. The stairs in the east end lead to the Northeast Landing, Room #12 on the Second Floor.

Spiked Pit Trap: See the Grand Meeting Hall, Room #9 for details.

Poison Needle Trap: See the Grand Meeting Hall, Room #9 for details.

Poison Gas Trap: See the Grand Meeting Hall, Room #9 for details.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #11: Northwest Landing

A 20’ square room, with faded tapestries depicting the Admaja-Shadaz War (119-122 IR) on the walls. The air is cold & still; a thick layer of dust coats the floor, covering the rotting remains of a thick rug.

The stairway in the eastern wall leads from the Northern Stairway, Room #10 on the First Floor. The corridor on the southern wall leads to the Guest Quarters, Room #13.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #12: Northeast Landing

A 20’ square room, with faded tapestries depicting the Raqam Rebellion (74 IR) on the walls. The air is clammy & humid; a thin layer of mud coats the floor, covering the decaying remnant of a once-fine carpet. A large network of vines snake their way across the masonry walls in a thick latticework. They seem to be emerging from a large wet crack in the southeast corner of the room.

The creeping plant is actually an Assassin Vine. It will attack any creature within range of the southeast corner.

The stairway in the western wall leads from the Northern Stairway, Room #10 on the First Floor. The corridor on the southern wall leads to the Servant’s Quarters, Room #14.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #13: Guest Quarters

A 20’ by 30’ room, with an east-west orientation. The remains of rotted beds lie on the floor; their mattresses shredded, their tattered sheets strewn about the room. The lavish decorations of the chamber are decomposed nearly beyond recognition. Dusty cobwebs hang from the corners of the ceiling. The walls were once covered with patterned vellum, but the wallpaper is frayed & torn, exposing the stonework beneath. The unpleasant smell of animal droppings is strong.

The northern corridor leads to the Northwest Landing, Room #11. The eastern hall leads to the Servant’s Quarters, Room #14. The southern corridor leads to a corridor from which one could have reached the West Landing, Room #17 & the Altar of the Day, Room #18; however the passage has caved in, preventing access to either room.

Portcullis Trap: CR2; +10 melee (3d6/×2 crit); Search (DC20); Disable Device (DC20). Damage applies only to those beneath the portcullis. The trigger is in the eastern hall leading to the Servant’s Quarters, Room #14. The portcullis blocks the passageway, trapping 1d4 people on the wrong side.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #14: Servant’s Quarters

A 20’ by 30’ room, with an east-west orientation. The remnants of wooden beds lie on the floor; their pillows torn open, their frames broken & splintered. The simple décor of the chamber has nearly disintegrated. The floor is cracked & potholed. The walls were once painted in bright pastel colors, but the paint has faded & cracked, chipping off completely in many places. The disgusting odor of animal dung is almost overpowering.

The floor is very uneven from the various quakes & cave-ins, & as such, requires explorers to succeed a dexterity check (DC15) while running to remain balanced.

The smell of animal feces is particularly strong here. Characters need to succeed Fortitude save (DC15) or be sickened until 1d6+4 rounds after they leave the room.

A Dire Bat is perched in the ceiling, in the southeast corner (DC15 to Spot). If disturbed by a loud noise, physical contact, or a bright moving light, it will attack.

The northern corridor leads to the Northeast Landing, Room #12. The eastern hall leads to the Guest Quarters, Room #13. The southern corridor leads to a corridor from which one could have reached the East Landing, Room #15 & the Altar of the Night, Room #26; however the passage has caved in, preventing access to the altar. The landing is still accessible, though.

Portcullis Trap: See the Guest Quarters, Room #13 for details.

Hail of Needles Trap: CR1; +20 ranged (2d4); Search (DC22); Disable Device (DC22). There’s a corridor leading from this chamber to the East Landing, Room #15. The trigger is 20’ down the hall toward the East Landing, Room #15. The needles launch from the western wall, 5’ down the hall, & travels east.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #15: East Landing

A 20’ by 15’ room, with a north-south orientation. The walls are crumbling, & are caked in purple phosphorescent mold. Mushrooms grow up from small cracks in the uneven flagstone floor, which is littered with rocks, dirt & other debris. There is a staircase in the south wall that leads up into darkness. Scratching & scraping sounds can be heard upstairs.

The “scratching & scraping sounds” are actually the rats in their nest upstairs, in the Eastern Stairway, Room #16. A successful Wisdom roll (DC20) identifies the sounds as rodents.

The stairs lead up to the Eastern Stairway, Room #16 on the First Floor. The western doorway leads from a long north-south corridor that was once used to access the Servant’s Quarters, Room #14 & the Altar of the Night, Room #26, but a cave-in in the southern portion of the passage has blocked off the altar.

Hail of Needles Trap: See the Servant’s Quarters, Room #14 for details.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #16: Eastern Stairway

Rats scatter as you enter a 15’ square room, with faded tapestries depicting the Pactspell on the walls. The floor is littered with rubble, most of which is from the caved-in southern corridor, as well as what looks like years worth of rat droppings. The ceiling is cracked in many places; dust seeped out occasionally from it. There is a small pile of filth in the southwest corner, which looks like it could be part of a rat’s nest. There are the half-rotten remains of a dead animal in the southeast corner, about the size of a large tabby cat, with myriad bite marks all over it & many large pieces missing. The air is thick with dust & the smell of animals.

There are 2d6 Rats in this chamber, as well as 3 Dire Rats. When disturbed, they will hide in the water-soaked wreckage in the south corridor. They will only attack if they are bothered further (50% chance per disturbance). The pile of refuse contains a grimy pouch with 10d20 silver coins in it (DC18 to Search).

NOTE: For 2nd level parties, lower the number of Rats to 1d8, & drop the number of Dire Rats to just 1. For 4th level parties, replace the Rats with a Rat Swarm, & add 2 more Dire Rats.

The southern corridor would have led to either the Eastern Hall of Faith, Room #5 or the Grand Meeting Hall, Room #9, but it has been blocked by a massive cave-in. The stairs in the north wall lead from the East Landing, Room #15 on the Second Floor.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #17: West Landing

A 20’ by 15’ room, with a north-south orientation. There is a staircase in the south wall that leads up into darkness. The entire room is choked with dust that stirs up as soon as you enter the small chamber. The air is deathly still, as if nothing has moved in this chamber in millennia.

The stairs lead up from the Western Stairway, Room #8 on the First Floor. The eastern doorway leads to a long north-south corridor that was once used to access the Guest Quarters, Room #13 & the Altar of the Day, Room #18, but a cave-in in the northern portion of the passage has blocked off the quarters.

Large Net Trap: CR1; +5 melee (characters in 10’ are grappled by net (Str 18)); Reflex save (DC14) avoids; Search (DC20); Disable Device (DC25). The trigger is 25’ down the hall toward the Altar of the Day, Room #18. The net launches from the ceiling.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #18: Altar of the Day

This room is a 20’ hexagonal room, with a short multi-step dais in the center. On top of the altar is a small Yellow Orb. The walls are smooth & featureless, made of a glassy white marble that reflects the ambient amber glow of the room. The floor is smooth & slippery, with a very light dust coating on it. The air is unusually warm & humid.

If the Orb is touched, it begins to glow with a yellow light (as do the doors in the Guard Station, Room #21). The Yellow Orb cannot be removed from the altar.

The eastern doorway leads to a long north-south corridor that was once used to access the Guest Quarters, Room #13 & the West Landing, Room #17, but a cave-in in the northern portion of the passage has blocked off the quarters. The western doorway leads to a corridor that curves around to go to the Training Arena, Room #19.

Large Net Trap: See the West Landing, Room #17 for details.

Scything Blade Trap: CR1; +8 melee (1d8/×3 crit); Search (DC21); Disable Device (DC20). The trigger is 15’ down the hall toward the Training Arena, Room #19. The blade launches from the eastern wall, at about waist height (head height for kobolds, 3’ from the floor).

[Zeta Kai]

Room #19: Training Arena

A 55’ square room, lined with large columns. Four (4) large columns are near the corners of the room. The ceiling of the room is broken by a large rectangular opening, through which can be seen a chamber directly above this one. This upper space is dimly lit by torches, which shine feebly into the cavernous area of this room. Small circular shields line the walls. The walls, columns & floor of this room are marked with many cuts in the stonework, as if some large battle were fought here long ago. Dust coats the now-uneven floor.

The floor is very uneven from the various quakes & cave-ins, & as such, requires explorers to succeed a Balance check (DC13) while running to remain steady.

In the middle of the floor lie the remains of a narrow wooden bridge that used to span the gap in the room above, the Western Hall of Faith, Room #4. They are covered in mold & dust (DC14 to Spot).

The forty (40) shields that line the walls are made of wood, & are extremely brittle & fragile (25% chance to crumble & break on first contact, removal, equipping, & blocking, 50% chance to disintegrate with each strike).

Hidden in the shadows of the southwest corner is a pile of refuse (DC12 to Spot). If examined (Search DC10), it will appear to be the shriveled remains of another two (2) explorers. If searched further, they will rise quickly, revealing themselves to be a pair of Ghouls waiting in ambush.

NOTE: For 2nd level parties, lower the number of Ghouls to just 1 (the other explorer can either be a simple corpse or entirely absent). For 4th level parties, replace the 2 Ghouls with 2 Ghasts.

The northwest corridor leads to the Altar of the Day, Room #18. The northern corridor leads to the Western Gallery, Room #20. The northeast corridor once led to the Ballroom, Room #25, but a cave-in has blocked the passage. The southern corridor once led to the Armory, Room #31, but another cave-in has blocked this passage, as well.

Scything Blade Trap: See the Altar of the Day, Room #18 for details.

Sparking Electrode Trap: CR2; no attack roll necessary (2d6 electricity damage); Search (DC18); Disable Device (DC25). The trigger is 20’ down the hall toward the Western Gallery, Room #20. The electrode launches from the ceiling.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #20: Western Gallery

A 20’ by 30’ room, with an east-west orientation. This chamber appears to have once been an art gallery of some sort, as there are picture frames on the walls, & statues of varying sizes on short pedestals in between. Also, there is no trace of any furniture in the dusty room. The tarnished frames on the wall are mostly empty, with just tattered scraps remaining to mark that pictures were ever there. The only painting that is still intact is on the east wall, near the corner, although its colors are so faded that only the vague outline of a person is still visible on the cloudy canvas. The various statues, nine (9) in all, are in mostly good condition. There are only two (2) pedestals that have fallen over, so many of the stone figures are in one piece.

The painting in the southeast corner is a portrait of King Al-Felqa himself, & the only known image of him to exist that was made in his lifetime. The portrait is magically protected, & will appear as good as new in sunlight, but until it sees the light of day, it will remain too faded to view any details. A character capable of detecting magic will sense a faint abjuration aura around the picture.

The statues (of which 8 remain intact; one of the ones that fell on the floor shattered into thousands of pieces) are quite different from one another. They are all made of different stone (marble, jade, obsidian, quartz, granite, limestone, ivory, & porphyry; the broken one was hollow baked clay), & they are mostly busts of various men & women, presumably Admajai emperors & empresses, or other famous figures in Admajai history. The small silver plaques that mark each pedestal are tarnished past legibility.

The southwest corridor leads from the Training Arena, Room #19. The southeast corridor leads to the Guard Station, Room #21.

Sparking Electrode Trap: See the Training Arena, Room #19 for details.

Sleep Spell Trap: CR2; casts sleep (30’ burst; 1 minute; Will save (DC11) negates; affects 2d4 HD; renders unconscious/helpless); Search (DC22); Disable Device (DC22). The trigger is 20’ down the hall toward the Guard Station, Room #21. The spell node (a wand-like device, cannot be removed from its mount without ruining it) launches from the ceiling.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #21: Guard Station

A 20’ square room, with the rotting remains of tapestries on the walls. This empty, plainly adorned room has four (4) columns in the corners. There is little dust in this chamber. A chilly breeze blows up from the stairway in the north wall. On the flagstone floor, just in front of the stairs, is carved a single sentence, written in the Admajai language.

The words in Admajai read as “Gabar qama shiur eqri taqma ruz aq-hazaqan qrai. (We bury all love in service to our king.)”

The west corridor leads from the Western Gallery, Room #20. The east corridor leads to the Eastern Gallery, Room #22. The stairs in the north wall lead to the Waiting Chamber, Room #27 on the Third Floor.

Sleep Spell Trap: See the Western Gallery, Room #20 for details.

Acid Spray Trap: CR1; no attack roll necessary (1d6 acid damage); Search (DC20); Disable Device (DC20). The trigger is 15’ down the hall toward the Eastern Gallery, Room #22. The acid jet launches from the western wall, at about waist height (head height for kobolds, 3’ from the floor).

[Zeta Kai]

Room #22: Eastern Gallery

A 20’ by 30’ room, with an east-west orientation. This chamber appears to have once been an art gallery of some sort, but is appears to have been ruined by quakes, flooding, & time. The walls are spotted with moldy growths, some of which glow with a dim purple light. The ceiling is cracked & crumbling, raining down dust & gravel periodically. Water seeps in from the southeast, forming a large algae-skinned pool on the floor. Mushrooms & pulsing puffballs grow all over the room. There are picture frames on the walls, & short stone pedestals in between. Also, there is no trace of any furniture in the moldy room. The frames on the wall are completely empty, & are so tarnished that they appear to be a mottled black color. The nine (9) pedestals are also missing, although it is hard to tell if they were deliberately removed, or if they all fell & became part of the debris that is strewn about the room.

The southwest corridor leads from the Guard Station, Room #21. The southeast corridor once led to the Ballroom, Room #25, but a cave-in has left this route blocked by water-soaked debris.

Acid Spray Trap: See the Guard Station, Room #21 for details.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #23: South Landing

A 20’ square room, with the rotting remains of tapestries on the walls. This empty, plainly adorned room has four (4) columns in the corners. The plaster-covered walled are chipped & cracked in places, & the once-luxurious circular rug in the center of the chamber is now just a disk of mossy patches of dust. The room’s only real point of interest is a large lumpy object in the northeast corner. This thing, which looks like a leather bag, has something long & thin sticking out of it.

The baglike object is actually the dried-up, withered remains of a small mammal, possibly a badger (Knowledge: Nature check (DC15) to identify this as the corpse of a Dire Rat), & the long thin thing sticking out of it is an arrow shaft. A successful Search (DC12) of the body reveals a large aqua-hued topaz underneath. If the search is even more successful (DC18), it reveals that the arrowhead lodged in the leathery body casts off a magical aura (Arrow of Death, with two (2) more uses).

Actually, the room’s description is deceptive; a successful Spot (DC9) reveals a scrap of aged yellow parchment. Scrawled on this page is a note disclosing how to use orbs in the altars on this level. The note, which has drops of dried blood on it, reads “I see now that I must touch the day & the night before Lord Al-Felqa will see me.”

The stairs lead up from the Central Stairway, Room #7 on the First Floor. The southern doorway leads to a long east-west corridor that was once used to access the Cloak Room, Room #24 & the Armory, Room #31, but a cave-in in the western portion of the passage has blocked off the Armory, Room #31.

Spear Trap: CR2; +12 ranged (1d8/×3 crit); Search (DC20); Disable Device (DC20); 200’ maximum range; random target of those in its path. The trigger is 30’ down the hall toward the Cloak Room, Room #24. The arrow launches from the eastern wall, 45’ down the hall, & travels west.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #24: Cloak Room

A 15’ square room, with the rotting remains of tapestries on the walls. Many two feet long (2’) rusted iron bars are mounted at about head height on every wall on corroded brackets, several of which are broken, leaving some of the bars to hang at wild angles. Heaps of refuse, made up of mostly soiled scraps of rotted cloth, are piled in the corners of the room. Many old cobwebs gather dust near the ceiling.

Three (3) of the metal bars can be removed (Strength check, DC10, 14, & 18) to form three (3) great clubs.

The western doorway leads to the Ballroom, Room #25. The southern doorway leads to a long east-west corridor that was once used to access the South Landing, Room #23 & the Armory, Room #31, but a cave-in in the western portion of the passage has blocked off the Armory, Room #31.

Spear Trap: See the South Landing, Room #23 for details.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #25: Ballroom

A 55’ square room, lined with large columns. Four (4) large columns are near the corners of the room. The ceiling of the room is broken by a large rectangular opening, through which can be seen a chamber directly above this one. This upper space is dimly lit by torches, which shine feebly into the cavernous area of this room. The apparent former opulence of this room has been decomposing for some time, by the look of it. A pool of water has collected in a large depression in the floor, taking up most of the eastern half of the room. This water is coming from a waterfall that is flowing from the room above. Mold & algae are growing on most available surfaces, especially on the walls near the major fractures, as well as in between the flagstones of the floor. The air is cold, thick & humid, with a fetid, moldy stink to it.

There are numerous major cracks in the ceiling, underneath the southern overhang. Dust & debris periodically falls down from this, into the water. If attacked, this section will most likely collapse (AC1, hardness 0, 50% chance if 6HP damage, 75% chance if 12HP damage, 100% chance if 18HP damage).

In the middle of the floor, mostly in the water, lie the remains of a narrow wooden bridge that used to span the gap in the room above, the Eastern Hall of Faith, Room #5. They are covered in mold & algae (DC14 to Spot).

The pool of water is icy cold, & has numerous blind, subterranean fish in it. This water is flowing southward from the waterfalls (both in this room & in the eastern corridor that leads to the Altar of the Night, Room #26), heading into a cavernous fissure in the southeast corner of the room before further flowing underground.

The northeast doorway leads to a waterlogged corridor, with a collapsed section of the northern wall, which has a gaping hole in the ceiling, though which another small waterfall is flowing down; beyond this is the Altar of the Night, Room #26. The northern corridor once led to the Eastern Gallery, Room #22, but a cave-in has left this route blocked by water-soaked debris. The northeast corridor once led to the Training Arena, Room #19, but another cave-in has also blocked this passage. The southern corridor leads to the Cloak Room, Room #24.

In the northwest corner of the room, a Violet Fungus lurks in the shadows (DC15 to Spot), hunting creatures that venture near the water. If the water is disturbed, a Medium Water Elemental appears in 1d6 rounds. If anything enters the fissure, it is attacked by a Large Viper Snake.

NOTE: For 2nd level parties, decrease the size of the Water Elemental to Small, & drop the Viper’s size to Medium. For 4th level parties, increase the Viper’s size to Huge.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #26: Altar of the Night

This room is a 20’ hexagonal room, with a short multi-step dais in the center. On top of the altar is a small Purple Orb. The walls are smooth & featureless, made of a glassy white marble that reflects the ambient violet glow of the room. The floor is smooth & slippery, with a very light dust coating on it. The air is freezing cold & rather dry.

If the Orb is touched, it begins to glow with a purple light (as do the doors in the Guard Station, Room #21). The Purple Orb cannot be removed from the altar.

The room is so cold because it is inhabited by a Brown Mold, which appears as a large russet smear on the northern floor. If it is defeated, the room will begin to gradually warm up to the average of the rest of the tomb (which is still a bit cool).

NOTE: For 4th level parties, add a second Brown Mold.

The western doorway once led to a long north-south corridor that was used to access the Servant’s Quarters, Room #14 & the East Landing, Room #15, but a cave-in in the middle portion of the passage has blocked off both of those chambers. The eastern doorway leads to a corridor that curves around to go to the Ballroom, Room #25.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #27: Waiting Chamber

A 35’ by 20’ room, with a north-south orientation. The floor is littered with hundreds of bones, pieces of rusted broken armor & disintegrating rags, the remnants of an apparent massacre. Some of the bones look like they’ve been burned. Most of the scattered remains are near the two (2) enormous stone doors in the northern wall. These gigantic doors are etched with tiny Admajai runes from top to bottom. The plainly-adorned masonry walls are smooth & unblemished, & the room is devoid of any furnishings.

The Admajai runes covering the doors are a decent transcription of the entire Codex of Mythology (the Countless Tales) by Zarim izr Qaledaj, one of the best ever recorded. It contains many stories that are present in no other version, lending greater insight into the long-lost culture of the early-imperial-era Admajai.

The doors inflict 1d6 points of electrical damage (Reflex DC10 for half damage) on anyone who tries to pry them open. Touching them for more than 1 full round will inflict 1d4 points of electrical damage. They are magically sealed, & can only be opened by touching both the Yellow Orb (in the Altar of the Day, Room #18) & the Purple Orb (in the Altar of the Night, Room #26). A successful listen check (DC15) will reveal the tiny crackle & sizzle from the electrical discharge of the doors.

This chamber is defended by a Wight, who is the last of an original set of four (4) such undead guardians. The other three (3) are among the corpses on the floor, inert & harmless.

NOTE: For 2nd level parties, replace the Wight with two (2) Human Zombies. For 4th level parties, add a second Wight.

The stairs lead up from the Guard Station, Room #21 on the Second Floor. The twin stone doors in the northern wall lead to the Royal Throne Room, Room #28.

Flame Jet Trap: CR2; 1’ wide, 50’ long stream of flame (2d6; 1d6 fire each round until extinguished (Reflex DC15)); Reflex save (DC13) avoids; Search (DC25); Disable Device (DC26). The trigger is 15’ down the center of the room, & the flame jets are mounted into the side walls (east & west).

[Zeta Kai]

Room #28: Royal Throne Room

A 70’ by 50’ room, with a north-south orientation, & lined with large columns. Six (6) large columns are near the center of the room, supporting the high arched ceiling. The northern third of the chamber in raised up on a five foot high (5’) white marble platform, & is accessible by a flight of wide steps. In the center of this platform is tall throne, made of the same massive marble slab that makes up the platform itself. Upon this ivory throne sits the withered corpse of a man, slightly slumped in his seat. It wears tarnished silver armor, a dusty dark blue velvet cloak, & a dirty golden bejeweled crown that has the Admajai symbol on it. The carcass’s hand is grasping an ornate crescent-shaped sword, which seems to glow faintly in the inky darkness of the room. On either side of the throne stands a tall statue of an armored man. The two (2) sculptures hold giant stone swords in their hands.

The only way in or out of this room are the twin stone doors in the southern wall, which lead to the Waiting Chamber, Room #27.

The body of King Al-Felqa is holding the Dahab Husam al-Maliqi, a +1 scimitar. Removing it most likely causes the cadaver to collapse out of the throne into a heap on the floor (75% chance; 50% chance to cause just the hand to crumble into dusty fragments). The cloak is very brittle, cracking & crumbling if it is disturbed. The armor is silver full plate, but it is tarnished & has lost its luster (the armor can be restored by a silversmith for 50gp). The crown can be cleaned to restore its full beauty & value; it is clear to everyone that it is the crown of an emperor of Admaja. The throne itself is solid black adamantine, & is engraved with al-Felqa’s biography & accomplishments; although it is written in Admajai, the dates of al-Felqa’s birth & death (93-147 IR) are legible by anyone who can read Common.

NOTE: For 4th level parties, the sword is a +2 scimitar.

Although the statues turn to face the person in the room who is nearest the throne, they are otherwise motionless & pose no threat. Their swords are made of stone & would function as great clubs if removed (DC25 to break off).

This room is patrolled by an Almasti, which is lurking in the shadows behind the throne (DC18 to Spot). It will attack any creature that comes within 30’ of the throne.

NOTE: For 2nd level parties, replace the Almasti with a Shadow. For 4th level parties, replace the Almasti with a Mummy.

Swinging Hammer Trap: CR3; +10 melee (2d8/×3 crit); Search (DC22); Disable Device (DC20). The trigger is 25’ down the center of the room, & the massive stone hammer swings from the ceiling.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #29: Eastern Defending Hall

After digging through tons of rocky debris blocking the entrance, a small passage is finally cleared to reveal a 7.5’ by 15’ room, with a north-south orientation. The ceiling is 10’ tall, & made of flat masonry, reinforced with iron bars. The hall is cut into six (6) equal 2’ wide sections by five (5) crevices (about 7” wide apiece). From these gaps hang large blade-like iron pendulums, which dangle motionlessly. The air is as stale as it is still, & a thick layer of dust & rusty flakes cover the floor. A dim blue light can be seen in the room beyond.

This chamber has swinging bladed pendulums that would have normally prevented entrance to the Altar of the Steadfast Moon, Room #30, but cave-ins in the corridors leading to the Entry Chamber, Room #1 & the Eastern Hall of Faith, Room #5 have made these rooms inaccessible. These cave-ins were caused by the intrusion of an underground cavern stream. In addition, the cave-ins have made the pendulums stop, & in some cases, break completely.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #30: Altar of the Steadfast Moon

It is a 25’ circular room, with a high domed ceiling. It is dominated by a multi-step dais with a small Green Orb on top of the altar. The room is littered with rocky debris, most of which is from the crumbling ceiling. The walls are inscribed with Admajai runes from floor to ceiling. A dim green light illuminates the room, but it seems to emanate from nowhere.

The Admajai runes covering the walls are poor transcriptions of the Codex of Mythology, Book 2, by Zarim izr Qaledaj.

If the Orb is touched, it begins to glow with a green light (as does the White Orb in the Entry Chamber, Room #1). The Green Orb cannot be removed from the altar.

The only way in or out of this room is the north doorway, which leads to the Eastern Defending Hall, Room #29.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #31: Armory

A 15’ square room, with the rotting remains of tapestries on the walls. This chamber has racks of rusty & tarnished weapons lining every wall. Every melee weapon imaginable is in this room, in large quantities. However, of the hundreds of weapons mounted on these corroded steel racks, almost none of them appear to be usable; the vast majority of them are far too weathered by age & neglect. The layout of the room itself is devoid of furnishings, & the simple martial design of the walls lends it an austere feel.

About 99% of the weapons (total: 225) in this room are useless (they are so rusty &/or rotten that any use has a cumulative 10% chance of breaking per hit, starting with a 1d6×10%, & a -2 damage penalty). However, four (4) weapons can be found among the rest that are still in good condition (these require a successful Search check to find, DC10, 11, 12, & 13): a Katar, a Siangham, a Spiked Chain, & a Warhammer.

Some of the steel racks are so decayed that they will collapse if touched (25% chance per rack, 10 racks), & the falling weapons will deal 1d8+2 damage to the person who touched the rack (Reflex DC10 for half damage).

The western doorway once led to the Training Arena, Room #19, but a cave-in has caused this hallway to collapse, blocking this passage. The southern doorway once led to a long east-west corridor that was used to access the South Landing, Room #23 & the Cloak Room, Room #24, but another cave-in in the western portion of the passage has blocked off these chambers as well, leaving this area completely inaccessible.

[Zeta Kai]

Room #X: Corridors

All corridors are 5’ wide throughout the tomb. The hallways are often littered with rocky debris from the various cave-ins. The passages on the second floor have more dust (from less traffic), whereas the halls of the first floor have more spider webs (from more traffic). The ceilings are slightly domed, & are cracked in places from the stress.

NOTE: The Sandstone Golem in the Entry Chamber, Room #1 that looks like a tall winged statue animates & begins stalking the party once they have been in the room for 1d6+4 rounds, its paint chipping & flaking as it moves relentlessly toward the PCs. It cannot normally speak, but it repeatedly issues the warning “Death shall come on swift wings to they who disturb the peace of the King.”

The golem is extremely slow, but he is relentless, pursuing the party from room 1 to rooms 2-5, & even going so far as falling into the pits in rooms 4 &/or 5 to chase the party into rooms 17-26. It cannot go up stairs quickly though, so although it could go down the stairs in room 21 to go to the third level (rooms 27 & 28), it could not follow the party back up, & so will never be found in rooms 8-16. It will eventually climb stairs, but it takes the ungainly creature an hour to do so, so usually it will only do so to get back to its pedestal in room 1. The golem is also so large that when it walks through the corridors, it scrapes its shoulders & arms on the passageway walls; trying to get past the golem requires a DC15 Tumble check to dodge between its legs.

[Zeta Kai]

Enemy Statistics

Sandstone Golem

Spoiler

Show

Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 13d10 (71HP)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 10’ (2 squares, cannot run)
Armor Class: 24 (-2 Dex, +16 natural); touch 8; flat-footed 24
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+15
Attack: Shove +15 melee (1d4+6 plus pushing 1d4+1 squares)
Full Attack: Shove +15 melee (1d4+6 plus pushing 1d4+1 squares)
Space/Reach: 5’/5’
Special Attacks: N/A
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Crumble, Damage Reduction 5/Adamantine, Darkvision 60’, Immunity to Magic, Low-Light Vision
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +4
Abilities: Str 23 (+6), Dex 7 (-2), Con -- (+0), Int -- (+0), Wis 11 (+0), Cha 1 (-5)
Skills: N/A
Feats: N/A
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: high (10 normally, although this creature has been adjusted)
Treasure: N/A
Alignment: Neutral

Combat
Golems are tenacious in combat & prodigiously strong as well. Being mindless, they do nothing without orders from their creators. They follow instructions explicitly & are incapable of any strategy or tactics. They are emotionless in combat & cannot be provoked.

A golem’s creator can command it if the golem is within 60’ & can see & hear its creator. If not commanded, a golem usually follows its last instruction to the best of its ability, though if attacked it returns the attack. The creator can give the golem a simple command to govern its actions in his or her absence. The golem’s creator can order the golem to obey the commands of another person (who might in turn place the golem under someone else’s control, & so on), but the golem’s creator can always resume control over his creation by commanding the golem to obey him alone.

Construct traits: All creatures with the Construct type possess the following traits:

• No Constitution score.
• Low-light vision.
• Darkvision out to 60’.
• Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, & morale effects).
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, & necromancy effects.
• Cannot heal damage on their own, but often can be repaired by exposing them to a certain kind of effect (see the creature’s description for details) or through the use of the Craft Construct feat. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality.
• Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
• Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
• Not at risk of death from massive damage. Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.
• Since it was never alive, a construct cannot be raised or resurrected.
• Because its body is a mass of unliving matter, a construct is hard to destroy. It gains bonus hit points based on size, as shown on the table.
• Proficient with its natural weapons only, unless generally humanoid in form, in which case proficient with any weapon mentioned in its entry.
• Proficient with no armor.
• Constructs do not eat, sleep, or breathe.

Crumble (Ex): a sandstone golem is initially an intact creature; if its HP drops below 50% (50HP, on average), its body will deteriorate; a golem will suffer a -4 penalty to Strength, AC, Damage Reduction, & saving throws; this effect will not end if the creature’s HP raises above 50% again (this will end if the golem is repaired to 100%HP)

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A sandstone golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells & effects function differently against the creature, as noted below:

• A transmute rock to mud spell slows a sandstone golem (as the slow spell) for 2d8 rounds, with no saving throw, while transmute mud to rock heals all of its lost hit points.
• A stone to flesh spell does not actually change the golem’s structure but negates its damage reduction & immunity to magic for 1d3 rounds.

Monsters (2nd level party)

• Sandstone Golem (Room #1, CR<10)
• 2d6 Bats (Room #4, CR1/10 each)
• 2d6 Bats (Room #5, CR1/10 each)
• 1d4 Rats (Room #7, CR1/8 each)
• Dire Rat (Room #9, CR⅓)
• Assassin Vine (Room #12, CR3)
• Dire Bat (Room #14, CR2)
• 1d8 Rats (Room #16, CR1/8 each)
• Dire Rat (Room #16, CR⅓)
• Ghoul (Room #19, CR1)
• Fungus, Violet (Room #25, CR3)
• Water Elemental, small (Room #25, CR1)
• Snake, Medium Viper (Room #25, CR1)
• Brown Mold (Room #26, CR2)
• 2 Human Zombies (Room #27, CR½ each)
• Shadow (Room #28, CR3)

Monsters (3rd level party)

• Sandstone Golem (Room #1, CR<10)
• 2d10 Bats (Room #4, CR1/10 each)
• 2d10 Bats (Room #5, CR1/10 each)
• 2d4 Rats (Room #7, CR1/8 each)
• Dire Weasel (Room #9, CR2)
• Assassin Vine (Room #12, CR3)
• Dire Bat (Room #14, CR2)
• 2d6 Rats (Room #16, CR1/8 each)
• 3 Dire Rats (Room #16, CR⅓ each)
• 2 Ghouls (Room #19, CR1 each)
• Fungus, Violet (Room #25, CR3)
• Water Elemental, medium (Room #25, CR3)
• Snake, Large Viper (Room #25, CR2)
• Brown Mold (Room #26, CR2)
• Wight (Room #27, CR3)
• Almasti (Room #28, CR4)

Monsters (4th level party)

• Sandstone Golem (Room #1, CR<10)
• Bat Swarm (Room #4, CR2)
• Bat Swarm (Room #5, CR2)
• Rat Swarm (Room #7, CR2)
• 2 Dire Weasels (Room #9, CR2 each)
• Assassin Vine (Room #12, CR3)
• Dire Bat (Room #14, CR2)
• Rat Swarm (Room #16, CR2)
• 5 Dire Rats (Room #16, CR⅓ each)
• 2 Ghasts (Room #19, CR3 each)
• Fungus, Violet (Room #25, CR3)
• Water Elemental, medium (Room #25, CR3)
• Snake, Huge Viper (Room #25, CR3)
• 2 Brown Molds (Room #26, CR2)
• 2 Wights (Room #27, CR3 each)
• Mummy (Room #28, CR5)

[Zeta Kai]

Treasure

NOTE: An asterisk (*) denotes treasure in excess of the total party value. This treasure is a bonus for those players that manage to successfully retrieve it.

2nd Level Party (7,200gp)

• Everburning Torches (Room #4, Room #5, & Room #9, 90gp each, 1lb each)*
• Bracers of Armor +1 (Room #5, 1,000gp, 1lb)
• The Sketchy Map (Room #7, 50gp, 0lbs)*
• Bag of Tricks, gray (Room #9, 900gp, 0lbs)
• 7 Candles (Room #9, 7cp, 0lbs)*
• Magic Scroll (Room #9, 25gp, 0lbs)*
• 10d20 Silver Coins (Room #16, 1d20gp, 0lbs)*
• 40 Small Round Wooden Shields (Room #19, 3gp each, 5lbs each)*
• The Portrait of King Al-Felqa (Room #20, 350gp, 27lbs)
• Large Aqua-Hued Topaz (Room #23, 150gp, 0lbs)
• Arrow of Death, two (2) more uses (Room #23, 335gp, 0lbs)
• Aged Parchment Note (Room #23, 0gp, 0lbs)*
• Great Clubs (Room #24, 5gp each, 10lbs)*
• Tarnished Silver Full Plate Armor (Room #28, 1,450gp, 50 lbs)
• Golden Bejeweled Crown (Room #28, 700gp, 2lbs)
• the Dahab Husam al-Maliqi (+1 scimitar, Room #28, 2,315gp, 4lbs)
• Katar / Punching Dagger (Room #31, 2gp, 2lbs)*
• Siangham (Room #31, 3gp, 1lb)*
• Spiked Chain (Room #31, 25gp, 15lbs)*
• Warhammer (Room #31, 12gp, 8lbs)*

3rd Level Party (10,800gp)

• Everburning Torches (Room #4, Room #5, & Room #9, 90gp each, 1lb each)*
• Bracers of Armor +1 (Room #5, 1,000gp, 1lb)
• The Sketchy Map (Room #7, 50gp, 0lbs)*
• Bag of Tricks, gray (Room #9, 900gp, 0lbs)
• 7 Candles (Room #9, 7cp, 0lbs)*
• Magic Scroll (Room #9, 25gp, 0lbs)*
• 10d20 Silver Coins (Room #16, 1d20gp, 0lbs)*
• 40 Small Round Wooden Shields (Room #19, 3gp each, 5lbs each)*
• The Portrait of King Al-Felqa (Room #20, 1,300gp, 27lbs)
• Large Aqua-Hued Topaz (Room #23, 850gp, 0lbs)
• Arrow of Death, two (2) more uses (Room #23, 335gp, 0lbs)
• Aged Parchment Note (Room #23, 0gp, 0lbs)*
• Great Clubs (Room #24, 5gp each, 10lbs)*
• Tarnished Silver Full Plate Armor (Room #28, 1,450gp, 50 lbs)
• Golden Bejeweled Crown (Room #28, 2,650gp, 2lbs)
• the Dahab Husam al-Maliqi (+1 scimitar, Room #28, 2,315gp, 4lbs)
• Katar / Punching Dagger (Room #31, 2gp, 2lbs)*
• Siangham (Room #31, 3gp, 1lb)*
• Spiked Chain (Room #31, 25gp, 15lbs)*
• Warhammer (Room #31, 12gp, 8lbs)*

4th Level Party (14,400gp)

• Everburning Torches (Room #4, Room #5, & Room #9, 90gp each, 1lb each)*
• Bracers of Armor +1 (Room #5, 1,000gp, 1lb)
• The Sketchy Map (Room #7, 50gp, 0lbs)*
• Bag of Tricks, gray (Room #9, 900gp, 0lbs)
• 7 Candles (Room #9, 7cp, 0lbs)*
• Magic Scroll (Room #9, 25gp, 0lbs)*
• 10d20 Silver Coins (Room #16, 1d20gp, 0lbs)*
• 40 Small Round Wooden Shields (Room #19, 3gp each, 5lbs each)*
• The Portrait of King Al-Felqa (Room #20, 700gp, 27lbs)
• Large Aqua-Hued Topaz (Room #23, 450gp, 0lbs)
• Arrow of Death, two (2) more uses (Room #23, 335gp, 0lbs)
• Aged Parchment Note (Room #23, 0gp, 0lbs)*
• Great Clubs (Room #24, 5gp each, 10lbs)*
• Tarnished Silver Full Plate Armor (Room #28, 1,450gp, 50 lbs)
• Golden Bejeweled Crown (Room #28, 1,250gp, 2lbs)
• the Dahab Husam al-Maliqi (+2 scimitar, Room #28, 8,315gp, 4lbs)
• Katar / Punching Dagger (Room #31, 2gp, 2lbs)*
• Siangham (Room #31, 3gp, 1lb)*
• Spiked Chain (Room #31, 25gp, 15lbs)*
• Warhammer (Room #31, 12gp, 8lbs)*

[Zeta Kai]

Okay, normally I will prepare material well ahead of time & have it ready for posting on the day that it is needed. But I've been posting faster than I've been brewing for months now, & I'm just about out of new material. The 1,001 Adventuring Ideas are not ready yet, as I've only got a few hundred in the can so far. Therefore, I'll likely save those for the inevitable PDF release, & just move onto the next (& final) chapter. So if anyone wants to comment about the NPCs or the dungeon, here is the place to do so, & now is the time to ask questions. Thank you, & we'll continue tomorrow with the start of the final part of the Hourglass of Zihaja project.