D&D - Tales from the Yawning Portal (5e) - Flip eBook Pages 1-50 (2024)

TALES FROM THE YAWfflff G PORTAL

CREDITS Compilers: Kim Mohan, Mike Mearls Lead Rules Developer: Jeremy Crawford Fifth Edition Conversion: Chris Sims, Sean K Reynolds, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes Managing Editor: Jere1,1y Crawford Editors: Kim Mohan, Michele Carter Editorial Assistance: Chris Dupuis , Ben Petrisor, Matt Sernett Art Director: Kate Irwin Additional Art Direction: Shauna Narciso, Richard Whitters Graphic Designer: Emi Tanji Cover Illustrator: Tyler Jacobson Interior Illustrators: Mark Behm, Eric Belisle, Zoltan Boros , Noah Bradley, Sam Carr, Jedd Chevrier, Bud Cook, Olga Drebas , Wayne England, Lake Hurwitz, Izzy, Tyler Jacobson, Titus Lunter, Brynn Metheney, Scott Murphy, Claudio Pozas , Ned Rogers , Chris Seaman, Cory Trego-Erdner, Franz Vohwinkel , Mark Winters, Sam Wood, Ben Wootten Cartographers: Jason A. Engle, Rob Lazzaretti, Mike Schley, Ben Wootten Producer: Stan! Project Manager: Heather Fleming Product Engineer: Cynda Callaway Imaging Technicians: Sven Bolen, Carmen Cheung, Kevi n Yee Art Administration: David Gershman Prepress Specialist: Jefferson Dunlap Other D&D Team Members: Bart Carroll, John Feil, Trevor Kidd , Adam Lee, Christopher Lindsay, Shelly Mazzanoble, Christopher Perkins , Hilary Ross , Liz Schuh, Nathan Stewart, Greg Tito, Shawn Wood CREDITS FROM THE ORIGINAL ADVENTURES Tomb of Horrors (1978) Design: Gary Gygax White Plume Mountain (1979) Design: Lawrence Schick Editing and Suggestions: Mike Carr, Allen Hammack, Harold Johnson, Tim Jones, Jeff Leason, Dave Sutherland, Jean Wells Art: Dave Sutherland, Erol Otus , Darlene Pekul, Jeff Dee, David S. La Force, Jim Roslof, Bil l Willingham The Hidden Shrine ofTamoachan (1980) Design: Harold Johnson, Jeff R. Leason Able Assistance: Dave Cook, Lawrence Schick Editing: Harold Johnson Editing and Production: Dave Cook, Jeff R. Leason, Lawrence Schick Illustrations: Etol Otus, jeffDee, Gregory K. Fleming, David S. LaForce, David C. Sutherland 111 Against the Giants (1981) Design: Gary Gygax Editing: Mike Carr, Timothy Jones, Jon Pickens, Lawrence Schick Art: David C. Sutherland Ill , David A. Tram pier, Jeff Dee, David S. La Force, Erol Otis , Bill Willingham The Sunless Citadel (2000) Design: Bruce R. Cordell Editing: Miranda Horner ON THE COVER Cartography: Todd Gamble Illustrations: Dennis Cramer, Todd Lockwood The Forge of Fury (2000) Design: Richard Baker Editing: Miranda Horner Cartography: Todd Gamble Illustrations: Dennis Cramer, Todd Lockwood Dead in Thay (2014) Design: Scott Fitzgerald Gray Editing: Ray Vallese Cartography: Mike Schley Illustrations: Eric Belisle, Sam Carr, Tyler Jacobson, Miles Johnstone, Mark Winters As proprietor of the Yawning Portal , Durnan has heard amazing tales from adventurers of all sorts from across the multiverse, as seen in this array of characters by Tyler Jacobson. 7 6 8 See if you can identify the face and the adventure found in Tales from the Yawning Portal. (foljl u, prno ) n1ow11 Jo uasOtjJ 'uan!)I 'i? Disclaimer: Do we really need a disclaimer to tell you that it's not our fault that your character died because you decided to climb down into a monster- and trap-filled hole in the ground? :(u!OIUnovv awn1d a)ftjlx\) a,o,f1uovv 'L :(UOljWOUIOlfO WfJLjS uappfH) fUO 3ljl 'ad1x ·9 :(.vn.:1 Jo a'iJ,0.:1) ~ap,01 ·!; :(u!oiunow awn1d a1f1jlx\) nfd suos 01n1a JJS ·i, :(1apo11) ssa1un5) nJO!V\J ·r :(foy1 Uf poao ) 101, 1n101 ·z :(s,o,,oHfo qwo1 ) a1Ao'iJ,09 ·1 620C2207000001 EN ISBN : 978-0-7869-6609-7 First Printing: April 2017 987654321 CE DU NGEONS & DRAGO NS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dr agon am persand, Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master's Gu dt, a otrier Wizards of the Coast product na mes, and th eir res pective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. Al l characters and their dist net e enesses are property of Wiza rd s of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the Un ted Sta~es of Amer ca Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the ma:er a or ar:iNork contained he rein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coas:. -.-s .. c S: - :;; .. e E"!l e-Boechat 31 , 2800 Dee on C-

CONTENTS Introduction ........................................... 4 App. A: Magic Items ....................... 228 Thayan Warrior ................................. 246 Using This Book .................................... 4 Amulet of Protection from Thorn Slinger .................................... 246 The Yawning Portal .............................. 5 Turning ............................................ 228 Transmuter ......................................... 247 Ch. 1: The Sunless Citadel ................ 9 Balance of Harmony ........................ 228 Vampiric Mist .................................... 247 Adventure Synopsis .............................. 9 Bracelet of Rock Magic ................... 228 White Maw ......................................... 248 Running the Adventure ........................ 9 Eagle Whistle .................................... 228 Yusdrayl .............................................. 248 Oakhurst... ............................................. 10 Hell Hound Cloak ............................. 228 Maps The Citadel ............................................ 11 LoadStone ........................................... 228 Map 1.1: Fortress Level... ................... 13 Aftermath .............................................. 31 Mirror of the Past ····························· 228 Map 1.2: Grove Level .......................... 26 Ch 2 Th F fF 33 Night Caller ........................................ 228 Map 2.1: The Stone Tooth ................. 35 · : e orge O ury ·················· Potion of Mind Control .................... 229 Adventure Synopsis ............................ 33 R b f S 229 o e o ummer .............................. . Shatterspike ....................................... 229 Character Hooks .................................. 33 Approaching Khundrukar ................. 34 The Forge of Fury ................................ 36 Spear of Backbiting .......................... 229 Map 2.5: The Foundry ........................ 52 Stone of Ill Luck ................................ 229 M 2 6 Th Bl k L k 58 Aftermath .............................................. 59 ap · : e ac a e ··················· Wand of Entangle ............................. 229 Map 3.1: The Hidden Shrine Ch. 3: The Hidden Shrine Waythe ................................................. 229 Map 2.2: The Mountain Door ........... 37 Map 2.3: The Glitterhame ................ .44 Map 2.4: The Sinkhole ...................... .49 of Tamoachan .................................... 63 ofTamoachan ................................... 61 A B C 230 M 4 1 C v· 97 pp. : reatures............................ ap . : utaway 1ew ..................... . Running the Adventure ...................... 61 A . d T bl 230 M 4 2 Wh Pl M · 98 mmate a e................................. ap . : ite ume ountam .... . The Ruins of the Shrine ..................... 61 Barghest... ........................................... 230 Map 4.3: Geysers and Chains ........... 99 Ch. 4: White Plume Mountain ........ 95 Centaur Mummy ............................... 231 Map 4.4: Boiling Lake ...................... 102 Running the Adventure ...................... 95 Champion ........................................... 231 Map 4.5: Aquarium and Prison ..... 105 Locations in the Dungeon ................. 97 Choker. ................................................ 232 Map 5.1: The Doomvault... ............... 111 Escaping the Dungeon .................... 107 Conjurer .............................................. 232 Map 5.2: Player Map ......................... 117 Ch. 5: Dead in Thay ........................ 109 Deathlock Wight ............................... 233 Map 5.3: Abyssal Prisons ................ 118 Synopsis .............................................. 109 Dread Warrior ................................... 233 Map 5.4: Blood Pens ........................ 125 The Doomvault .................................. 109 Duergar Spy ....................................... 234 Map 5.5: Masters' Domain ............. 129 Into the Doomvault ............................ 116 Enchanter ........................................... 234 Map 5.6: Far Realm Cysts .............. 135 Abyssal Prisons .................................. 118 Evoker ................................................. 235 Map 5.7: Forests of Slaughter ........ 139 Blood Pens ......................................... 124 Giant Crayfish .................................... 235 Map 5.8: Ooze Grottos ...................... 142 Masters' Domain ............................... 129 Giant Ice Toad ................................... 235 Map 5.9: Predator Pools .................. 146 Far Realm Cysts ............................... 134 Giant Lightning Eel... ....................... 236 Map 5.10: Golem Laboratories ....... 151 Forests of Slaughter ......................... 138 Giant Skeleton ................................... 236 Map 5.11: Temples of Ooze Grottos ....................................... 141 Giant Subterranean Lizard ............ 236 Extraction ........................................ 156 Predator Pools .................................... 145 Greater Zombie ................................. 237 Map 5.12: The Phylactery Vault... ... 161 Golem Laboratories ......................... 150 Illusionist... ......................................... 237 Map 5.13: The Phylactery Vault... ... 162 Temples of Extraction ...................... 155 Kalka-Kylla ......................................... 238 Map 6.1: Hill Giant Stronghold, The Phylactery Vault... ..................... 160 Kelpie ................................................... 238 Upper Level... .................................. 168 Aftermath ........................................... 163 Leucrotta ............................................ 239 Map 6.2: Hill Giant Stronghold, Ch 6 A · h G. 165 Malformed Kraken ........................... 239 . : ga1nst t e 1ants ............. . R · h Ad 165 Martial Arts Adept... ......................... 240 unnmg t e ventures ................ . Steading of the Hill Nereid .................................................. 240 Dungeon Level ................................ 174 Map 6.3: Frost Giant Stronghold, Upper Level... .................................. 180 Giant Chief... ................................... 166 Necromancer ..................................... 241 Map 6.4: Frost Giant Stronghold, The Glacial Rift of the Frost Ooze Master ....................................... 241 Lower Level .................................... 184 G. J 1 179 Sea Lion .............................................. 242 Map 6.5: Hall of the Fire iant ar ......................................... . H 11 f h F. G. K. 191 Sharwyn Hucrele .............................. 242 Giant King, Entrance Level... ...... 190 a o t e ire 1ant mg ............. . Sir Braford ......................................... 243 Map 6.6: Hall of the Fire Ch. 7: Tomb ofHorrors ................... 211 s· 243 G. t K. g s d L I 200 tren .................................................... 1an m , econ eve ........... . Legend of the Tomb ........................... 21l Tarul Var ............................................. 244 Map 6.7: Hall of the Fire Running the Adventure .................... 211 T · t ti 245 c· t K. g Th. d L 1 204 ecuz1z eca ...................................... 1an 1n , tr eve .............. . Locations in the Tomb ..................... 212 Th A t' 245 M 71 'T' b f H 213 ayan ppren tee........................... ap . : 10m o orrors .............. .

INTRODUCTION ELCOME TO TALES FROM THE YAWNING PORTAL. Within this book you will find seven of the deadliest dungeons from the history of D&D, updated for the current edition of the game. Some are classics that have hosted an untold number of adventurers, while others are newer creations boldly staking their place in the pantheon of notable D&D adventures. Just as these dungeons have made an impression on D&D players, so too have tales of their dangers spread across the D&D multiverse. When the night grows long in Waterdeep, City of Splendors, and the fireplace in the taproom of the Yawning Portal dims to a deep crimson, adventurers from across the Sword Coast- and even some visiting from other D&D worlds- spin tales and rumors of lost treasures. A wanderer from the distant Shou Empire speaks of strange, leering devil faces carved in dungeon walls that can devour an explorer in an instant, leaving behind not a single trace of the poor soul's passing. A bald, stern wizard clad in blue robes and speaking with a strange accent tells of a wizard who claimed three powerful weapons from a city on the shores of a lake of unknown depths, who spirited them away to a slumbering volcano and dared adventurers to enter his lair and recover them. • A one-eyed dwarf spins tales of a castle that fell into the earth, and whose ruins stand above a subterranean grove dominated by a tree that spawns evil. These are only a few of the tales that have spread across the Sword Coast from the furthest reaches of Faerun and beyond. The minor details change with the telling. The dread tomb of Acererak shifts its location from a dismal swamp, to a searing desert, to some other forbidding clime in each telling. The key elements remain the same in each version of the tales, lending a thread of truth to the tale. The seeds of those stories now rest in your hand. D&D's deadliest dungeons are now part of your arsenal of adventures. Enjoy, and remember to keep a few spare character sheets handy. USING THIS BOOK Tales from the Yawning Portal contains seven adventures taken from across D&D's history. The introduction of each adventure provides ideas on adapting it to a variety of D&D settings. Use that information to place it in your campaign or to give you an idea of how to adapt it. These adventures provide the perfect side quest away from your current campaign. If you run published D&D campaigns, such as Storm King's Thunder, the higher level adventures presented here are an ideal way to extend the campaign beyond. INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE ADVENTURES THE SUNLESS CITADEL The Sunless Citadel, written by Bruce R. Cordell, was the first published adventure for the third edition of the D&D game. It is designed for a party of four or five 1stlevel player characters. Ever since its publication in 2000, The Sunless Citadel has been widely regarded as an excellent way to introduce new players to the game. It's also a great starting experience for someone looking to be a Dungeon Master for the first time. THE FORGE OF FURY The Forge of Fury, written by Richard Baker, was published in 2000 shortly after The Sunless Citadel. Characters who succeeded in that mission and advanced to 3rd level were now ready to take on the challenges of a ruined dwarven fortress. Like its predecessor, The Forge of Fury is tailored to provide increasingly tougher threats as the characters make their way through the fortress. Those who survive the experience can expect to advance to 5th levelseasoned adventurers ready to strive for greater glory and renown. THE HIDDEN SHRINE OF TAMOACHAN The Hidden Shrine ofTamoachan, written by Harold Johnson and Jeff R. Leason, made its debut under the title Lost Tamoachan at the Origins game convention in 1979, where it was used in the official D&D competition. The first published version of the adventure was produced in 1980. The updated version of the adventure presented herein is designed for a group of four or five 5th-level player characters. WHITE PLUME MOUNTAIN Lawrence Schick, the author of White Plume Mountain, related in the 2013 compilation Dungeons of Dread that he wrote the adventure as a way of persuading Gary Gygax to hire him as a game designer. Not only did he get the job, but White Plume became an instant favorite when it was first published in 1979. The version of the adventure in this book is tailored to a group of characters of 8th level. DEAD IN THAY Dead in Thay, written by Scott Fitzgerald Gray, was created when the fifth edition D&D game was in the testing stages. In its original form, it was used as the story of the D&D Encounters season in the spring of 2014. Featuring an immense and lethal dungeon known as the Doomvault, the adventure serves as a tribute to Tomb of Horrors, Ruins of Undermountain, and other "killer dungeons" throughout the history of the game. The version of Dead in Thay presented here is modified for use in home campaigns. It is designed for characters of 9th to 11th level.

AGAINST THE GIANTS The three linked adventures that make up Against the Giants were created and originally released in 197 . during the time when Gary Gygax was still writing the Player's Handbook for the original AD&D game. Despite being (in a sense) older than the game itself, these adventures continue to hold a special place in the hearts and memories of D&D players of all ages. The compilation of Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant]arl, and Hall of the Fire Giant King was published in 1981 as Against the Giants. The version presented here is designed to be undertaken by characters of 11th level. TOMB OF HORRORS Before there was much of anything else in the world of the D&D game, there was the Tomb of Horrors. The first version of the adventure was crafted for Gary Gygax's personal campaign in the early 1970s and went on to be featured as the official DUNGEONS & DRAGONS event at the original Origins gaming convention in 1975. The first publication of Tomb of Horrors, as a part of the Advanced D&D game, came in 1978. As a proving ground for characters and players alike, fabricated by the devious mind of the game's cocreator, Tomb of Horrors has no equal in the annals of D&D's greatest adventures. Only high-level characters stand a chance of coming back alive, but every player who braves the Tomb will have the experience of a lifetime. RUNNING THE ADVENTURES To run each of these adventures, you need the fifth edition Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual. Before you sit down with your players, read the text of the adventure all the way through and familiarize yourself with the maps as well, perhaps making notes about complex areas or places where the characters are certain to go, so you're well prepared before the action starts. l Text that appears in a box like this is meant to be read aloud or paraphrased for the players when their characters first arrive at a location or under a specific circ*mstance, as described in the text. The Monster Manual contains stat blocks for most of the monsters and NPCs found in this book. When a monster's name appears in bold type, that's a visual cue pointing you to the creature's stat block in the Monster Manual. Descriptions and stat blocks for new monsters appear in appendix B. If a stat block is in that appendix, an adventure's text tells you so. Spells and nonmagical objects or equipment mentioned in the book are described in the Player's Handbook. Magic items are described in the Dungeon Master's Guide, unless the adventure's text directs you to an item's description in appendix A. CREATING A CAMPAIGN While these adventures were never meant to be combined into a full campaign- over 30 years separates the newest from the oldest- they have been selected to provide play across a broad range of levels. With a little work, you can run a complete campaign using only this book. Starting with The Sunless Citadel, guide your players through the adventures in the order that they are presented in this book. Each one provides enough XP that, upon completing the adventure, the characters should be high enough level to advance to the next one. The Yawning Portal, or some other tavern of your own invention or drawn from another D&D setting, provides the perfect framing device for the campaign. The characters hear rumors of each dungeon, with just enough information available to lead them to the next adventure. Perhaps a friendly NPC drawn from the upcoming adventure visits the tavern in search of help, or some element of a character's background pushes the group down the proper road. In any case, these dungeons are designed to be easily portable to any campaign setting. THE YAWNING PORTAL Amid the bustle ofWaterdeep, within the Castle Ward where barristers, nobles, and emissaries battle with word and contract, stands an inn not quite like any other. Before there was a Castle Ward or even what could be recognized as an ancestor of the City of Splendors, there was a dungeon, and in that dungeon begins the tale of the Yawning Portal. In ages past, the mighty wizard Halaster built his tower at the foot of Mount Waterdeep and delved deep into tunnels first built by dwarves and drow in search of ever greater magical power. Halaster and his apprentices expanded the tunnels they found, worming out new lairs under the surface for reasons of their own. In time, their excavations grew into the vast labyrinth known today as Undermountain, the largest dungeon in all of the Forgotten Realms. Halaster eventually disappeared, as have all his apprentices, but the massive complex he built remains to this day. For untold years, the secrets of Undermountain remained hidden from the surface world. Everyone who entered its halls failed to return. Its reputation as a death trap grew to the point that criminals in Waterdeep THE GREEN DRAGON INN The Yawning Portal is not the only renowned tavern in D&D lore. In the Free City of Greyhawk stands the Green Dragon Inn, which has been the starting point for some of the most successful expeditions to Castle Greyhawk and beyond. The place is crowded and smoke-filled. Patrons talk in low voices, and anyone attempting to strike up a conversation without making a clear intent to pay can expect a cold reception. Paranoia and suspicion run rampant here, as befits a free city that stands at the nexus between a devil-haunted empire, a vast domain locked in the irontight grip of a demigod of evil, and a splintered, bickering host of kingdoms nominally committed to justice and weal. In the battered, weary world ofGreyhawk, profit and power take precedence over heroics. INTRODUCTION 5

6 who were sentenced to die were forcibly escorted into the dungeon and left to fend for themselves. All of that changed with the arrival of two men, a warrior named Durnan and a ne'er-do-well named Mirt. The duo were the first adventurers to return from Undermountain, laden with riches and magic treasures. While Mirt used his wealth to buy a mansion, Durnan had different plans. Durnan retired from adventuring and purchased the land on which sat the deep, broad well that was the only known entrance to the dungeon. Around this well he built a tavern and inn that caters to adventurers and those who seek their services, and he called it the Yawning Portal. Some of the magic Durnan looted on his successful foray into Undermountain granted him a life span that exceeds even that of an elf. And for decades Durnan left delving into Undermountain to younger folk. Yet one day, something drew him back. Days of waiting for his triumphant return from the dungeon turned to months and then years. For nearly a century, citizens ofWaterdeep thought him dead. But one night, a voice called up from the well. Few at first believed it could be Durnan, but folk as long-lived as he vouched it so. The Yawning Portal had passed into the hands of his ancestors, but Durnan returned with enough riches for them to quietly retire. Durnan took his customary place behind the bar, raised a toast to his own safe return, and then began serving customers as if he'd never left. Adventurers from across Faerun, and even from elsewhere in the great span of the multiverse, visit the Yawning Portal to exchange knowledge about Undermountain and other dungeons. Most visitors are content to swap stories by the hearth, but sometimes a group driven by greed, ambition, or desperation pays the toll for entry and descends the well. Most don't survive to make the return trip, but enough come back with riches and tales of adventure to tempt other groups into trying their luck. FEATURES OF THE YAWNING PORTAL The Yawning Portal's taproom fills the first floor of the building. The 40-foot-diameter well that provides access to Undermountain dominates the space. The "well" is all that remains of Halaster's tower, and now, devoid of the stairways and floors that formed subterranean levels, it drops as an open shaft for 140 feet. Stirges, spiders, and worse have been known to invade the Yawning Portal from below. Balconies on the tavern's second and third floors overlook the well, with those floors accessed by way of wooden stairs that rise up from the taproom. Guests sitting at the tables on the balconies have an excellent view of the well and the action below. Entering the Well. Those who wish to enter Undermountain for adventure (or the daring tourists who just want to "ride the rope") must pay a gold piece to be lowered down. The return trip also costs a piece of gold, sent up in a bucket in advance. Once the initial payment is made, a few stairs takes one to the top of the waisthigh lip of the well. The rope that hangs in the center of the well is levered over to the lip by a beam in the rafters, and when those who have paid are ready, they mount the rope and take the long ride down. INTRODUCTION Oddities on Display. A staggering variety of curios and oddities adorn the taproom. Traditionally, adventurers who recover a strange relic from Undermountain present it to Durnan as a trophy of their success. Other adventurers leave such curio to mark their visits to the tavern, or relinquish them after losing a bet with Durnan, who likes to wager on the fate of adventuring bands that enter the dungeon. Occasionally, something that strikes Durnan's fancy can be used to pay a bar tab. YAWNING PORTAL TAPROOM CURIOS d20 Item A key carved from bone 2 A small box with no apparent way to open it 3 A mummified troglodyte's hand 4 Half of an iron symbol of Bane 5 A small burlap pouch filled with various teeth 6 Burnt fragments of a scroll 7 A lute missing its strings 8 A bloodstained map 9 An iron gauntlet that is hot to the touch 10 A gold coin stamped with a worn, hawk-wing helm crest 11 A troll finger, still wriggling 12 A silver coin that makes no noise when dropped 13 An empty jar; when opened, a wolf howl sounds from it and continues until it is closed 14 A clockwork owl; when wound, its head turns and it hoots softly for a minute 15 A blue, glowing crystal shard 16 A statuette of a panther, wooden and painted black 17 A piece of parchment, listing fourteen magical pools and their effects when touched 18 A vial filled with a dark , fizzy liquid that is sealed and cannot be opened 19 A feeler taken from a slain rust monster 20 A wooden pipe marked with El minster's sigil A TYPICAL EVENING On quiet nights, guests in the Yawning Portal gather around a large fireplace in the taproom and swap tales of distant places, strange monsters, and valuable treasures. On busier nights, the place is loud and crowded. The balconies overflow with merchants and nobles, while the tables on the ground floor are filled with adventurers and their associates. Invariably, the combination of a few drinks and the crowd's encouragement induces some folk to pay for a brief trip down into Undermountain. Most folk pay in advance for a ride down and immediately back up, though a few ambitious souls might launch impromptu expeditions into the dungeon. Few such ill-prepared parties ever return. Groups seeking to enter Undermountain for a specific reason generally come to the tavern during its quiet hours. Even at such times, there are still a few prying eyes in the taproom, lurkers who carry news of the comings and goings from Undermountain to the Zhentarim. dark cults, criminal gangs, and other interested parties.

,:TARTING THE STORY • eking off a dungeon adventure can be as simple as ~axing a mysterious stranger offer the characters a ..,. est while they are at the Yawning Portal (or some ·her tavern). This approach is a cliche, but it is an effec- ·e one. Use the following two tables to generate a coue of details, then tailor the particulars of the quest and e quest giver to suit the adventure you plan to run. 3 MYSTERIOUS STRANGER OFFERS A QUEST 8 Objective Recover a particular item Find and return with an N PC or monster Slay a terrible monster or NPC Guard a person while they perform a ritual 5 Create an accurate map of part of the dungeon 5 Discover secret lore hidden in the dungeon Destroy an object 3 Sanctify part of the dungeon to a god of good HE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER'S SECRET d8 Secret Intends to betray the party 2 Unwittingly provides false information 3 Has a secret agenda (roll another quest) 4 Is a devil in disguise 5 Has led other parties to their doom 6 Is the charmed thrall of a mind flayer 7 Is possessed by a ghost 8 Is a solar in disguise DURNAN The proprietor of the Yawning Portal is something of an enigma. Blessed with a seemingly limitless life span by rreasures he brought back from his expedition nearly vo centuries ago, he is as much a fixture in the taproom as the well. Durnan is a man of few words. He expects to be paid for his time, and will offer insight and rumors only in return for hard cash. "We know the odds and take our chances," he says, whether he is breaking up a card game that has turned violent or refusing the pleas of adventurers trapped at the bottom of the well who are unable to pay for a ride up. Despite his stony heart, he is an excellent source of information about Undermountain and other dungeons, provided one can pay his price. Personality Trait: Isolation. It's a cruel world. All people have to fend for themselves. Self-sufficiency is the only path to success. Ideal: Independence. Someone who can stand alone can stand against anything. Bond: The Yawning Portal. This place is my only home. My friends and family are long gone. I love this place, but I try not to get attached to the people here. I'll outlive them all. Lucky me. Flaw: Heartless. If you want sympathy, the Temple of Ilmater is in the Sea Ward. No matter how bad things are, you'll be gone in a blink of an eye. OTHER DENIZENS The Yawning Portal is host to a variety of regular visitors, most of whom offer services to adventurers. Chapter 4 of the Dungeon Master's Guide provides plenty of resources for generating nonplayer characters. The following table provides some possibilities for why an individual is visiting the Yawning Portal. DENIZENS OF THE YAWNING PORTAL dlO Denizen Devotee ofTymora, encourages adventures to seek out quests, can cast bless 2 Bored, retired adventurer, claims to have explored dungeon of note and can describe first few areas (20 percent chance of an accurate description) 3 Heckler, mocks cowards and makes bets that adventurers won't return from an expedition 4 Con artist, selling fake treasure maps (but a 10 percent chance that a map is genuine) 5 Wizard's apprentice, carefully making exact sketches of various curios at her master's command 6 Spouse of a slain adventurer, who pays the toll for anyone wanting to exit Undermountain and plots against Durnan 7 Zhentarim agent, seeks rumors of treasure, tails any folk who return from Undermountain and notes their home base for future robbery 8 Agent of the Xanathar, ordered to "steal the hat worn by the eighth person to enter the taproom this night" 9 Magically preserved corpse in a coffin leaning against the bar; if asked about it, Durnan says, "He's waiting for someone," and nothing more 10 El minster, incognito; 10 percent chance he is on an errand of cosmic importance; otherwise , he's pressing Durnan for gossip INTRODUCTION 7

THE SUNLESS CITADEL All things roll here: horrors of midnights, Campaigns of a lost year, Dungeons disturbed, and groves of lights; Echoing on these shores, still clear, Dead ecstasies of questing knightsYet how the wind revives us here! -Arthur Rimbaud HIS ADVENTURE CONCERNS A ONCE-PROUD fortress that fell into the earth in an age long past. Now known as the Sunless Citadel, its echoing, broken halls house malign creatures. Evil has taken root at the citadel's core, which is deep within a subterranean garden of blighted foliage. Here a terrible tree and its dark shepherd plot in darkness. The tree, called the Gulthias Tree, is shepherded by a twisted druid, Belak the Outcast. He was drawn to the buried citadel twelve years ago, following stories of oddly enchanted fruit to their source. The druid found an old fortress that had been swallowed up by the earth in some sort of magically invoked devastation. With the previous inhabitants long dispersed, vile and opportunistic creatures common to lightless dungeons infested the subterranean ruins. At the core of the old fortress, Belak stumbled upon the Twilight Grove. He discovered at the grove's heart the Gulthias Tree, which sprouted from a wooden stake that was used to slay an ancient vampire. A perfect, ruby-red apple ripens on the Gulthias Tree at the summer solstice, and the tree produces a single albino apple at the winter solstice. The midsummer fruit grants vigor, health, and life, while the midwinter fruit steals the same. In the years since Belak's arrival, the enchanted fruit has been widely dispersed through the surrounding lands, promoting good and ill. The seeds of either fruit, if allowed to sprout, grow into small plant monsters known as twig blights. ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS During their trip through the Sunless Citadel, characters deal with monstrous threats and ancient traps, as well as warring tribes of kobolds and goblins. The adventure is designed for four 1st-level player characters. They should advance through 2nd level to 3rd level before the finale. The adventure has four basic parts: 1. Oakhurst. Although it isn't part of the adventure per se, the village of Oakhurst can provide the characters with valuable information about the citadel. They can also use Oakhurst as a place to recuperate and replenish supplies. 2. Kobold Den. The characters' foray into the citadel begins with an incursion into the most accessible areas of the fortress, where a tribe of kobolds has taken up residence. The characters can avoid strife with the kobolds by agreeing to retrieve a lost pet for the kobold leader, and they might be able to persuade the kobolds to join their side. 3. Goblin Lair. The goblins that live deeper inside the citadel consider themselves the owners of the place. They defend themselves aggressively against intrusion, making it difficult to avoid combat with them. 4. Hidden Grove. Eventually, the characters discover the lower level of the citadel and the Twilight Grove that lies within. There, they learn the truth about the enchanted fruit, and they must confront Belak the Outcast and the Gulthias Tree. RUNNING THE ADVENTURE To enhance the experience of the players and help you do your best job as Dungeon Master, take the following pieces of advice and information into consideration. MAPPING It can be difficult to keep track of all the corridors, turns, areas, and other features of a dungeon setting, and the player characters could soon get turned around without a map. Ask for a volunteer to be the party mapper. It's the mapper's job to listen carefully to your description of each area, noting its size and exits, and to record that information by sketching on a sheet of paper. PLACING THE ADVENTURE The Sunless Citadel is designed to be easily located in whatever setting the DM prefers. Here are some examples. Dragonlance. On Krynn, the citadel was once part ofXak Tsaroth, and it harbored worshipers ofTakhisis. When that city was destroyed during the cataclysm, it fell into a rift that opened in the earth. In this setting, consider replacing the kobolds in the adventure with gully dwarves. Eberron. Located near the western edge of the Mournland, the citadel was an ancient ruin even during the time of the Last War. Agents of Cyre used it as a way point for conducting espionage against neighboring realms. On the Day of Mourning, the earth opened up and swallowed the place. The Mournland is within sight of the rift. Forgotten Realms. On Faerun, the Sunless Citadel was once a secret stronghold of the Cult of the Dragon, located in the foothills northwest ofThundertree. It plunged into the earth when Mount Hotenow erupted and threw Neverwinter into chaos. Creyhawk. The Sunless Citadel is a ruined Baklunish stronghold that was cast into the bowels of the earth when the Suel lmperium unleashed the Invoked Devastation. It is located in northwestern Bissel, in the foothills west of Thornward. CHAPTER 1 I THE SUNLESS CITADEL 9

10 TIME OF YEAR If you would like the characters to have the opportunity to find a fruit, begin the adventure a few weeks before either the summer or winter solstice. Apart from making a piece of fruit available on the Gulthias Tree, choosing a season provides you with additional details to set the scene, which enhances the adventure. If you choose summer, the hills are lush with growth, though the heat sometimes grows oppressive. If the characters embark in the winter, temperatures hover just above freezing during the day and plunge below it at night. ADVENTURE HOOKS Adventurers can find the Sunless Citadel within a remote and lonely ravine. The characters can be drawn to the dungeon for any of the following reasons. Relate the information below to the players as necessary to get them interested in journeying to the dungeon site. GOING FOR GLORY You are eager to make a name for yourself. The legend of the Sunless Citadel is well known locally, and stories indicate it is a place that holds promise for those intent on discovery, glory, and treasure! RESCUE MISSION Another party of adventurers, locally based, delved into the Sunless Citadel a month past. They were never seen again . Two human members of that ill-fated party were brother and sister, Talgen Hucrele (a fighter) and Sharwyn Hucrele (a wizard). They were part of an important merchant family based in the nearby village of Oakhurst. Kerowyn Hucrele, the matriarch of the family, offers salvage rights to you and your team if you can find and return with the two lost members of her family- or at least return the gold signet rings worn by the missing brother and sister. She also offers a reward of 125 gp per signet ring, per character. If the characters bring back the Hucreles in good shape (of good mind and body), she offers to double the reward. • ABOUT THE ORIGINAL SOLVING A MYSTERY The goblin tribe infesting the nearby ruins, called the Sunless Citadel, though no one knows why) sells a single piece of magical fruit to the highest bidder in Oakhurst once every midsummer. They've been doing this for the last twelve years. Usually, the fruit sells for around 50 gp, which is all the townsfolk can bring themselves to pay a goblin. The fruit, apparently an apple of perfect hue, heals those who suffer from any disease or other ailment. They sometimes plant the seeds at the center of each fruit, hoping to engender an enchanted apple tree. When the seeds germinate in their proper season, they produce a twiggy mass of twisted sapling stems. Not too long after the saplings reach 2 feet in height, they are stolen- every time. The townsfolk assume the goblins send out thieves to ensure their monopoly of enchanted fruit. You are interested in piercing the mystery associated with how wretched goblins could ever possess such a wonder, and how they steal every sprouting sapling grown from the enchanted fruit's seed. Moreover, you wish to find this rumored tree of healing, hoping to heal an ailing friend or relative. 0AKHURST The community closest to the Sunless Citadel is a village called Oakhurst. Most of its 900 residents (including outlying farms) are human, with a sizable minority of halflings and a scattering of other races. Significant locations in Oakhurst, and the people to be found within them, include the following: Village Hall. The center of government in Oakhurst includes the office of Mayor Vurnor Leng, a male human noble. General Store. The village's main source for supplies and merchandise is the general store, owned and operated by Kerowyn Hucrele, a female human noble. Shrine. Advice, information, and healing are among the services dispensed at the village's shrine. It is maintained by Dem "Corkie" Nackle, a female gnome priest of Pelor. Jail. Next to the village hall is a stout building where miscreants serve their sentences. Oakhurst's conI The Sunless Citadel, by Bruce R. Cordell, was originally published in 2000 as a beginning adventure for the third edition of the D&D game . The adventure is widely regarded as an excellent way to introduce players to D&D. It's also a great starting experience for a new DM. • CHAPTER I I THE SUNLESS CITADEL

stable is Felosial, a female half-elf veteran. She commands a force of sixteen guards and four scouts who keep the village safe. Blacksmith. Repairing and forging arms and armor is the job of the village smithy, Rurik Lutgehr, a male dwarf commoner. 01' Boar Inn. Garon, a male human commoner, is the owner and barkeep of the 01' Boar Inn. He serves food and drink, and the place has a few rooms that visitors can rent. RUMORS HEARD IN OAKHURST Player characters can discover the following additional information while spending time in the local tavern, or through asking the right questions of the locals. • No one knows for sure what the Sunless Citadel once was, but legends hint that it served as the retreat of an ancient dragon cult. The Old Road skirts the Ashen Plain, a lifeless area. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (History) check knows that the desolation is attributed to the long-ago rampage of a dragon named Ashardalon. A few locals also know this fact. • Cattle herders don't graze their stock too far afield these days. They're frightened by stories of new monsters that maraud by night. From time to time, cattle and people who have gone out alone at night have been found dead the next day, bearing dozens of needle-like wounds. No one has seen the creatures that cause this mayhem, nor do they leave a discernible trail. • The missing adventurers include a fighter (Talgen Hucrele), a wizard (Sharwyn Hucrele), a paladin of Pelor (Sir Braford), and a ranger (Karakas). Sir Braford was not a local, and he had a magic sword called Shatterspike. • Sometimes the goblins offer a different apple at midwinter. This apple is corpse-white and poisonous, even to the touch. No samples of either apple are to be had. SUNLESS CITADEL OVERVIEW A dragon cult that valued privacy and defense built the Sunless Citadel on the surface long ago. All record of the cult's name has vanished, though various sources believe that it was associated with the dragon Ashardalon. The cataclysm that killed the cult members sank the fortress at the same time. Because of residual enchantments, much of the structure survived its descent into the earth. With the cultists dead, goblins and other creatures moved in, and they have survived here for hundreds of years. The goblins, which belong to the Durbuluk tribe ("Dominator" in Goblin). once patrolled the area around the ravine to rob passersby. But now, with the Old Road having fallen out of use, the goblins rarely pay much attention to this entrance anymore. Also, a tribe of kobolds has recently moved in to challenge the goblins' ownership of the fortress. Both groups are skirmishing as they vie for control, and they're not overly concerned about the possibility of intruders. Thus, the cleft offers the characters a good opportunity to gain entry to the dungeon without attracting attention. (The missing party that came here before did much the same; the rope left tied to the pillar near the ravine is theirs.) Garon, the barkeep of the 01' Boar Inn, remembers the last time anyone, aside from Talgen and Sharwyn, asked questions about the Sunless Citadel. About thirteen years ago, a grim human named Belak stopped by, and he had a very large pet frog. WILDERNESS ENCOUNTERS If the characters are anywhere between Oakhurst and the Sunless Citadel at night, four twig blights attack the party. The blights attack stealthily from out of nearby foliage. THE CITADEL See the old Dragon from his throne Sink with enormous ruin down! - Hymn Once the characters are ready to leave Oakhurst, the adventure truly begins. The overgrown Old Road winds through rocky downs, near stands of old-growth oak, and past abandoned farms. It is 7 miles from Oakhurst to the Sunless Citadel. RAVINE The Old Road passes to the east of a narrow ravine. At the road's closest approach to the cleft, several broken pillars jut from the earth where the ravine widens. Two of the pillars stand straight, but most lean atop sloped earth. Others are broken, and several have apparently fallen into the dark depths. A few similar pillars are visible on the opposite side of the ravine. A sturdy, knotted rope is tied to one of the leaning pillars on this side of the ravine. Though the kobolds (areas 13-24) and the goblins (areas 31-41) claim the Sunless Citadel as their property, they've never visited all its chambers. They avoid entering the most secluded parts of the grove level. In the past, they feared that the hidden grove was haunted. With the arrival of Belak the Outcast twelve years ago, that belief is vindicated. He orders the goblins to distribute the midsummer fruit each year, and the goblins obey him out of fear. Monsters on Alert. The kobolds and the goblins respond similarly if attacked. Intruders who fall back to take a long rest before dealing with the leaders of an attacked community allow the creatures time to make preparations. Alerted monsters reinforce cleared rooms with forces previously stationed in other rooms. For example, three kobolds from one area 16 could be stationed in area 15 with orders to set an ambush for returning invaders. Or, four goblins from one area 36 could be redeployed to area 32 to guard against another intrusion. Keep track of such changes, so that the characters don't encounter the same kobolds or goblins twice. Random Treasure. Each regular kobold and goblin is likely to have 2dl0 sp, perhaps in the form of various coins and crude jewelry. CHAPTER 1 I THE SUNLESS CITADEL II

I2 GENERAL FEATURES The following facts about the environment are true unless otherwise noted in a specific area description. Doors. The doors are wooden or stone. Light. Beyond area 2, many rooms in the underground dungeon are lightless. Descriptions assume that the characters have a suitable light source and are able to see their surroundings. Ventilation. All keyed areas contain an adequate air supply. The air is renewed from countless cracks leading to the upper open cavern and the surface. These cracks are too small for any but creatures such as giant rats to navigate. The ravine runs for several miles in either direction, with an average depth and width of 30 feet. At the point where it most closely intersects the Old Road, it widens to 40 feet. Investigating. The pillars are worn and broken, and graffiti in the Dwarvish alphabet covers most of them. Characters who know Goblin (after translating the letters from Dwarvish) recognize the inscriptions as warnings and threats against potential trespassers. A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Survival) check reveals that the area in and around the pillars has hosted many small campfires, some of as recent as a month ago. Someone went to some effort to hide the evidence of the camps from casual scrutiny. Descending. The rope tied to one of the leaning pillars hangs down into the darkness of the ravine. Judging by its good condition, the rope couldn't have been tied there any longer than two or three weeks ago. From the edge of the ravine, older and weathered handholds and footholds can be seen carved into the cliff face. These are goblin-carved. Adventurers can easily climb down the knotted rope, using the wall to brace themselves. Using the carved indentations is slower but only slightly harder. The descent is 50 feet to the ledge (area 1). LOCATIONS ON THE FORTRESS LEVEL The following locations are identified on map 1.1. 1. LEDGE A sandy ledge overlooks a subterranean gulf of darkness to the west. The ledge is wide but rough. Sand, rocky debris, and the bones of small animals cover it. A roughhewn stairwell zigs and zags down the side of the ledge, descending into darkness. The far wall of the chasm is 250 feet to the west, and the bottom of the subterranean vault is 80 feet below where the characters stand. Creatures. Drawn by the occasional animal that accidentally falls into the ravine, three giant rats lurk in the rubble. They try to hide if they become aware of the characters, and they ambush the first character who arrives on the ledge without being quiet about it. Investigating. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check reveals humanoid footprints, as well as rat CHAPTER I I THE SUNLESS CITADEL tracks of unusually large size. The footprints lead down the stairs. Among the rubble is an old ring of stones that contains (and is covered by) the accumulated ash of hundreds of fires, though no fire has been lit here for a few years. Inside the ash pile are a few rough-hewn spear tips of goblin manufacture and small animal bones. 2. SWITCHBACK STAIRS The 5-foot-wide stairs that descend from area 1 are roughly carved. They aren't dangerous to traverse, however, except that combat while on the narrow path can be risky. Three small landings lie along the route, the first at 60 feet above the floor in area 3, the second at 40 feet, and the third at 20 feet. The characters might be able to see area 3 as they descend. A fortress emerges from the darkness. The subterranean citadel, though impressive, seems long forgotten, if the lightless windows,cracked crenellations, and leaning towers are any indication. All is quiet, though a cold breeze blows up from below, bringing with it the scent of dust and a faint trace of rot. 3. CRUMBLED COURTYARD The narrow stairs empty into a small courtyard, apparently the top of what was once a crenellated battlement. The buried citadel has sunk so far into the earth that the battlement is now level with the surrounding floor. That floor stretches away to the north and south, composed of a layer of treacherous, crumbled masonry, which reaches to an unknown depth . To the west looms the surviving structure of what must be the Sunless Citadel. A tower stands on the west side of the courtyard. The stone courtyard, surrounded by crumbled masonry, contains a trap and a wooden door. Masonry Debris. An expanse of crumbled masonry surrounds the entire citadel. Those attempting to cross it immediately note its unsteadiness. The rubble is difficult terrain. Anyone who moves across the debris must make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check for each 10 feet traversed. On a failed check, the character is unable to move. If the check fails by 5 or more, a slab of masonry below the character shifts, dumping the character into a debris-lined cavity. Climbing back out requires a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check; on a failed check, the victim drops back into the cavity. Creatures. Each time a creature falls into a cavity, the noise is 10 percent likely to draw ld4 giant rats from the dozens that infest the rubble field. Attracted rats move carefully and stealthily through the rubble to attack.

Hidden Pit. The map shows the location of a concealed trapdoor that covers a IO-foot-square. 10-footdeep pit. A 2-foot-wide catwalk on the we t edge allows access to the door that leads to area 4. It takes a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to note the trapdoor's unmortared edge. Then, a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check lets a character deduce the location of the catwalk and how the pit operates. If a creature steps on the trapdoor, the lid flips open, dumping the creature into the pit. With a successful DC 15 Dexterity check, a creature can use thieves' tools to jam the lid shut. A mechanism resets the trap 1 minute after the door opens, pushing it back into the closed position. The mechanism is in the pit wall under the catwalk. A creature can jam it in the open position with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. If this check succeeds by 5 or more, the mechanism can be permanently disabled if desired. Creature. The pit contains two goblin skeletons, one goblin that has been dead for about a day, and one live giant rat. The rat, which slipped into the pit to feed on the fresh goblin but was caught when the trap reset, attacks creatures inside the pit or climbs out to attack those nearby. Treasure. The goblin corpse has a scimitar and a shield, as well as 23 sp and 4 gp in a belt pouch. 4. TOWER SHELL This circular area is cobbled with cracked granite, upon which sprawl the bodies of four goblins, apparently slain in combat. One corpse stands with its back against the western wall, the spear that killed it still skewering it and holding it upright. Three wooden doors lead from this area. A hollow tower of loose masonry reaches thirty feet into the air, but the intervening floors and stairs are gone, except for a couple of crumbled ledges. Bodies. Investigation reveals that the four goblins have been dead for quite a while, and rats have gnawed at them. The bodies have been looted. If someone removes the spear pinning the goblin to the wall, the body slumps to reveal Draconic runes on the wall behind it. Those who know the Draconic language can read the runes as "Ashardalon." Secret Door. A trapped secret door leads to area 5. Finding the door requires a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check. The door opens by way of a masonry block that also serves as a lever, which can be pushed in on the left side or pulled out from the right. Needle Trap. If the lever is pulled out, that movement sets off a needle trap. The needle extends 3 inches out of the opening, dealing 1 piercing damage to whoever pulled the lever. Someone who carefully and slowly pulls the lever open can easily see the needle before it strikes. Disabling the needle requires thieves' tools and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. If the check fails by 5 or more, the trap goes off, stabbing the character unless the character succeeds on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. ®~ r FORTRESS LEVEL 1 square ; 5 feet MAP 1.1: FORTRESS LEVEL 5. SECRET POCKET This pocket chamber is damp and cold. The skeletons of three long-dead archers slump against rubble-filled arrow slits along the east and south wall. The skeletons date back to the time before the citadel plunged into the earth. That calamity killed all three archers, at the same time instilling in them the curse of undeath. If anyone enters this chamber, the three skeleCHAPTER I I THE SUNLESS CITADEL 13

I4 tons animate, pinpoints of red fire sparkling in their eye sockets as they rise. Treasure. Each skeleton has twenty arrows, 2d10 sp, ldlO gp, and one +l arrow in a special socket on the quiver. Because the skeletons are mindless, they don't use the magical arrows. 6. OLD APPROACH The masonry walls of this twenty-foot-wide hall are in poor repair. The far end has collapsed, filling the southern section with rubble. The western wall is in much better shape than the other walls, and it holds a stone door with a rearing dragon carved in relief on it. The door has a single keyhole, situated in the rearing dragon's open mouth. Dragon Door. The door that is carved to look like a dragon has a mechanical lock as well as an arcane Jock spell cast on it. The Strength (Athletics) check to defeat the arcane lock is DC 30, and the Dexterity check to bypass the magical lock using thieves' tools is DC 25. Casting a knock spell on the door suppresses the magical lock for 10 minutes, lowering the DCs by 10 during that time. The mechanical lock remains intact if the magical lock is bypassed, requiring another knock spell or the use of the key. The key, which bypasses the magical lock as well as the mechanical one, is in area 21. Creature. One giant rat hides in the rubble. The rat attacks anyone who moves to within 5 feet of the edge of the rubble or anyone left alone in this area. 7. GALLERY OF FORLORN NOTES As the door opens, a hissing noise and a puff of dust around the door indicate that the chamber beyond has been sealed for ages. Dust, long undisturbed, covers every surface in this large gallery. The air here is stale. Three alcoves are on the north wall, and one is on the south wall. Each alcove contains a dust-covered stone pedestal with a fist-sized crystalline globe resting on it. The globes in the northern alcoves are cracked and dark, but the globe in the southern alcove glows with a soft blue light. Faint tinkling notes issue from it. If a character moves within 5 feet of the lit globe, brooding music begins to play throughout the area, and the sound carries into areas 6, 8, and 9 if the doors to those areas are open. Any creature that can hear the music must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, a creature is immune to the music of the globe for 24 hours. On a failed save, a creature becomes charmed and, while charmed in this way, can take only the Dash action and move toward area 3. The effect on a creature ends once that creature reaches the floor beyond the pit trap in area 3. If an affected creature is prevented from moving to area 3, CHAPTER l I THE SUNLESS CITADEL the creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a successful save. The effect ends on its own 1 minute after the creature can no longer hear the music. A creature can escape the music by being on the other side of a closed door that leads to the gallery, or by vacating the area (including adjacent rooms) where the music is audible. The globe has AC 10 and 10 hit points. If it is attacked or handled, the music becomes louder, audible in areas 4 and 10 if the doors to those areas are open. The DC of the Wisdom saving throw then increases to 20. If the globe is reduced to O hit points or taken from the room, it cracks and goes dark and silent. It no longer functions. 8. PRESSURE PLATE I The air is stale in this twenty-foot-long corridor, which leads to another closed stone door. I Arrow Trap. Each time any weight is placed on any part of the center 10-foot-square section of the corridor, a mechanical pressure plate is activated, triggering a trap. An arrow fires from above the western door at the creature who triggered the trap: +5 to hit, 5 (ldlO) piercing damage. With a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, a character can deduce the presence of the pressure plate from variations in the mortar and stone around it, compared to the surrounding floor. Wedging an iron spike or some other similarly sized and sturdy object under the pressure plate prevents it from activating. 9. DRAGON RIDDLE Dust fills this hall like a layer of gray snow. In the rounded northern end of the chamber stands a ten-foottall sculpture of a coiled dragon carved from red-veined white marble. Dragon Sculpture. If a creature moves within 5 feet of the dragon statue, a magic mouth spell causes the dragon to utter a riddle in Common (to viewers, it seems as though the stone jaws are actually moving). The dragon's riddle is as follows: We come at night without being fetched; we disappear by day without being stolen. What are we? (Answer: stars) Secret Door. A secret door in the western wall leads to area 10. Finding the door requires a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check. Under the scrutiny of detect magic, the door radiates a faint aura of abjuration magic. The door comes open, pivoting into the room, only if someone speaks the answer to the riddle. Once the door is opened, it closes on its own 1 minute later, although any obstruction placed in the doorway

prevents it from doing so. The door can be opened from the western side with a simple push. 10. HONOR GUARD Dust cloaks the contents of this twenty-foot-wide hall. Six alcoves line the walls, three to the north and three to the south. Each alcove except the southwest one holds a humanoid figure carved of red-veined white marble. The figures resemble tall elves in plate armor. A stone archway at the west end of the hall opens into a wide room from which greenish light glows. A dark pit is situated before the archway. Southwest Alcove. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that the dust in the room is disturbed by tracks that start in the southwest alcove, though the tracks are filled in enough that the disturbance must have occurred dozens of years ago. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check enables a character to determine that the tracks were made by tiny humanoid feet with claw-like nails. They begin in the center of the alcove, move west toward the pit, and then disappear into the pit. A character who enters the pit to follow the tracks must make another successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check to pick up the trail again. Spiked Pit. The pit is 10 feet deep, and its bottom is filled with spikes that deal 11 (2d10) piercing damage to a creature that falls in, as well as falling damage. The walls of the pit are rough, and they offer handholds to climbers. Area 12 begins on its far side. Creature. A quasit named Jot was bound in the southwestern alcove an age ago to guard the contents of the sarcophagus in area 12. It was in suspended animation until a few decades ago, and it now waits on the other side of the arch just out of sight in area 12. Jot is alerted by any light source the characters have, so it can prepare for them. (If the characters have no light source and are stealthy,Jot might not become aware of them.) The quasit darts out of its hiding place and attacks the first creature that climbs out of the pit on the western side. Development. Jot doesn't fight to the death. If it takes any damage, or if more than one character attacks it, Jot laughs and says, "You broke the binding. My watch over the dragonpriest is over!" It uses its next action to become invisible. It then turns into a bat and flies along the 10-foot-high ceiling across the pit. If Jot escapes, the characters might see it again. It knows that death on the Material Plane means a return to the Abyss, so it prefers to harass the characters while they are otherwise engaged, laughing and mocking as it does so. Secret Door. Finding the door on the southern wall requires a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check. The door opens with a simple push inward. 11. SECRET ROOM I Dust coats the contents of this tiny chamber, obscuring runes inscribed on the southern wall. Inscription. If the southern wall is cleared of dust, I the runes are revealed to be a message in Draconic. Someone who can read the language understands it as "A dragonpriest entombed alive for transgressions of the Law still retains the honor of his position." Secret Door. A secret trapdoor in the floor requires a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check to find. The door opens by pulling it upward. It leads to a 3-footby-3-foot crawl space that connects to a similar trapdoor in area 12. 12. TOMB OF A FAILED DRAGONPRIEST Violet marble tiles cover the floor and walls, though all are cracked or broken, revealing rough-hewn stone beneath. Sconces are attached to the walls at each corner. One holds a torch that burns with greenish fire . A marble sarcophagus, easily nine feet long, lies in the room's center. The coffin is carved with dragon imagery, and the head of the sarcophagus resembles a dragon's head. Rusting iron clasps firmly lock down the lid. Torch. The greenish fire is a continual flame spell. Sarcophagus. Six rusted iron latches hold down the sarcophagus lid. Opening a single latch requires a CHAPTER I I THE SUNLESS CITADEL r5

16 successful DC 15 Strength check. If the six latches are opened, the lid can be removed with a successful DC 15 Strength check or by the effort of any combination of characters whose combined Strength is 30 or higher. Inside, a dragonpriest lies imprisoned, kept alive by virtue of a sequester spell that is dispelled with a flash of green light when the sarcophagus is opened. If the characters look inside, read: In the coffin is a troll! It's dressed in rotted finery, but its jewelry and rings adorned with tiny silver dragons still sparkle. The creature's body is shrunken and elongated, and its flesh is a rubbery, putrid green. Its black hair is long, thick, and ropy. Its beady black eyes flash open, and it snarls. This dragonpriest delved into magic that the dragon cult deemed profane-he permanently transformed himself from an elf into a troll. For this crime, the cult entombed him alive, though the honor of his station remained. The dragonpriest attacks his rescuers, his mind all but transformed to that of a troll over the ages of his burial. He had a name, but he has forgotten it, although he has not forgotten how to speak Elvish and Draconic. Creature. In his current state, the dragonpriest is slower and weaker than a normal troll. Use troll statistics, but the dragonpriest starts with 30 hit points, regenerates only 5 hit points per round (up to normal for a troll), and can't use Multiattack. If he is defeated in this state, the dragonpriest is worth 450 XP. Development. The dragonpriest won't pursue fleeing characters. Instead, he continues to repose in his tomb until hunger finally draws him forth to hunt five days later. By that time, he uses the normal troll statistics, retaining his additional languages. Treasure. The dragonpriest has an ornate ceremonial dagger (worth 125 gp), two silver rings (15 gp each), and a silver amulet (15 gp). Scattered across the bottom of the sarcophagus are 220 sp, 50 gp, and four spell scrolls: command, cure wounds (2nd level), inflict wounds (2nd level), and guiding bolt (2nd level). 13. EMPTY ROOM Several empty rooms in the fortress have the same characteristics. Nothing of note can be found in any of them. l This ruined chamber stands empty of all but a litter of ] rocky debris. 14. ENCHANTED WATER CACHE l The stone relief-carved door sealing this chamber por- ] trays a dragon-like fish swimming. The door is locked but can be opened with thieves' tools and a successful DC 20 Dexterity check. CHAPTER 1 I THE SUNLESS CITADEL RANDOM ENCOUNTERS In areas 13 and beyond, monsters move through the halls of the Sunless Citadel. For every 12 hours the characters spend in the dungeon, roll a d20 and refer to the following table if the characters are in an accessible hallway or room at that time. d20 Encounter ld6 kobolds 2 1 d6 giant rats 3 ld4 goblins 4 ld2 hobgoblins 5 1 d4 skeletons 6 ld6 twig blights 7-20 No encounter If the door is opened, read: This ten-foot-square chamber is hewn from stone. It contains an upright keg fashioned of rusted iron. Rusted pipes lead from the keg into the floor. If anyone shakes or strikes the keg, the sound of sloshing liquid comes from inside it. The connecting pipes hold the keg in place, preventing it from being detached. The characters can remove a wide metallic bung on the keg's top with a successful DC 15 Strength check, or someone can easily stave in the side of the keg. Creatures. If the keg is breached, the ice mephit and the steam mephit confined within it are released. The creatures attack anyone who has disturbed the keg. Treasure. Within the keg are five tiny sapphires (worth 10 gp each) used to bring about the magic that bound the mephits. 15. DRAGON CELL Crudely executed symbols and glyphs, scribed in bright green dye, decorate this large and irregularly shaped crumbling chamber. A large pit in the center shows evidence of a recent fire. A metallic cage in the middle of the southern wall contains a gaping hole and stands empty. A small wooden bench draped with green cloth is next to the cage, and several small objects rest on it. A bedroll lies near the wooden bench, and the sound of whimpering comes from inside it. Until recently, the kobolds confined a white dragon wyrmling in the cage and placed it under heavy guard. Those guards were not strong enough to stand against a sortie by goblins that stole the wyrmling a week ago. Creature. Meepo, the kobold who was his tribe's Keeper of Dragons, is now the sole occupant of the chamber. He is heartsick at the loss of the wyrmling and spends much of his time nowadays in nightmare-ridden sleep in his bedroll. With the loss of his charge, Meepo's status is in the gutter. He doesn't react to anything short of loud noise or direct prodding.

If he is disturbed, Meepo is frightened but willing to talk. He is weepy. His numerous obvious scars are souvenirs of his job as Keeper of Dragons. If he is asked about the cage or queried in any way that mentions a dragon, he says, "The clan's dragon ... we lost it. The wretched goblins stole Calcryx, our dragon!" To all other questions, Meepo responds by saying, "Meepo don't know, but Yusdrayl does. Meepo take you to meet Yusdrayl, our leader, if you make nice. You get safe passage, if you promise to make nice. Maybe if you promise to rescue dragon, Yusdrayl make nice to you, answer questions." Meepo perks up as he senses the possibility of getting the dragon back. True to his word, he guides the characters to area 21. Along the way, he shouts out "Ticklecorn!" (in Draconic) from time to time, explaining that it's a password that tells other kobolds the characters are friendly. If the characters leave Meepo behind, or if they are antagonistic toward him, the characters don't learn the password, and all other kobolds are hostile toward the party. Development. If combat occurs in this chamber, the kobolds in the nearby area 16 are alerted, and they rush out to meet enemies. Investigating. The symbols on the walls are crudely formed in Draconic and read, "Here There Be Dragons." The metallic cage is all but destroyed and can't be used to restrain captives. A search of the cage reveals white scales that someone who has proficiency in Nature or Survival can determine to be from no natural animal. A successful DC 15 check using either skill identifies the scales as those of a white dragon wyrmling. The firepit, if its ashes are sifted, is found to hold charred bits of kobold bones and armor. Treasure. The bench serves as a sort of tiny altar. Resting on it are containers of green dye. a paintbrush made of goblin-hair bristles, and four tiny jade figurines of dragons (worth 15 gp each). A thorough search of the firepit and a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals another jade figurine. 16. KOBOLD GUARDROOM Three rooms in the fortress serve as kobold guard stations. All have the same characteristics. Door Trap. The door leading to the room is trapped with a tripwire that the kobolds connect after shutting the door. Hitting this tripwire, 2 inches off the ground stretched between opposite door frames and running up the frame, causes the trap to trigger. A character who succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check spots the wire. If a character then succeeds on a DC 10 Dexterity check using thieves' tools, the tripwire is cut without triggering the trap. A character can attempt this check using any edged weapon or edged tool in place of thieves' tools, but does so with disadvantage. On a failed Dexterity check, the trap triggers, tipping over a clay pot of offal, garbage, and dragon droppings that falls on any creature in the doorway and splatters in a 5-foot radius. A creature hit by the stuff must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a successful save. The kobolds release the tension on the tripwire when they exit, meaning that any guardroom that has been vacated can be entered safely. A small pit of embers, built of broken masonry and portions of shattered stone sculptures, smolders in the center of this chamber. Arrayed around the pit are several small rugs woven of matted hair and dead fungi. Creatures. The room serves as a barracks and guard post for the kobold tribe's warriors. Three kobolds stand guard inside, unless they have already come forth to reinforce other kobolds. If the characters try to talk and the interaction is successful, the kobolds direct the characters to head toward "Yusdrayl on her dragon throne," giving them simple directions to area 21 and warning them to avoid rousing the ire ofYusdrayl's elite guards. 17. DRAGON CHOW A character who approaches the door can smell the stench of what lies beyond. If the door is opened, read: Rats fill the room, trapped among their own waste. A small half-barrier prevents the rats from easily escaping when the door is open. Creatures. The rats are used as food for the dragon wyrmling that was once stabled in area 15. Since the abduction of the dragon, the kobolds have neglected the rats, and in the meantime the rodents have chewed away the fastenings of the barrier. One round after someone opens the door, the rats knock the barrier over and rush out, attacking as a swarm of rats for 1 round, after which they disperse into the dungeon. CHAPTER 1 I THE SUNLESS CITADEL 17

18 18. PRISON Each door that lead to the prison chamber is locked, requiring a DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools to unlock, and also barred on the outside with an iron rod. If a character attempts to open either door while any kobolds are present, the kobolds warn against doing so. Opening a door in spite of this warning turns the kobolds hostile. Four small humanoids are shackled by thick, rusted chains attached to a large iron spike set in the floor. Several broken weapons and sundered shields lie in one corner. Creatures. Four goblins are chained here, taken prisoner during the course of several skirmishes. Every so often, the kobolds remove a goblin from the room and ransom it back to the goblins (for a price of 2d10 sp). Those who can't be ransomed are bound for the kobold cook pot. The goblins whine and cower pathetically if any characters enter the room. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools can open the lock on the chains, or the chains can be broken (Strength DC 20) or sundered (AC 15, 60 hit points). The goblins promise anything and everything in exchange for their release, including safe passage for the characters to their chief. The creatures have no power to guarantee their promises, however. In addition, if the goblins are released, any understanding the characters have with the kobolds is voided. Freed goblins flee at the first hint of trouble, and they double-cross their rescuers if threatened by other goblins. 19. HALL OF DRAGONS A double row of relief-carved marble columns march the length of this long, large hall. The worn carvings depict entwining dragons. Creatures. An elite squad of three kobolds (each with 7 hit points) patrols the hall, considering the duty an honor. The guards pay particular attention to the door that leads to area 24, which is along the route traditionally used by goblin raiders. These kobolds react to the character's presence in the same way as the ordinary ones described in area 16. If the characters head for area 21 without causing hostilities, these guards follow the characters into Yusdrayl's presence. Development. If combat erupts here, the result is likely to be deadly for the party. Any kobolds remaining in the areas nearby enter the room as reinforcements. Yusdrayl and her two guards arrive from area 21 at the start of the second round of combat. At the start of the fifth round, the kobolds in the area 16 to the southwest of this room come on the scene. At the start of the eighth round, the kobolds from area 23 enter the fray. (Kobolds that leave their original area and are slain here should be noted for possible future reference.) CHAPTER I I THE SUNLESS CITADEL 20. KOBOLD COLONY The strong wooden door that leads to the kobolds' living quarters is barred from the inside. Characters who give the proper password ("Ticklecorn!" spoken in Draconic; see area 15) or who make a successful DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check can convince the kobolds within to unbar the door. Otherwise, the kobolds open the door only when guards return to the room for a shift change. Several small but smoky fires light this wide and high chamber. Spits, tanning racks, and other implements of a primitive culture are visible through the haze. Several small figures busily work and play within the chamber. Twenty-four kobolds occupy the room, but only three kobolds are capable warriors that challenge unescorted intruders. Seven other kobolds are commoners, but with 3 hit points each, and a -1 reduction to hit and damage compared to the Monster Manual statistics. The other tribe members here are too young, too old, or too cowardly to defend themselves; they flee if combat breaks out and are worth no XP. Even the kobolds capable of fighting run away if they are outmatched. The kobolds here answer all questions with a quick "Yusdrayl knows." An attack on these kobolds brings reinforcements, as described in area 19, though each group arrives 1 round later because of the extra distance it must traverse. 21. DRAGON THRONE A short throne stands near the west wall, constructed of fallen bits of masonry stacked against an old altar. On the top of the altar sit a variety of small items. The portion of the altar that serves as the throne's back features a carving of a rearing dragon. A metallic key is held firmly in the dragon's open jaws. Creatures. Normally sitting on the throne is the kobolds' leader, Yusdrayl (see appendix B). Two elite kobolds (7 hit points each) guard her. Those who come to Yusdrayl's chamber can talk to her; she is hostile only if she knows that the characters have slain other kobolds. Characters who antagonize her while talking earn the leader's ire and a savage attack. Yusdrayl can speak to the following questions: Why are kobolds in this place? "Kobolds are heir to dragons. As the mightiest among my people, I have led a brave few to this ancient holy site, where dragons were worshiped long ago." Yusdrayl knows nothing else about the history of the fortress, except the name of the dragon that was once revered here, which is Ashardalon. What about the goblins/fruit/Belak? "The Outcast, he lives below. He grows the fruit, which he gives to the goblins. The dragon-thieving goblins are his servants!"

What about the twig monsters? "The twig blights are pets of the Outcast. They are more numerous below, in the Twilight Grove." What about the Jost human adventurers? -They went to fight the goblins and never returned." What about the stolen wyrmling dragon? "The goblins stole our dragon! If you return Calcryx to us. I shall grant you a reward. Meepo can accompany you if you desire." If the characters decide to go looking for the dragon, the kobolds direct them toward the passage that connects area 15 and area 25, which is the "back way" into goblin territory. Yusdrayl and her followers know nothing useful about the goblin lair. If the characters take Meepo with them, he can serve as their guide to that location. If Meepo goes along and is slain, the kobolds count it as a small loss as long as the dragon is rescued. Possible rewards include the key in the carved dragon's mouth, or any two of the items on the altar. Yusdrayl is also willing to sell the key for 50 gp. Development. If hostilities break out, reinforcements arrive in the manner described in area 19. If the characters return Calcryx, Yusdrayl can be convinced to aid them in an assault on the remaining goblins. You determine the nature of the aid. Treasure. The key clenched in the mouth of the carved dragon opens the door to area 7. Yusdrayl has keys to area 18 and the chains there, a key to the doors in area 24, and a key that once fit the cage in area 15. She also has 35 gp. The items assembled on the altar include a Quaal's feather token (tree), three spell scrolls (mage armor, spider climb, and knock), and a small flask that contains three doses of elixir of health. 22.LARDER The odor of rotting meat permeates this chamber. Most of the rusty iron hooks in the ceiling are empty, but a few hold the skinned carcasses of large vermin, huge fungoid stalks, and several massive insect carapaces. On a small, battered bench along the south wall are pieces of nearly useless cutlery and rusting skinning knives. The kobolds bring food for their tribe up from the Underdark and store it in a nearby chamber. The rotting flesh is that of rats, bats, overlarge cave crickets, beetles, goblin parts, and spiders. The room also has a selection of fungi and mushrooms. 23. UNDERDARK ACCESS The floor is partially collapsed on the east side of this room, revealing a tunnel. The passage is unworked, and it fluctuates widely in width, height, and direction as natural tunnels do. Within the room, hunting gear is racked on the wall, and several pallets lie nearby. The kobolds used the natural passage to first enter the Sunless Citadel, and they continue to travel through it for hunting and gathering forays into the Underdark. The tunnel leads beyond the scope of this adventure, but it could be a route to a site you have designed. Creatures. If they have not come forth as reinforcements, three kobolds camp here, serving as hunters and guardians of the tunnel. They react as described in area 16. 24. TRAPPED ACCESS The doors on both ends of the corridor are locked and can be opened by a character who succeeds on a DC 20 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. I At the other end of a twenty-foot-long corridor is another I closed door. Hidden Pit. The map shows the location of a concealed trapdoor. A 2-foot-wide catwalk along the pit's center allows safe passage over the pit. With a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, a character notices the door's unmortared rim. After that, a character who makes a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check deduces the location of the catwalk, as well as how the pit operates. If a creature steps on the pit cover, the lid flips open, dumping the creature 10 feet into the pit. With a successful DC 15 Dexterity check, a creature can use CHAPTER 1 I THE SUNLESS CITADEL

QO thieves' tools and an object, such as an iron spike. to wedge the lid shut. Kobolds regularly check the trap and manually reset it when necessary. 25. EMPTY CHAMBER Two empty chambers in the eastern end of the fortress have the same characteristics. l This empty chamber is home only to rat droppings, ] crumbled flagstone, and stains. Investigating. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices tracks in the dust. Some tracks were made by rats and some by humanoids. A character who then succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check ascertains that the rat tracks are very recent, maybe a day old, and that the humanoid tracks are almost a month old and \.Vere made by three or four human-sized humanoids moving across the area to the north. Trap. The door that connects the northernmost empty chamber with area 31 contains a trap. See area 31 for more details. 26. DRY FOUNTAIN Dust and odd bits of stony debris and rubble lie scattered on the floor. An ornate fountain is built into the eastern wall. Though cracked and stained, the fountain's overarching carving of a diving dragon retains its beauty. A relief-carved stone door stands on the western wall. Investigating. The debris and dust covering the floor display the same tracks described in area 25. Fountain. A thin layer of scum coats the fountain's basin, but it is otherwise dry. Under the scrutiny of a detect magic spell, the fountain emits an aura of conjuration. A character who makes a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices a mostly worn-away inscription in Draconic on the basin's front. It reads, "Let there be fire." If a character speaks the phrase aloud, the magic of the fountain functions one last time. Reddish liquid begins to well from the diving dragon's mouth, slowly accumulating in the basin. If the liquid is collected, it can be used as a potion of fire breath. After it is used in this way, the fountain loses its magic. Western Door. Carvings on the western door show skeletal dragons. A Draconic inscription on the door reads, "Rebuke the dead, open the way." Within 5 feet of the door, the air is noticeably cooler, and the door itself is cold to the touch. The locked door opens only when someone targets it with a knock spell or an effect that turns undead. If someone does so, the door glows ghostly blue and swings open silently. CHAPTER I I THE SUNLESS CITADEL Scythe Trap. If someone tries to open the door without first deactivating the lock, a scythe blade springs forth, targeting the area immediately in front of the door: +5 to hit, 4 (ld8) slashing damage. The blade is concealed in a slot in the ceiling, 10 feet up. A character who succeeds on a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check can find the slot before the trap is sprung. The opening, once discovered, can be blocked with an iron spike or a similar object. A character who does so must make a DC 15 Dexterity check or Strength check. On a failed check, the blockage falls out when the trap is sprung. Alternatively, a character can use thieves' tools and a successful DC 20 Dexterity check to pull the trap mechanism out of the slot and dismantle it. Either task takes about a minute. 27. SANCTUARY I Five dusty sarcophagi, three to the north and two to the south, stand on end in this silent chamber. Each of the carved stone coffins resembles a noble, elf-like humanoid in ceremonial robes. An altar, with images of dragons carved into its black obsidian, is set in the center of the west wall. A single candle burns brightly on the altar. Next to the candle are a small whistle and a crystal flask. Creatures. Five skeletons emerge en masse from the sarcophagi to attack those who disturb the altar or open any sarcophagus. These creatures pursue characters who flee. Treasure. The candle has a continual flame spell l cast on it. In the flask is a potion of resistance (fire). The whistle, made of crystal, has the name Night Caller inscribed on it in Dwarvish. See appendix A for a description of this item. A secret compartment in the shrine, requiring a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check to find, holds a coffer containing six peridot jewels carved in a likeness of a dragon (worth 10 gp each). 28_ INFESTED CELLS l This section of hallway contains six doors, all slightly ajar. l The area smells musky. The doors lead to small cells. Each door is open just wide enough to enable Small and smaller creatures to slip through without having to open it farther. Creatures. The two southernmost cells and the one to the northeast contain abandoned giant rat nests. One giant rat lives in each of the other cells. Any noise or light in the area attracts all three creatures. Investigating. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices tracks in the dust here. Some tracks were made by rats and some by humanoids. A character who then succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check ascertains that the rat tracks are recent, perhaps a few minutes old, and the humanoid tracks are almost a month old and were

made by four human-sized individuals movin_ aero s the area to the north. Only three of those indi,·iduals returned south. Treasure. The occupied rat nests contain hiny bits collected by their current owners. Poking through each nest turns up 2d6 - 2 sp, ld6 - 1 gp, and ld-+ - 1 gems (worth 5 gp each). 29. DISABLED TRAPS The cobblestone floor contains two trapdoors blocked open by iron spikes. The north wall holds a dry fountain carved with an overarching diving dragon. A faint rotten stench pervades the room. Investigating. The two marked areas on the map are traps that were jammed open by the lost adventuring party. Examining each one reveals a 20-foot-deep pit containing only rat bones, rusted metal bits, and filth. Chances to find or follow the trail noted in area 28 are similar here. The trail of the missing adventuring party skirts around the traps and leads to the western wooden door. Development. Those who spend more than 3 rounds in the chamber conversing in normal tones, or otherwise making noise, draw the attention of the inhabitants of area 30, who hide to ready an ambush. Trapped Fountain. The dry fountain on the northern wall looks remarkably like the one described in area 26. Under the scrutiny of a detect magic spell, the fountain emits a faint aura of evocation. A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals suspicious metallic tubes in the carved dragon's mouth, as well as a small, rusted iron canister. A character who makes a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices a mostly worn-away inscription in Draconic on the front of the basin. It reads, "Let there be death." Anyone who speaks this phrase aloud in Draconic triggers the trap. A poison mist sprays forth from the dragon's mouth, filling a 20-foot cube and expending the canister's last charge. Those in the area must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 5 (ldlO) poison damage and becomes poisoned for 10 minutes. On a successful save, the creature takes only half the poison damage and is poisoned for 1 minute. Western Door. A character who approaches the western door can smell the stench of rotten meat coming from the other side. 30. MAMA RAT An oppressive smell suffuses the air, rising from chewed carcasses of cave rats, smaller vermin, and a few humanoid-looking creatures. The bodies lie upon a floor of filth, old bones, hair, and fur that combine to make a particularly large and vile nest. Investigating. The humanoid corpses in the chamber include two goblins, a kobold, and one human male- a member of the lost adventuring party (Karakas the ranger). Creatures. Three giant rats occupy the area, along with a monstrously swollen female diseased giant rat (Medium [6 feet long], 16 hit points, +5 to hit, challenge rating 1/4 [50 XP]) that the goblins call Guthash (Bloated One). The giant rats that hunt in the Sunless Citadel all descend from her. These creatures attack and attempt to eat all trespassers. Treasure. Poking through the refuse over a period of 10 minutes uncovers 312 sp, 68 gp, and 3 gems (worth 25 gp each). On and around the ranger's corpse are several items: studded leather armor, five daggers, a longbow, a backpack (containing a water skin, one day's rations, a bedroll, a tinderbox, and three torches), a quiver with six arrows, a potion of healing, and a pouch that holds 17 gp. A gold ring (worth 10 gp) on Karakas's finger is engraved (in Common) with his name. 31 . CALTROP HALL The door that leads north into this hallway is closed and fitted with a bell that clangs if someone opens the door without doing so very slowly. With a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, someone who carefully opens the door might spot the bell attached to the door about 3 feet off the ground. A character who examines the space around the door before opening it and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the damage done to the door when the goblins fastened the bell to it. If the bell rings, the noise alerts the goblins in area 32. They duck behind the low wall and wait to ambush intruders that enter the corridor. The ten-foot-wide hall is liberally strewn with sharp caltrops. On the northern wall, passage to the room beyond is partially blocked by a roughly mortared, three-foothigh wall, complete with crenellations. Caltrops. The floor in the hallway is strewn with caltrops; see "Adventuring Gear" in chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook. Creatures. Two goblins in area 32 pop up over the wall if they are alerted to the characters' presence. The creatures use ranged attacks as the characters move through the hall. Treasure. About two hundred caltrops are strewn on the floor. 32. GOBLIN GATE The filth on the floor, stains on the walls, shabby hides, and firepit attest to the years of use this room has seen at the hands of creatures unconcerned with hygiene. On the eastern side of the southern wall is a crudely mortared half-wall, complete with crenellations. CHAPTER I I THE SUNLESS CITADEL 2I

22 Creatures. Two goblins are stationed behind the rough, 3-foot-high wall. They are hostile to intruders, but unwilling to die facing a superior force. If captured, these goblins know the same information that Erky Timbers in area 34 does. Development. If one of the goblins gets away, it warns the goblins in area 33. The alerted goblins prepare an ambush for intruders in that area. Investigating. A search of the room turns up putrid jerky, vinegary wine in poorly preserved water skins, and other worthless bits of clutter. 33. PRACTICE RANGE The sound of goblins engaged in target practice might be heard from outside any of the doors to the practice range. Dozens of blunted and broken arrows lie on the cracked cobblestone floor, and a few protrude from three crudely sewn, human-sized targets hung along the center of the south wall. The northern third of the room is separated from the south by a crudely mortared and crenellated half-wall. A permanent camp of sorts lies north of the wall, complete with a fire ring and several small iron cook pots. Creatures. The three goblins assigned to watch the room spend some of their time shooting at the hair-andfur-filled burlap dummies that look vaguely like humans and elves. The rest of the time they drink too much goblin wine. When fighting, the goblins try to use the 3-foot-high wall for cover while shooting their foes. CHAPTER l I THE SUNLESS CITADEL Treasure. One goblin has a silver flask of dwarven make (worth 50 gp) filled with vile goblin wine. Another goblin has a key to open the locked door to area 34. Development. If things go badly for the goblins, one of them attempts to warn the goblin warriors in area 39. 34. GOBLIN STOCKADE The wooden door is closed and locked. It can be opened by a character who succeeds on a DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. Squalor reigns in this low-ceilinged room. A large iron spike is driven into the floor near the door, and a small iron cage is set farther back. Several sets of corroded manacles are connected to the walls.and some still bind a few crumbling skeletons. Creatures. Three kobolds are bound with crude rope to the iron spike. A battered gnome lies in the cage, which is almost too small for him. It's easy to untie the kobolds. Freeing the caged gnome requires either a successful DC 15 Strength check to bend the bars or a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools to open the cage lock. The kobolds are aware that the goblins might try to ransom them back to the other kobolds. Uncertain of their chances with the characters, the kobolds are unhelpful and reluctant to be set free. If they are released and shown a clear line of retreat, the kobolds flee. They know very little, but they react positively to Meepo's presence or if they are told that the characters intend to free Calcryx. The gnome is named Erky Timbers, an acolyte with 17 (5d6) hit points who knows Common, Draconic, Gnomish, and Goblin. He has the cleric's Channel Divinity: Turn Undead feature, which he can use once after each short or long rest. If he is released, he helpfully answers questions. He knows the following information: Why are you here? "Months past, I was on my way to seek my fortune and took the Old Road. My bad luck that the goblin bandits caught me; I've been here ever since. My deity's blessings have kept me healthy; otherwise I'm sure I'd be dead from starvation and abuse." What about the goblins/Belak? "I've heard the goblins talk about the Twilight Grove down below. A wicked old human called Belak-a spellcaster, I suspecttends an enchanted garden and harvests fruit from something the goblins call the Gulthias Tree, but they speak of it only in the most terrified of whispers. The enchanted fruit grows on the Gulthias Tree." What's the deal with the fruit? "The midsummer fruit restores spirit and vigor to those who eat it; the pale midwinter fruit steals the same. Belak allows the goblins to sell the fruit on the surface, but I don't know why." What about the twig blights? "Twig blights live in the level below, with the Gulthias Tree."

What about the lost human adventurers? -rhe goblins caught three of them over a month ago. and they were captives with me in here for a while. They aid their names were Talgen, Sharwyn, and Sir Braford. The goblins kept them in here only about a week before they removed them. Belak wanted them, and th at"s the last I've heard about that." Development. If the characters fail to suggest it. Erky Timbers asks to join the party as a temporary member. The gnome serves as a loyal friend. Currently, though, he has no gear. Those who free Erky gain XP as if they defeated him in combat. Manacles. The rusted iron restraints can bind a Small or Medium creature. If the characters are taken prisoner (see area 36) and bound here, escaping from the manacles requires a successful DC 20 Dexterity check. A set of manacles can be broken with a successful DC 20 Strength check, or a character proficient with thieves' tools can pick the lock on a set of manacles with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. Manacles have AC 15 and 15 hit points. 35. TRAPPED CORRIDOR Hidden Pit. The map shows the location of a concealed trapdoor. A 2-foot-wide catwalk along the pit's center allows safe passage over the pit. With a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, a character notices the door's unmortared rim. After that, a character who makes a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check deduces the location of the catwalk, as well as how the pit operates. If a creature steps on the pit cover, the lid flips open, dumping the creature 10 feet into the pit. With a successful DC 15 Dexterity check, a creature can use thieves' tools and an object, such as an iron spike, to wedge the lid shut. Development, If characters fall into the pit or otherwise make excessive noise, the goblins in the area 36 to the north are alerted. Alerted goblins respond in 2 rounds. These goblins also check the trap and manually reset it. Treasure. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check made while searching around the pit uncovers a long-lost gold ring with an inset sapphire (worth 25 gp). 36. GOBLIN BANDITS Three rooms in the northern part of the fortress serve as living quarters for goblin bandits. All have the same characteristics. The stench, garbage, and carrion here are evidence of years of use by unsanitary tenants. Tattered hides stretched on frames form six unstable hammocks around a much-used firepit. Battered cooking equipment is mixed indiscriminately with broken or worn arms and armor. Creatures. Three goblins, who proudly call themselves bandits, are in the room when the characters enter. In better times, two or more bandit groups would hunt the Old Road together, preying on travelers. Now, the bandits content themselves with an occasional hunt in the wilds of the Underdark (see area 43), as well as preying on the kobolds. Development. The goblins might try to knock the characters unconscious and imprison them in area 34, locking victims into manacles. They take captured equipment to the goblin chief in area 41. The bandits are likely to try to ransom the prisoners to someone in Oakhurst. Kerowyn Hucrele is prepared to pay such a ransom, taking it out of the characters' prospective reward. If things go badly for the goblins, one of them attempts to warn the goblin warriors in area 39. Investigating. A search of the room turns up putrid jerky, vinegary wine in poorly preserved water skins, and worthless bits of clutter. 37. TROPHY ROOM Both of the wooden doors that offer access to the trophy room are closed and locked. Either door can be opened by a character who succeeds on a DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. Mounted and stuffed animal heads adorn the walls. The mounting job is sloppy, and the assortment of heads includes cattle, rats, and other not particularly impressive specimens. A few grisly trophies share the wall with the animals, including a couple of kobold heads. Smashed and broken cabinets and small tables litter the periphery of the room, mute victims of some sort of rampage. A rusted iron spike stands in the center of the room, trailing a broken chain. Thin patches of frost coat sections of the walls, floor, and debris. Creature. Calcryx, the white dragon wyrmling, is initially out of view, resting behind a broken table. The goblins used the iron chain to bind her, but she broke free and rampaged through the room, destroying the floor displays. Balsag, the bugbear responsible for capturing the dragon, hasn't returned to bring her under control, and the other goblins fear to enter. The wyrmling finds her current situation superior to her station as the kobolds' pet. She is hostile to those who enter this chamber. If battle breaks out and Meepo accompanies the party, the dragon targets him first. Treasure. The wyrmling has scoured the room and gathered all items of worth into a nest she made behind the table. The valuables include a dragon-shaped, jade figurine (worth 20 gp), a crystal goblet (5 gp), and twenty-four pieces of fine silverware (1 gp each). Of particular note is a sealed scroll case carved of bone, carrying an inscription. Runes in the Dwarvish alphabet spell out the word "Khundrukar." An old parchment is within the case. Age and water damage have destroyed most of it, but a short message in Dwarvish remains: " ... the remaining few. By order of Durgeddin the Black, we have created a secret dwarven redoubt. None shall find us; however, ... " Though the information CHAPTER l I THE SUNLESS CfTADEL

makes little sense, even to most dwarves, the case and the parchment can fetch up to 100 gp if sold in a dwarven community. 38. GOBLIN PANTRY The north and south walls of this chamber are stacked halfway to the ceiling with ill-made barrels, boxes, and crates. A clear path allows easy access between the west and east doors. The goblins store water, wine, and food, none of which is of good quality, in a pantry accessible through two doors. The stockpile includes five pints of oil, along with a few small barrels labeled "Elf Pudding" in Goblin. 39. DRAGON HAZE Several torches mounted in crude sconces burn fitfully around this chamber, filling the air with a haze. A double row of marble columns carved with entwining dragons runs the length of the hall. As long as the torches burn, the hall is lighted, but the haze makes the area lightly obscured. The haze never builds to suffocating levels, thanks to natural ventilation. Any loud noise in the chamber attracts the attention of goblins in the area 36 to the south, as well as in area 40. The goblins in area 40 prepare for danger but don't leave their stations, while those in area 36 come to investigate within 2 rounds. 40. GOBLINVILLE Anyone who stands within 10 feet of a door leading to the goblins' main living area can hear the voices of the goblins inside, unless they have been alerted to danger. What might once have been a cathedral is now a goblin lair, thick with the filth of years of goblin life. Scores of wall- and floor-mounted sconces filled with violet-glowing fungi provide illumination. Dozens of goblins go about their daily business, which involves a lot of rudeness and violence. Along the southern wall is a heaping pile of assorted items, including wagon wheels, broken armor and rusted arms, chests, small statues, antique furniture, and artwork. Creatures. Thirty-four goblins are at home when the characters arrive, but only four of the goblins are warriors. Ten of the other goblins are commoners, but with 3 hit points each and a - 1 reduction to hit and damage compared to the Monster Manual statistics. The other twenty creatures are noncombatants, too feeble or too fearful to defend themselves; they try to flee through the northernmost or the eastern exit. This stampede should dominate the first moments of battle, and even the gob-

lins capable of fighting refuse to stick around ju t to lose their lives. Noncombatants are worth no XP. These goblinoids know the same information. in cruder form, that Erky in area 34 knows. Development. An attack on the goblins brings reinforcements from area 36 and warns the goblin chief in area 41 that something is amiss. Gren!, the goblin shaman in area 41, might emerge to protect the tribe. Investigating. The goblins collect the phosphorescent fungi from the grove below. They need its light for close work, such as reading, and the fungus is edible. Crude equipment for cooking, skinning game, tanning hides, and other basic gear fills the area. Food is usually collected from the Underdark through area 43. Treasure. Among the tribal equipment, near the shaman's bedding, is a healer's kit and a poisoner's kit. The pile along the southern wall contains the tribe's loot, mixed in with lots of other stuff taken from the goblins' victims. The characters can find almost any piece of mundane gear that has a value of 5 gp or lower. Two items of considerable value can be unearthed by separate successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) checks: a fine agate statue of the elven deity Corellon Larethian (worth 30 gp) and a Medium chain shirt. 41. HALL OF THE GOBLIN CHIEF If the goblinoid guards in the chief's hall have been alerted, or if they hear conflict in area 40, they cover the door for 10 minutes, then investigate the source of the disruptions at their leader's behest. j A circular shaft pierces the floor of this forty-foot-diameter domed chamber. Dim violet light shines out of the shaft, revealing sickly white and gray vines that coat the walls of the shaft. The light is supplemented by four lit wall torches set equidistant around the periphery of the chamber. A crudely fashioned stone throne sits against the curve of the northwestern wall. A large iron chest serves as the throne's footstool. A sapling grows in a 1 wide stone pot next to the throne. Creatures. The chief of the Durbuluk tribe is Durnn, a hobgoblin. He wears splint armor (AC 19) and has 18 hit points, a +4 bonus to hit, a +l bonus to damage, and Strength 15 (+2). These changes raise his challenge rating to 1 (200 XP). When not in combat, Durnn sits on the throne, and three other hobgoblins stand nearby or lounge on stone benches. The shaman Gren! advises the chief. She is a goblin with 10 (3d6) hit points, a Wisdom of 13 (+l), and the following trait: Spellcasting. Grenl is a 1st-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 11 , +3 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following cleric spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): poison spray, thaumaturgy l st level (2 slots): bane, inflict wounds A twig blight, a gift from Belak the Outcast and a pet of Durnn's, is in the stone pot, and goblins from area 40 occasionally enter the chamber to see to the needs of the tribe's elite that languish here. Development. Durnn has a potion of healing and two vials of antitoxin. Gren! has a spell scroll of faerie fire and another of expeditious retreat. The goblins in area 40 don't join the battle if they hear sounds of violence coming from the north. If the fight turns against the chief, however, he might open the door to area 40 and call for aid, or withdraw to area 40 to continue the fight. Durnn can't surrender for fear of losing face. He won't give up if the opposition includes kobolds. Otherwise, he might call for parley if doing so allows him to avoid death. But he must still look strong while negotiating, so he's unwilling to capitulate in an arrangement that makes him look weak. Because Durnn and his hobgoblins usurped control of the Durbuluk tribe, Gren! hates them. She also wants to protect her tribe, so she is willing to negotiate a truce if Durnn falls. Gren! also hates and envies Belak, and she wants him gone from the citadel so she can control the Gulthias Tree. If captured and interrogated, the goblinoids here know what Erky in area 34 knows, with the following addition: Belak wanted all the living human prisoners sent down to him, but in a fit of anger, Durnn slew Talgen. Thus, Durnn sent only Sharwyn and Sir Braford down to the Twilight Grove. Shaft. The shaft has a 2-foot wall around it, much like the upper end of a well. Because of the wall, a creature pushed toward the shaft can avoid going over the edge by falling prone and succeeding on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. Thick, pale vines line the shaft. The vines are as good as knotted rope for the purpose of climbing. A creature that falls into the shaft can make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to catch the vines. On a failed save, the creature falls 80 feet to the floor of area 42. Trapped Chest. Durnn's iron chest rests in front of the throne. It is locked (Dexterity DC 15 using thieves' tools) and trapped with a poisoned needle. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check deduces the trap's presence from alterations made to the lock. A character can then remove the needle from the lock by succeeding on a DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. On a failed Dexterity check, the trap is triggered. When the trap is triggered, the needle extends 3 inches straight out from the lock. A creature within striking distance takes 1 piercing damage and must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 3 (ld6) poison damage. Treasure. In addition to the valuables mentioned in the "Development" section, Durnn wears Talgen's gold signet ring (worth 20 gp) and splint armor, which is identifiable by the Hucrele family crest worked into the chest pieces. The chief also has the key to his iron chest. Gren! has keys to areas 34 and 37. One of the other hobgoblins wears silver earrings set with moonstones (20 gp each), and another wears a matching necklace (50 gp). Inside Durnn's iron chest are 231 gp and two onyx gems (30 gp each). CHAPTER l I THE SUNLESS CITADEL 25

N GROVE LEVEL 1 square = 5 feet • W E • s MAP 1.2: GROVE LEVEL CHAPTER 1 I THE SUNLESS C ITADEL

LOCATIONS ON THE GROVE LEYEL The grove level and the fortress level connect through the shaft that leads from area 41 to 42. The following locations are identified on map 1.2. 42. CENTRAL GARDEN • Luminescent fungus, shedding violet light, clings to the walls and ceiling of this wide cavern. The air is damp, chilly, and redolent with the odors of loam and decay. A layer of earth, mixed with rotting vegetation and the remains of cave animals, covers the floor. Several varieties of mushrooms and fungi grow on the detritus, as well as a few saplings. Creatures. Two robed skeletons (AC 12) serve Belak by tending a fungus garden, using shovels and a rusted wheelbarrow to turn the soil and spread compost. In addition, two mature twig blights are rooted in the garden. The twig blights ambush intruders that aren't goblinoids, and the skeletons attack (with shovels, ld6 bludgeoning damage) anything that the twig blights target. Development. The creatures in area 43 investigate any disturbance in the garden after 3 rounds. 43. THE GREAT HUNTER'S ABODE The floor of this rough cavern is stained and smells of blood and animal musk. Light from glowing fungus reveals the eastern niche, which holds a pallet of matted furs, a wide wooden board on which a variety of weapons are affixed, and a great cloak of patchy black fur hung on a slender pole. To the edge of the niche are two large nests made of hair, dry fungus, and refuse. Creature. Balsag the bugbear and his two giant rat "hounds," named Grip and Fang, reside in a natural stone chamber when they're not hunting (25 percent chance of being absent when characters arrive). The bugbear wears a crown of antlers on his head to enhance his frightening appearance. Balsag considers all non-Durbuluk creatures to be potential prey, so he attacks any he meets, roaring in Goblin, "Get ready to meet the cook pot!" Underdark Access. In the dark of the northern cavern section, a crude tunnel leads away, angling west and downward. The tunnel is like the one in area 23. Treasure. Two spears, six javelins, one longsword, one greatsword are affixed to the weapon rack. A box hidden under one of the furs in Balsag's bedding, requiring a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice, contains 241 sp and 54 gp. 44. RIFT A rift opens here, its debris-strewn floor two feet below that of the corridor. No phosphorescent fungus grows in the rift. The corridor continues past the rift, though the opening of the rift has caused it to shift 10 feet to the west. A number of two-foot-diameter holes riddle the floor of the rift. The smell of burnt earth hangs in the air. The small holes in the floor extend as far down as anyone is capable of probing. 45 . RIFT NODE The rift widens, creating a cavern-like chamber. Small, two-foot-diameter holes riddle the node . A dim fiery glow shines out of one such hole. Creature. In the glowing hall rests a fire snake. Belak used magic to call the creature forth and hopes to train it to be a loyal servant before it matures. Treasure. Belak has already appealed to the snake's greed with a small gift. In its nest, the adventurers find two sapphires (worth 50 gp each). 46. OLD SHRINE The stone door at the end of the corridor is closed and stuck, requiring someone to make a successful DC 15 Strength check to pull it open. Faded mosaic tiles still decorate parts of the wall, but most have fallen to the dust-covered floor and shattered. Situated at the center of the chamber stands a slim pedestal of rusted iron shaped like an upright dragon. In the dragon's mouth rests an empty tray. The room once held items of importance to the old dragon cult. The remaining features are dust-covered and worthless. 47. BELAK'S LABORATORY Two rows of dragon-carved marble columns march the length of the hall, most completely covered in luminescent fungus. The cobbled floor is cracked and stained, and on it sit many small wooden tables. The contents on the tables include mortars and pestles, small tools, bowls filled with crushed leaves, chopped fungus stalks, and other plant specimens. The many doors leading off this hall are all partly open. Belak prepares various experimental concoctions in his laboratory and the small chambers that lead off it (see the sections below), with the fumbling aid of goblins that CHAPTER 1 I THE SUNLESS CITADEL 27

serve him. Any noise or disturbance in the main area draws all the monsters, although those in the northwest chamber respond most slowly. Investigating. The containers on the small tables in the main area hold mashed leaves, fungus, bark, and powdered roots. A character who makes a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check identifies many common varieties of tree, shrub, and fungus, although all have a pronounced pallor, as if sun-starved. Treasure. One pile of herbs and supplies in the main chamber contains the ingredients of a healer's kit. An assortment of tools and herbs can be salvaged to make up a herbalism kit and a set of alchemist's supplies. Northwest Chamber. Snores are audible from the room to the northwest, which is a rough barracks. Sixteen small pallets of matted fur cover the floor. Two pallets currently hold a sleeping goblin and two goblin commoners (like those in area 40). Southwest Chamber. The goblins use a crude mashing, straining, and casking facility to create goblin wine, which they and Belak are quite fond of. Two goblin commoners currently stand barefoot in the mashing-tun, squashing roots and fungi into pulp. A dirty straining bin stands nearby, as well as ten 2-gallon casks of the end product. North Central Chamber. Two goblin commoners currently repair dirty goblin armor with cord, iron needles, leather patches, and other crude implements of tailoring. South Central Chamber. One goblin and two goblin commoners monitor the health of a diseased giant rat, which is strapped spread-eagled onto a wooden bench. The rat suffers from horrible tumors that look woody and fruit-like. Its tumors stem from an elixir Belak created to infuse twig blight traits into giant rats. On a stand in the corner is a fancy crystal vial (worth 5 gp) that contains the elixir. Drinking the elixir exposes the drinker to the same disease that the diseased rat might impart with its bite, except the initial saving throw DC is 15. Northeast Chamber. Extra weapon stores include five battered scimitars, six shortbows, and forty arrows. Southeast Chamber. The room stands empty, and the caved-in back wall leads to a natural rift in the earth (see area 44). 48. GARDEN GALLERIES The two galleries that lead to the arboretums have the same characteristics. The doors to all connecting areas are closed. Nodules of luminescent fungus hang from the ceiling and walls and grow in clumps on the flagstone floor. The light illuminates portions of grand bas-relief carvings on the stone walls that aren't covered with the fungus. The carvings depict dragons in various stages of raining fire down upon terrified people. Soil and compost cover half the chamber's floor, which allows a variety of feeble plants to grow. A bench containing simple gardening implements stands along the west wall.

Belak is using the galleries to grow aboveground Yegetation using the light of luminescent fungus. Creature. A bugbear gardener roams both galleries, tending the grasses for Belak. She is armed with a sickle-bladed glaive; she has a reach of 10 feet and deals 2d10 + 2 slashing damage with it. Treasure. The bugbear carries a potion of healing. Development. The neighboring arboretums (area 49) contain additional monsters. The closed doors and stone walls prevent sound from entering these four areas. The creatures within join the battle here at your discretion. 49. ARBORETUMS Luminescent mist blurs the edges of this octagonal chamber. Nodules of glowing fungus dot the stone walls and ceiling, as well as the caps of toadstools and mushrooms, small polyps, puffballs, and lichen. The humid air reeks with rot. The arboretums hold small samples of traditional Underdark ecosystems, which aren't difficult for Belak to nurture. The stone doors leading to them are unlocked. Southern Arboretum. A goblin and three goblin commoners gather fungus for use in area 47. Southeast Arboretum. Several growths in the chamber are scorched and dead. Fungus shrouds holes similar to those found in area 45, and a fire snake lurks inside one of these openings. It emerges if anyone pokes into or closely examines the holes. If the snake comes out, a character who reaches into the snake's burrow can recover two sapphires (worth 50 gp each). Northeast Arboretum. Three skeletons- AC 12, 3 (ld6) bludgeoning damage with shovels or rakes- are at work, clearing scorched plants. One twig blight, which is hostile to the adventurers, is with them. The skeletons attack anything the twig blight attacks. Fungus shrouds holes similar to those in area 45. Northern Arboretum. The northern room contains only its plants. 50. ASHARDALON'S SHRINE Dragon-carved granite blocks line this chamber's walls and ceiling, though many are crumbled and broken , leaving stony debris on the floor. A huge marble statue of a rearing red dragon stands in the curve of the western wall. The eye sockets of the dragon are empty, but a red glow lingers there, providing reddish light throughout the chamber. The radiance casts an inky shadow behind the statue's wide wings. A five-foot-diameter, circular tile of dark stone is set in the floor in front of the dragon statue. Runes are carved around the circular tile's inner edge. Investigating. Viewed in white light, the circular tile is red. A detect magic spell can reveal that the tile and statue give off an aura of transmutation. The runes on the tile's inner edge read, in Draconic, "Let the sorcerous power illuminate my spirit." If anyone speaks this sentence aloud while standing on the tile, a puff of spectral flame harmlessly envelops the speaker, granting the target advantage on Charisma checks for 24 hours. Once the tile is activated, it is dormant for 24 hours. Creature. A shadow hides in the gloom behind the dragon statue. It attacks only those who spot it or who attempt to investigate the circular tile or claim the treasure. The creature doesn't pursue those who flee. Treasure. A loose stone is in the wall behind the statue, requiring a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to find. Inside are 34 gp and two flasks of alchemist's fire. 51. DRAGON LIBRARY Leaning and fallen stone bookshelves fill this chamber, though a clear path connects wooden doors on opposite walls. Torn and burnt pages, bindings, and scrolls form disordered piles in the corners. Treasure. Rooting around in the wreckage, separate successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) checks uncover a spell scroll of scorching ray, a spell scroll of Melf's acid arrow, and a tome of dragon lore bound in dragon scale and written in Draconic (worth 150 gp). 52. UNDERPASS I Damp and crumbled steps descend sharply. The steps descend 15 feet. An 8-foot-high stone corridor passes about 7 feet below the northern arboretum (area 49), connecting the stairways on either side. 53. BELAK'S STUDY The wooden door leading to Belak's study is closed and locked. The lock can be undone by someone who uses thieves' tools and succeeds on a DC 20 Dexterity check. A layer of soil covers the floor. Rough wooden shelves, filled with a scattering of tomes and scrolls, line the north and east walls, and a rough-hewn desk stands in the center of the chamber. Fungus on the ceiling provides light, apparently in sufficient quantity to nourish several small bushes and pale saplings that grow in the soil. Investigating. In his study, Belak stores seasonal records of growth, precipitation, harvests, and similar notes for the surrounding lands for the last dozen years. One interesting tome titled (in Draconic) Treasures of the Fire Lords has a glyph of warding spell with an explosive runes effect on it. The glyph is on the second page, and it's triggered when someone opens to that page. Otherwise, the book is blank. I CHAPTER 1 I THE SUNLESS CITADEL ,:9

30 If the glyph is triggered, it erupts with magical energy in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on the book. The sphere spreads around corners. Each creature in the area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 22 (5d8) cold damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much damage on a successful one. The cold doesn't damage the other works here. Development. If any obvious disturbance occurs here, the goblins in area 54 set an ambush for intruders. They wait at least 10 minutes before coming to investigate. Treasure. Separate successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) checks uncover a spell scroll of entangle, a spell scroll of protection from poison, and a tome on druidic theories on the cycle of life and death (worth 150 gp). Cubbyholes in the desk hold 365 gp and four agate gems (20 gp each). 54. GROVE GATE Twigs and roots are piled on the floor of this sagging chamber. The collapsed southern wall opens into a vast cavern. Luminescent fungus on the rough walls and the high roof loom over a twilight grove of sickly briars, bushes, saplings, and other woody plants. Ruined walls and hollow towers protrude from the briars. Creatures. Four goblins sort the specimens for Belak. They are hostile to intruders. If things go badly for them, they cry out in Goblin, saying, "Aid us, Protector of the Twilight Grove!" Development. Sometimes the twig blights in area 55 attack the goblins out of sheer malice. Thus, a call from the goblins doesn't bring all the forces of the cavern down on the characters. But if the goblins do call, four twig blights arrive from area 55 and attack. Investigating. Any character who gazes into area 55 and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check spots the blackened top of the Gulthias Tree in the distance. If the check succeeds by 3 or more, the character also spots the twig blights creeping around in area 55. 55. TWILIGHT GROVE I Pale, spindly briars press close, casting twisted shadows I on the earth floor in the violet light. Briars. The most successful aboveground plants that Belak has transplanted in the Twilight Grove are the briars, though they appear sickly and pale, with blighted leaves. Other common plants and bushes are also represented, though they are equally afflicted. The briars don't hinder Small and smaller creatures. Larger creatures must either spend 2 feet of movement for every 1 foot moved or make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw for every 10 feet moved. On a failed save, the creature takes 1 piercing damage from the briars. A 5-foot-by-5-foot area of briars can be cleared if it takes 20 damage of any type other than psychic. CHAPTER I I THE SUNLESS CITADEL Creatures. Ten twig blights, less any that were dispatched in area 54, are spread about the grove. After moving 50 feet into the cavern, the characters come upon ld4 of the hostile creatures. Any significant noise, such as from combat or clearing the briars, also attracts ld4 - 1 twig blights (minimum 0) each round. Development. If the characters get to area 56 before all the twig blights have engaged, the rest of the monsters hold off their attacks. Any conflict that involves yelling in a language other than Goblin, the use of flashy magical effects, or similar noticeable elements alerts Belak in area 56 to the approach of invaders. 56. THE GULTHIAS TREE A walled clearing is here among the briars. The walls are about twenty feet high, which is less than half the height of the cavern's ceiling. Several varieties of plants grow around the perimeter of the clearing, including a few suspicious-looking saplings, but their importance pales before that which stands at the courtyard's center. Beneath the fungal light grows an evil tree. Its blackened, twisted limbs reach upward, like a skeletal hand clawing its way out of the earth. Before it stand a few twig blights; a heavily armored, young human male with a shield and sword; a blonde, young human woman in a robe fit for a noble; and a middle-aged, bearded human male wearing a hooded brown robe and armed with a staff and sickle. The younger humans have black eyes and gray skin with the texture of bark. Creatures. Belak the Outcast spends much of his time studying the Gulthias Tree, but he is well aware when the characters are approaching. He is a human druid, and he has the following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, poison spray, shillelagh 1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, entangle, faerie fire, thunderwave 2nd level (3 slots): barkskin, flaming sphere Standing with Belak are Sir Braford and Sharwyn Hucrele (both described in appendix B). Belak's giant frog, Kulket, lurks stealthily in the branches of the Gulthias Tree. A character who has a passive Perception score of 15 or higher or succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check spots the frog. If combat breaks out, the frog jumps down and joins the fight in the second round. Three twig blights are here, too. Interaction. When the characters arrive, Belak says loudly, "Hold a moment, you know not what you do!" If the characters engage him in conversation, he can share the following information: What are you doing? "I am Belak, called the Outcast. My circle expelled me, the fools. Why? Because I dared to expand nature's reach in ways they couldn't grasp. I have found what I sought in the Gulthias Tree." What is the Gulthias Tree? "It's beautiful, no? It lives, though it looks dead. In an age long past, someone

THE GULTHIAS TREE A Gargantuan plant, the Gulthias Tree has AC 10 and 35 hit points. It is immune to necrotic, poison, psychic damage, and it has resistance to piercing damage. The tree has vulnerability to fire damage. Fruit. Two magical fruits (evocation school) ripen on the tree each year. Each fruit resembles an apple, but it slowly extrudes from the tree like a cyst. Up to a week before the summer solstice, a ruby red fruit grows. Someone other than a construct who eats a quarter or more ofit regains 70 hit points. In addition, any blindness, deafness, and diseases affecting the eater end. Up to a week before the winter solstice, a sickly white fruit grows. Someone who eats a quarter or more of it takes 70 necrotic damage. Each fruit has 1 d4 seeds that, if planted, grow leafless woody shrubs that animate as twig blights after one year. Tree Thralls. If a humanoid is bound to the bole of the Gulthias Tree, over the next 24 hours the victim is sucked completely into the tree. Once the victim is completely absorbed into the tree, it becomes the tree's thrall, and is expelled over the course of l hour. The Gulthias Tree can have only four thralls at any one time. A victim's skin is rough, gray, and bark-like. A thrall is totally corrupted, becoming neutral evil. Such a creature exists only to serve the Gulthias Tree and those who tend it (such as Belak). It possesses all of its former abilities and gains the following traits: Barkskin. The thrall's AC can't be lower than 16. Tree Thrall. If the Gulthias Tree dies, the thrall dies 24 hours later. staked a vampire on this very spot. The stake took root. And so grew the Gulthias Tree, reverberating with primal power for those who can tap it." What's with the stick-monsters? "The twig blights grow from seeds of the tree's fruit." What's going on with the fruit? "I give fruit to the goblins with orders to disperse their seeds on the surface. Deceitful beings that they are, the goblins barter the fruit, but the seeds are dispersed all the same. My plan for colonizing the surface with the children of Gulthias continues." What did you do to the other adventurers? "They were the first supplicants. The Gulthias Tree has accepted them, and they are mine to control, just like the twig blights. You can't save them." Why are you talking to us? "Though your remains would enrich the compost, you'll serve my needs better as supplicants. You shall retain your lives, after a fashion. Surrender and submit peacefully, or perish!" While this interaction proceeds, Sir Braford, the three twig blights, and Belak's frog position themselves between the characters and Belak (Sharwyn stands next to Belak). Combat. If a fight breaks out (which will happen unless the characters actually submit to Belak), the twig blights, the frog, and Sir Braford attack the characters physically. Sir Braford uses Shatterspike (see appendix A) to destroy his foe's weapon, if possible. Belak casts barkskin on himself, possibly before melee occurs. He also makes early use of his wand of entangle (see appendix A), attempting to hold the transgressors in place. If Braford looks like he needs healing, Belak casts healing spells on him, as well. Sharwyn uses her repertoire of spells to best advantage, resorting to her dagger only in desperation. Development. During a battle, if any twig blights remain in area 55, ld4 - 1 of them (minimum 0) enter this area each round. Targeting the Tree. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check or Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) check allows a character to deduce that destroying the tree might have an effect on Sir Braford, Sharwyn, and the twig blights. If anyone attacks the Gulthias Tree, Belak and the twig blights try to kill the aggressor. If the Gulthias Tree dies, Belak loses his influence over the twig blights, Sharwyn, and Sir Braford. These monsters turn on Belak before targeting the characters again. Walls. The courtyard's walls stand 20 feet tall, and the cavern's stalactite-dotted ceiling is 50 feet up. Treasure. Belak has a key (to area 53), three potions of healing, two doses of antitoxin, and his wand of entangle. Sharwyn wears her gold Hucrele signet ring (worth 20 gp). AFTERMATH If the characters kill the Gulthias Tree, Sharwyn and Braford die 24 hours later (unless you decide they can be saved somehow). If Belak survives, his former servants turn on him, and he attempts to escape. If he succeeds in getting away, he might appear later to trouble the characters. If the characters reveal the truth about the fruit's seeds to the villagers of Oakhurst, those folk cut down and burn all growing saplings. As the villagers set the evil saplings alight, the mayor turns to you with a frank expression. "You realize that our actions have set loose several of these abominations upon the world . Who knows what these twisted plants are doing now?" The mayor is right. Twig blights that are already loose in the world can still reproduce through root sprouts, as aspen trees do. Although it is likely a hopeless task, the characters can search out these twig blights and destroy them. It's up to you and your players to determine what happens next. At any rate, if the characters warn Oakhurst's residents about the seeds, they have taken their first steps toward gaining a measure of fame and establishing a rapport with local residents. In addition, if the characters return the Hucrele signet rings to the family matriarch, they receive the promised monetary award. If they bring back the remains of Sharwyn and Sir Braford, the matriarch begins funeral arrangements and invites the characters to attend. If they accept, they can begin to establish a long-term relationship with the Hucrele family, which can prove useful in later adventures. W CHAPTER I THE SUNLESS CITADEL 31

THE FORGE OF FURY WO CENTURIES AGO, THE GREAT DWARF smith Durgeddin the Black and his clan were driven from their home by a horde of fierce ores and trolls. They plundered the dwarves' ancestral halls and slew all they could catch. Fleeing his enemies, Durgeddin led the destitute remnants of his clan in search of a new home. After years of wandering, the dwarves discovered a great cavern system beneath the Stone Tooth: a rugged, forested hill crowned by a bare rocky crag. There Durgeddin and his followers founded the stronghold of Khundrukar. About a century ago, a member of Durgeddin's clan was captured by a powerful ore tribe during a raid, and the ores learned of their enemy's hidden stronghold. The ore chieftains raised a great army and marched on Khundrukar. In a hard-fought siege lasting months, the ores tunneled around the dwarven defenses. When they finally stormed the place, they put all within to the sword, then carried off wagonloads of booty. In the years since the great battle, various creatures have occupied the stronghold and used the place as a base for their raids. At other times, the caverns have lain empty except for the mindless and bloodthirsty monsters that haunt such places. Today legends of Durgeddin's Vengeance (or the Smith's War) and the extraordinary blades the dwarves forged in anger still surface from time to time in the lands near the Stone Tooth. ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS The Forge of Fury is set in the ruined stronghold of Khundrukar. It is designed for four 3rd-level player characters. They can advance to 5th level with good play. The characters come to the Stone Tooth in search of a reputed cache of Durgeddin's superior blades and find the stronghold inhabited by dangerous monsters. The complex consists of the following five sections: The Mountain Door. The Mountain Door comprises the uppermost level of the cavern complex. It is currently inhabited by a tribe of fierce ores, led by a brutal ogre known as Great Ulfe. The Glitterhame. The largest level of Khundrukar, the Glitterhame is an expanse of beautiful natural caverns now infested by troglodytes and other cave-dwelling monsters. The Sinkhole. Streams in the Glitterhame descend to an underground river, which runs through a corner of the caverns forgotten by the denizens above. The Foundry. Beyond the Glitterhame lies a complex of chambers and passageways carved by Durgeddin's folk. A small band of duergar (gray dwarves) currently hold Durgeddin's hall, working to uncover the secrets of the smith's ancient forge. A great crevasse drops to the Black Lake. The Black Lake. The most dangerous denizen of the caverns under the Stone Tooth lairs in the cold, still waters of the Black Lake. Nightscale, a young black dragon, discovered a passage into the lake through an underwater siphon connecting to a mere on the far side of the hill. The dragon has claimed the ancient wealth of Khundrukar as her hoard. CHARACTER HOOKS You can place the Stone Tooth and its caverns anywhere you like in your campaign world. The Forge of Fury works well if you pick a remote range of rugged hills or highlands several days from the nearest community. The town of Blasingdell is briefly described in this adventure, if you need a location where the characters can make their final preparations. Your next task is to decide how the party learned about Khundrukar. Pick one of the following options that suits your campaign, or make up an explanation. FOLLOW THE MAP The party has acquired a map showing the location of a secret dwarven stronghold named Khundrukar. Perhaps the characters discovered the map and other lore about the place during a previous adventure, or it turned up in a forgotten corner of a library. Tales attributed to a previous, failed expedition make reference to a hoard of wondrous arms and armor. PLACING THE ADVENTURE Any setting that includes a mountainous region has a ready-to-use location for the dwarven stronghold in The Forge of Fury. Dragonlance. On Krynn, Khundrukar can be placed anywhere in the Kharolis Mountains. An independent stronghold that has no direct tunnels connecting it to Thorbardin, it was overrun by attackers during the Age of Might. During the Age of Despair, it was seized by Highlord Verminaard's forces. Consider replacing the ores in the adventure with hobgoblins and the duergar with Theiwar dwarves. Eberron. Once an outpost in the western Mror Holds, Khundrukar was besieged and cleared of its inhabitants when the Kingdom of Galifar invaded that land. The aggressors left the place unoccupied after their victory. Since then, it has fallen into the hands of various groups of monsters. Forgotten Realms. Located northwest of Mirabar in the Spine of the World, Khundrukar was a shield dwarf stronghold that became overrun by renegade ores from the Many-Arrows tribe, unhappy with what they saw as their kingdom's betrayal of the old ways. Creyhawk. Khundrukar stands in the Pomarj, in the western Drachensgrab Hills. The fortress fell shortly after the Hateful Wars, when a wave of ores and other evil humanoid invaders swept over the region. CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY 33

34 TRACK THE BROKEN BLA DE Baron Althon, a local noble, hires the party to search for the legendary cache of weapons forged by Durgeddin the smith. He shows the characters a broken blade bearing the smith's mark, and tells them that it was discovered near a rocky hill called the Stone Tooth. Baron Althon provides directions and promises to reward the characters richly for each of Durgeddin's blades they recover. He will pay the characters 20 gp each just for bringing back information about the dwarven complex, and an additional 100 gp if they provide detailed maps. VANQUISH THE 0RC RAIDERS In the mining town of Blasingdell, the characters learn that ore raiders have been pillaging isolated farmsteads and camps in the hills north of the town. The local militia captured an ore warrior left for dead by its comrades THE MINING TOWN OF BLASINGDELL Blasingdell lies about 30 miles south of the Stone Tooth, a journey of three days on foot or two days on horseback due to the surrounding rugged terrain and dense forests. Although it isn't close enough for the characters to use as an overnight rest stop while they explore Khundrukar, Blasingdell is still useful as a place to purchase equipment, stock up on supplies, and train between excursions into the caverns. The town's population of around 2,000 is quite diverse; although humans are the largest group, almost any player character race can be found here. The town's mayor is Sir Miles Berrick (male human noble) . Sergeant Grendar Kuln (male half-ore veteran) is in charge of the town watch; Constable Dara Whitewood (female human veteran) is the senior officer. The town watch consists of two full-time guards in addition to its officers. A militia force of around l 00 commoners can be mustered in emergencies. Kheldegan Tolm (male dwarf commoner) owns Tolm's Superior Outfitting and Dry Goods. Sarel Bankdown (female half-elf commoner) is the proprietor of the Griffon's Nest inn and tavern . Sister Alonsa (female human priest) heads up the town's small temple (its primary deity is left to you). Sister Alonsa is assisted in her duties by two acolytes . • ABOUT THE ORIGINAL and brought it back for questioning. Under the influence of a charm person spell, the ore divulged the location of the monsters' lair, a lonely hill called the Stone Tooth. The mayor offers a bounty of 25 gp per ore, dead or alive, and the gratitude of the townsfolk to any who can permanently end the threat. APPROACHING KHUNDRUKAR At the start of play, the characters are trekking through the wilderness and have just reached the outskirts of Blasingdell (or some other community), When you're ready to begin, read: Durgeddin was a master smith who forged blades of surpassing quality and power. Centuries ago, his home was sacked by ores. Durgeddin led the remnants of his clan to the mountains north of the town of Blasingdell and established a small, secret stronghold somewhere in the trackless wilderness. From his hidden redoubt, he waged a decades-long vendetta against all ore-kind, until his enemies discovered his fortress and attacked it after a long siege. Durgeddin and his followers perished, and much wealth was carried away by the conquering hordes. But it's said that the deepest and best-hidden vaults and armories escaped the looting, and that some of Durgeddin's extraordinary blades still wait in the darkness for a hand bold enough to claim one. You've come to Blasingdell, a small mining town on the northern frontier, to see if there's anything to these stories. Your map shows that the old dwarf-hold lies about three days' march to the north of the town. Dark, deeply forested hills rise beyond the town's outskirts The characters can spend time interacting with the townsfolk, gathering equipment and provisions, and otherwise preparing before they set out. The Forge of Fury, by Richard Baker, was originally published in 2000 as an adventure for the third edition of the D&D game. The adventure was published shortly after The Sunless Citadel and was designed as a follow-up to it. Characters who succeeded in that mission and advanced to 3rd level were now ready to take on the challenges of a ruined dwarven fortress. CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY

THE STONE TOOTH When the characters set forth on their journey. read: • • As you travel north from the mining town of Blasingdell, you pass through brooding pine forests and deep vales. From where you stand now, you catch sight of a ta ll, steep hill that rises to a prominent bare knob of rockthe Stone Tooth. A thin spire of smoke rises from some unseen point high on the hill's slopes, and you can make out a steep, narrow road or track that runs back and forth across the face of the mountainside . Refer to map 2.1. The characters have several options: follow the path, scout the area, or wait and watch. F OLLOW THE PATH At the foot of the Stone Tooth, a carefully constructed path winds up the hillside to some unseen height above. Durgeddin's clan concealed its presence as much as possible, but years of wind and rain have eroded away its cover, leaving the path exposed and visible from the valley floor below. The path climbs to the Mountain Door, at the location marked A on the map. This is the route used by the ores in Great Ulfe's tribe to come and go from their lair. If someone checks the path for tracks, a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check reveals that four booted humanoids came down it within the last day and headed into the forest. The trail joins older tracks in the woods and becomes indistinguishable after about half a mile. These tracks belong to ore foraging parties; see "Wait and Watch," page 36, for more information. SCOUT THE AREA Ambitious characters might choose to ignore the path and scale the Stone Tooth's slopes. The going is very hard, with steep slopes and heavy undergrowth, reducing the characters' travel pace to roughly 100 feet per minute. Thoroughly exploring the hillside could easily take hours. Heavy woods block the view upslope, making it difficult to ascertain the origin of the smoke (a natural chimney). Have the party's guide make a DC 10 Wisdom 'Survival) check when the group first enters the hillside. On a successful check, the characters travel in the general direction of the chimney. Otherwise, they lose their way (see "Becoming Lost" in chapter 5 of the Dungeon .Waster's Guide). (A) The Mountain Door. This is the front entrance to the Glitterhame. The old dwarf-path leads up to a bare shoulder of rock and then turns into a deep cleft in the hillside. If the characters enter this way, the expedition begins in area 1 of map 2.2, the Mountain Door. (B) Chimney. When the characters reach the area marked B on the map, they can discover the source of the smoke. A natural rock chimney leads down into the caverns below, and a thin stream of smoke rises through it. The smoke spreads out and isn't easy to pinpoint in the rugged terrain. THE STONE TOOTH 50 100 yards MAP 2 .1: THE STONE TOOTH A character who searches for the source of the smoke finds the rock chimney with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check. If the characters pass nearby without searching, anyone who has a passive Perception score of 15 or higher notices the fissure. If the characters descend the chimney, the expedition begins in area 7 of map 2.2, the Mountain Door. (C) Ore Tunnel. On the other side of the Stone Tooth, a few hundred yards from the Mountain Door, the ore army burrowed into the hillside to circumvent the dwarven defenses. The tunnel is still passable, but its entrance is choked with brush and debris. If the characters enter this area, someone who has a passive Perception score of 15 or higher discovers the ore tunnel. The characters locate the tunnel automatically if anyone searches the area; it leads to area 21 of map 2.3, the Glitterhame. The tunnel entrance is about 6 feet high and 4 feet wide. Anyone who succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (SurWILDERNESS ENCOUNTERS AND CAMPI NC If you want to make the trek from Blasingdell to the Stone Tooth more interesting, you can create random encounters with ore raiding parties (see "Wait and Watch," page 36) or with creatures native to forest or hills. See appendix B of the Dungeon Master's Guide for lists of monsters by environment. The characters might be forced to retreat outside the stronghold to recuperate after difficult battles. The party can readily find defensible campsites in the forest near the Stone Tooth. CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY 35

viva!) check can spot old tracks passing in and out of the tunnel-reptilian footprints (from the troglodytes inhabiting the Glitterhame) and the paw prints of a very large bear. (D) Hilltop. An hour or two of hard hiking brings the party to the summit. The Stone Tooth is about 1,450 feet in height, towering over the neighboring hills by 500 feet or more. The last 100 feet or so are a sheer point of rock, requiring DC 15 Strength (Athletics) checks to climb successfully. The view is spectacular, but the hilltop is otherwise unremarkable. (No entrance to the fortress is to be found here.) (E) The Dark Mere. The eastern slopes of the Stone Tooth descend into a damp valley where water is trapped by the terrain. A dark tarn pools under the hill's slopes, surrounded by numerous smaller lakes. A hidden drainage channel deep underwater connects to the subterranean Black Lake, providing access to Nightscale's underground lair. The opening is about 40 feet down, and it lies about 100 feet from the western lakeshore. Player characters exploring around the lake can't find this outlet unless they conduct extensive dives to plumb the mere's depths, requiring DC 10 Strength (Athletics) checks to swim underwater. If any characters are capable of staying this deep without suffocating and conduct a thorough search of the lake, they discover the passage with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check. If the characters enter through this watery passage, they emerge in area 54 of map 2.6, the Black Lake. WAIT AND WATCH The characters might choose to observe the path for some time before braving the Stone Tooth. When they arrive, two foraging parties from Great Ulfe's tribe are searching the nearby hills for loot. The first party of four ores returns two days after the characters arrive, and the second group three days after that. These ores sleep by day and travel by night, so they arrive in the party's vicinity just before dawn. If the party sets up camp at least 90 feet from the path and doesn't take any action that might draw attention, the returning ores pass by without spotting the campsite. Otherwise, the ores notice the camp when they KHUNDRUKAR: GENERAL FEATURES The following aspects of Khundrukar are true unless otherwise noted in a particular area description. Doors. Most doors are made of wood or stone. Characters can attempt various tasks before trying to open a door, including listening for sounds from the other side and checking for traps. If characters elect to listen at a door, check the description of the room beyond to determine if any creatures inhabit that area. If no instructions are otherwise provided, a character who listens at a door and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check can hear sounds of activity through the door; increase the DC to 15 for quieter sounds. Light. Within the confines of Khundrukar, all areas are dark unless a room's description says otherwise. Ventilation. All keyed areas contain an adequate air supply. The air is renewed through vents that lead to the surface. These vents are individually too small for any but Tiny creatures to navigate. CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY come within 90 feet (or within twice as far if a campfire is burning or the party isn't attempting to be quiet). A lookout whose post overlooks the trail and who has a passive Perception score of 10 or higher detects the ores as they approach. The ores aren't likely to notice a hidden lookout; compare their passive Perception scores to the character's Dexterity (Stealth) check. Four hunched humanoids in dirty hide armor approach along the trail, snarling and muttering to each other in a guttural tongue. Yellow tusks jut from their bestial faces. If the ores come across the camp and aren't spotted, they attempt to take out anyone on watch or creep into the camp to attack sleeping characters. If an ore party moves past the characters unchallenged or fights its way through, the survivors reinforce the defenses in the complex (see area 5 and area 14). Captured ores can describe in some detail the general arrangement of the Mountain Door. They don't know anything about the rest of the complex, or that it's possible to enter through the chimney. The ores defending the Mountain Door refuse to negotiate for their return. The characters might disguise themselves as ores using captured gear. Doing so can let them try to bluff their way past sentries in the dungeon, using Charisma (Deception) checks contested by the ores' Wisdom (Insight) checks. Treasure. Each ore carries a sack of mundane supplies looted from the countryside, as well as coinage totaling 4d6 sp and ld4 gp. Development. No more dungeon denizens emerge from the dungeon during this time, and no more ores leave for a week after the second patrol returns. THE FORGE OF FURY Once the party enters Khundrukar, start at the appropriate area on map 2.2, the Mountain Door, or map 2.3, the Glitterhame. THE MOUNTAIN DOOR The uppermost level of Khundrukar, called the Mountain Door, is a natural cavern that was expanded and improved upon by Durgeddin's folk, who created a series of halls and guard chambers that protect the entrance to their realm. The place is still well fortified, even to this day. This former dwarven strongpoint is now occupied by a band of ore raiders, led by a fierce ogre who calls himself Great Ulfe. These raiders emerge from the Mountain Door to hunt and pillage in the surrounding area. To keep their lair secure, the ores have blocked access to the lower levels of Khundrukar, and they rarely encounter the other denizens of the cave system. The following locations are identified on map 2.2. 1. END OF THE TRAIL The old dwarven path ascends to a cleft in the hillside and ends at the front door of Khundrukar.

MAP 2.2: T><E MOUNTAIN DooR • The path climbs up one last steep switchback toward a bare shoulder of rock. The hillside rises steeply on your right and drops away precipitously on your left. Debris and rubbish lie scattered over the last hundred yards or so-discarded water skins, bits of charred bone, and splintered casks or kegs. Up ahead, the path opens onto a wide ledge and then doubles back sharply into the mountainside. Two bestial humanoids in hide armor stand watch on the ledge. They appear inattentive and bored. Creatures. Two ores stand guard along the northern edge of the ledge, though they aren't paying as much attention to their duties as they should. The characters or their advance scout) can spot them from as far as 60 feet away. The sentries, Wark and Thark, are grumbling in the Ore language about someone named Ulfe. Apply a -2 penalty to the ores' passive Perception scores. Arrow Slits. When the characters move around the corner into the eastern part of the ledge, they might discover a row of hidden arrow slits in the rocky wall to the east about 15 feet above the floor. By examining the wall and making a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, a character notices the slits. Developments. If they are attacked or confronted by more than one character, Wark and Thark call out a warning that's heard by the ore in area 4 and then attempt to flee to area 3. See the "Mountain Door Defenses" sidebar. If the archers are alerted to the party's presence, they open fire on intruders on the ledge and in area 2. See area 4 for more information. 2. THE DWARF-DOOR :\1oving eastward from the ledge, the trail turns south and rises steeply through a cleft in the rock toward a grand entrance. Shallow steps lead up through a steep fissure to the south and turn east into the mountainside. Here, a broad entranceway has been carved out of the stone. Marble steps cracked with age and veined with green moss lead up to a strong double door of carved stone, eight feet wide and almost ten feet tall. Arrow slits high on the north and south walls command this area. If the characters quietly dealt with the ores in area 1 using stealth or disguise, the door is open. Otherwise, the ores have been alerted to intruders, and the door is shut and barred from the inside. Forcing open the barred door is very difficult, requiring a successful DC 20 Strength check. MOUNTAIN DOOR DEFENSES The ores are well prepared for a frontal assault on the Mountain Door. They follow the sequence of activity described below to the best of their ability unless prevented or interrupted by the player characters. Round 1. After sounding the alarm, the sentries in areal (Wark and Thark) flee south to area 2. Round 2. The ores in area 4 fire at any exposed characters in area l if they have been alerted by the sentries. Wark and Thark flee through the door into area 3. Round 3. Wark and Thark cross the rope bridge in area 3. The ores in area 4 continue to fire at characters in areas l and 2. One ore from area 4 moves through the secret door leading to area 3, intending to close and bar the double doors leading to area 2. Round 4. Wark and Thark slip through to area 5 to spread the alarm, alerting the ores in areas 11 and 14. Round 5. The ore that shut the double doors in area 3 moves to area 4 or 4a while the other archers continue to fire at exposed characters. The ores in the eastern half of area 3 cut the rope bridge and prepare to defend the doors that lead to area 5. Round 8. The ores in area 14 arrive in area 5. Round 12. Great Ulfe and the ores from area 11 move to area 5 to ready a counterattack. CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY 37

Creatures. If the ores have been alerted, the ores in areas 4 and 4a fire arrows until the characters either retreat or succeed in bypassing the door. Development. If the characters are repelled, they must deal with additional reinforcements if they try this approach again. Two ores from area 11 stand watch at the doors on the west side of area 3, while the ore Eye of Gruumsh from area 9 backs up the ores in area 4 or 4a. 3. THE RIFT HALL The great door opens into a large hall. A narrow ledge overlooks a deep, dark crevasse that cuts the room in two. A dangerous-looking rope bridge, frayed and thin, spans the gap. Water gurgles and rushes somewhere far below. Two copper braziers burn brightly on either side of the door, illuminating the western half of the room. Another ledge is barely visible on the other side of the chasm. The hall beyond the doors, and the great crevasse that runs through it, once served as the last line of defense for Khundrukar's dwarves. Creatures. Two ores guard the eastern side of the room. They do everything in their power to prevent the characters from getting across the bridge. If any of the party members have darkvision or a means of illuminating the far side, read: CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY Two brutish humanoids stand watch on the other side of the crevasse. They snarl a challenge, revealing yellowed tusks, and prepare to hurl javelins at you! Rope Bridge. The bridge is safe structurally, despite its appearance. Crossing under fire is difficult enough to require DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks. On a successful check, a character can move at half speed. On a failed check, a character makes no progress. If the check fails by 5 or more, the character must make a DC 10 Strength or Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the character plummets almost 200 feet to the underground river below and is swept away. The characters can prevent falls by roping themselves to a stable attachment point before crossing. Secret Doors. Two secret doors on the north and south walls lead to areas 4 and 4a. The doors are well made, each requiring a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to discover. A door can be opened by simultaneously pushing in two concealed stone plates in the wall about 1 foot above it. The plates can be found with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. Developments. The ores use the rock outcroppings on their side for shelter from attacks, gaining half cover. They throw their javelins at characters trying to cross the bridge, or at those who hang back to cast spells or make ranged attacks. A character on the bridge who is hit by an attack must make a saving throw to avoid a fall, just as if the character's Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to move along the bridge had failed by 5 or more.

If an intruder gets at least two-thirds of the way across the bridge, one ore breaks cover to move through the double doors into area 5 and get help. The other trie to hinder the characters by chopping at the bridge·s support ropes with its greataxe. Each rope has hit points and AC 11. If one support rope is cut, the DC of the Dex· terity (Acrobatics) check to cross the bridge increases to 12, and characters on the bridge must immediately make a saving throw to avoid falling as described above. If both ropes are cut, the east end of the bridge drops into the crevasse and slams into the cliff wall on the west side. Any characters on the bridge take 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage from the impact with the wall and must make successful DC 12 Strength or Dexterity saving throws to avoid losing their grip and falling if they aren't otherwise secured. Development. If the ores destroy the bridge but repel the invaders in doing so, Great Ulfe's followers rebuild it within three days. Any ores killed here are replaced by ores from area 11. 4 AND 4A. ARCHERS' STATIONS The dwarves carved out chambers on either side of the entryway so they could rain arrows down on attackers that approached the front door of their stronghold. The arrow slits are 15 feet or more above the floor of areas 1 and 2 and are impassible for creatures larger than Tiny. They grant three-quarters cover to the ores stationed behind them. The secret doors in area 3 provide access to these locations. The door slides aside to reveal a narrow passage that descends a flight of stairs into a small chamber. Light from outside slants into the room through a series of narrow embrasures. The area is littered with well-gnawed bones, cobwebs, and rat droppings. Poorly cured hide blankets are care· lessly scattered over the floor. Secret Door. In the north end of area 4, a secret door connects to area 14. A character can find the door by succeeding on a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check. The ores are unaware of this passage and don't use it. Creatures. Four ores, three in area 4 and one in area 4a, overlook the stairs leading up to area 2. These ores aren't particularly vigilant, but they do start shooting if the sentries in area 1 call for help. The ores are armed with longbows instead of javelins: +3 to hit (range 150/600 ft.); 5 (ld8 + 1) piercing damage on a hit. When the characters turn the corner into area 2, the archer in area 4a joins the attack while one of the archers from area 4 circles around through the secret door in an attempt to shut the double doors to area 3 (see "Mountain Door Defenses," page 37). If the heroes attack by coming through the secret doors that lead to these areas, the archers fire at characters descending the stairs, then switch to greataxes and move up to block the stairways. Development. If the characters dispose of the sentries in area 1 quietly, the ores in area 4 might not notice them. Characters can attempt to sneak past the row of arrow slits by comparing their Dexterity (Stealth) checks to the ores' passive Perception scores. If the characters successfully sneak past the sentries, they reach area 2 without alerting the archers. If the characters defeat these ores but withdraw from the dungeon before overcoming the rest of them, the archers are replaced by ores from area 14 and reinforced by the ore eye of Gruumsh from area 9. 5. 0RC CAVE The walls and floor of this natural cave have been carefully smoothed . You can discern at least four routes leading off into darkness. Red coals glow from within the southeastern passageway, and a crude wooden cage door closes off the southern exit. The floor is covered with sleeping furs, crates, sacks, and rubbish. The second ore raiding party normally lairs in the open area east of the doors. These ores are currently out of the dungeon unless the party spent several days observing the hillside (see "Wait and Watch," page 36) before entering. Cage Door. The cage door to the south leads to area 6, where two prisoners languish under the ores' indifferent care. The prisoners leap to their feet and rush to the cage door to cry for help when the characters enter area 5. Treasure. The crates and sacks in this room contain mundane supplies looted from the countryside- flour, grain, nails, and so on. The total value is about 20 gp for about 500 pounds of material. Additionally, if characters are held captive in area 6, their equipment is stored here. Development. When the second ore raiding party returns (five days after the characters arrive at the Stone Tooth), they take up residence here. Add four ores to this room after their return. 6. PRISONER CAVE The ores occasionally capture miners, settlers, and merchants traveling through the forests north of Blasingdell. They keep their captives in a small pen until they put them to death or ransom them. A row of rough-hewn sapling trunks forms a crude but serviceable barrier across the mouth of this small cave. A door locked with an iron padlock secures the room. Inside, you see two filthy prisoners dressed in tattered rags, crowding close to the door. "Thank Yondalla!" one cries out. "We're rescued!" Creatures. The prisoners are a pair of human commoners named Geradil and Courana. They hail from a small settlement a few miles from Blasingdell, and the CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY 39

ores have held them captive for almost a month now. Neither one's family could raise the ransom demanded by their captors, so both await a terrible death at the ores' hands. Opening the cage door requires a successful DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools, the key from Old Yarrack's pocket (see area 14), or a sharp axe and a little time. (The padlock has AC 19 and 5 hit points.) Geradil and Courana are extremely grateful for their rescue, but they will not join the characters in their quest-neither is skilled at fighting, and they just want to go home. Treasure. The characters can free the prisoners and escort them back to their homes (about a day's travel away). The grateful families reward them with two potions of healing. Taking the time to see Geradil and Courana to safety, however, gives the ores a chance to prepare for the next assault. Development. Any characters captured by the ores eventually wind up in the cage, unless they demonstrate that they're too much trouble to be left alive. Their gear is stored among the other supplies in area 5. New characters joining the party might also be introduced as prisoners here. 7. FIRE IN THE HOLE The irregular chamber southeast of the main cave holds the main cooking fire of the tribe. A crevice in its ceiling winds up through the rock to the natural chimney on the hilltop above (see "The Stone Tooth," page 35). A large, smoky fire crackles in the center of this room. Battered pots and kettles are stacked all over; clearly, this space serves as a crude kitchen. You feel a distinct draft drawing the smoke up through a rough hole in the ceiling. The characters might attempt to descend into the area through the chimney. The shaft is about 80 feet long; its walls are irregular and rough but slippery, requiring successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) checks to climb. Anchoring a rope at the top of the shaft reduces the check DC to 5. A careful climber can easily avoid the fire on the way down. If a character's check fails by 5 or more, the character must succeed on a DC 10 Strength saving throw or fall the rest of the way down the chimney. In addition to falling damage, the character takes an extra 3 (ld6) fire damage from the hot coals and makes enough noise to alert any ores in area 5. 8. 0RC COMMONS Haphazard stacks of crates, barrels, sacks, and bundles crowd this long cavern. To the north, two finished stone passageways open to the east and west; a narrower opening leads south. In the southeast corner is an old well full of murky water. CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY The cavern is full of plunder from the ores' raids through the surrounding area: foodstuffs, ale, blankets, tools, timber, pitch, nails, wool, and similar goods. Iron Gate. The passage leading east is blocked about 10 feet in by tightly packed crates and sacks of flour. Removing this material allows travel for another 20 feet to the east, where the tunnel ends at an iron gate stuffed with blankets and straw pallets. The ores created these barricades to prevent the stirges in area 10 from getting out. The iron gate's lock is rusted shut; it can be picked with a successful DC 12 Dexterity check by a character using thieves' tools or forced open with a successful DC 15 Strength check. Secret Doors. The passage to the south branches in a Y shape. The southwest branch connects to area 5, and the southeast one leads to a secret door cleverly constructed to blend into the natural rock of the cave. A character who makes a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check discovers the door. On the other side, a worked passage continues up to what appears to be a blank wall, marked with hexes and curses in Ore. The markings conceal another secret door, which requires a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check to find. Treasure. The mundane supplies have a total value of about 20 gp for about 500 pounds of material. With a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check, a character finds a loose stone. Behind it is hidden a small locked strongbox containing 180 gp and a flask of holy water. This is the personal treasure of Old Yarrack (see area 11). 9. SHAMAN'S LAIR The secret door pivots open to reveal a chamber of finished stonework. The room is cluttered with crude furnishings, and the air is hazy with the smoke of a small cooking fire. Dozens of yellowed skulls are suspended from the ceiling by fraying ropes strung through holes punched in the bone. An ore in a ragged black robe looks up from her work, her face twisted in an expression of rage. Creatures. Burdug the shaman, an ore Eye of Gruumsh, has commandeered a chamber as her private domain. She lives here with her two followers, female ores, separate from the rest of the tribe. The door to area 10 is locked, but the key is inserted in the keyhole on this side. Burdug keeps the door closed because she wants to confine the stirges on the other side. (She calls the stirges her "little stingies" and occasionally captures one to use in her potions and brews.) Burdug orders her two followers to engage intruders while she attempts to neutralize a dangerous-looking combatant with a command spell. Then she casts bless on herself and the others, and finally casts spiritual weapon before joining battle.

If the fight goes poorly, Burdug throws alchem· ·s fire (she has three flasks) and opens the door o area 10. releasing the stirges. She takes advantage of the confuion, using more alchemist's fire if necessary. to escape and seek help. Treasure. A character who makes a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check finds two leather sacks among the clutter, each containing 160 sp. If Burdug is defeated, the characters can recover any of her three fl asks of alchemist's fire that weren't used. Secret Exit. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check is required to find the secret door on the west vall. It connects to the passage leading toward area 8; the secret door farther along the passage to the west i n't concealed from this side. 10. THE GRAND STAIR • • The ceiling soars thirty feet high in the center of this impressive chamber, and the walls are carved with images of dwarves at their forges. Two large stone doors exit to the north and south . Several old skeletons lie scattered near the northern door. A gate of wrought iron stands in the western wall. In the center of the floor, a natural rift descends sharply. Dozens of stone steps lead down into darkness. You can hear the distant sound of running water and a curious buzzing coming from far below. The easternmost chamber in the Mountain Door complex formerly served as the main entrance to the Glitterhame, which occupies the great natural caverns deeper in the hillside. Creatures. If the characters aren't trying to be quiet, four hungry stirges attack. • The buzzing grows louder, and then four things resembling insectoid bats emerge from the stairwell and fly toward you! I Large quantities of smoke discourage the stirges, and they don't move closer than 5 feet from a source of fire including characters set alight by the trap described below). Sated stirges flap off to digest their meal down in area 15a of the Glitterhame. The iron gate blocks entry from area 8 (see it for more information). The stairs in the rift lead down to the northwest end of area 15 in the Glitterhame. The door to the south connects to area 9 and is locked from the other side. The lock can be picked from this side by someone who makes a successful DC 10 Dexterity check using thieves' tools, but doing so pushes the key out on the other side and warns Burdug the shaman that someone's coming. Fire Trap. The door to the north is carved in the image of a glowering dwarf's face. Hinges are visible. On either side of the door, eight small spouts are carefully worked into the stonework about 10 feet above the floor. The skeletons near the door are those of ores killed by the trap long ago; their remains show signs of severe scorching. Rusted axe heads lie near the bodies, with no sign of the weapons' hafts. If the door is pulled open before the trap is disabled, a counterweight drops and pumps a flammable substance resembling alchemist's fire from the spouts. Each creature within 15 feet of the door takes 10 (4d4) fire damage, or half damage with a successful DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. At the start of each of its turns thereafter, an affected creature takes 5 (2d4) fire damage. A creature can fight the flames around itself by making a successful DC 10 Dexterity check as an action; a successful check reduces the fire damage it takes at the start of each of its turns to 2 (ld4). Making another successful Dexterity check as an action quenches the flames around the creature entirely. After the door is opened, the counterweight pulls it shut again in 2 rounds, resetting the trap. The characters can prevent this from happening by jamming the door open. If the trap resets, it can be activated only once more before its fiery substance is depleted. The spouts on the wall can be detected by someone who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. With a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check afterward, a character deduces that they form part of a trap mechanism. A character who makes a successful DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools, or someone who tightly plugs the holes with durable material, renders the trap inactive. Someone who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check while examining the door identifies the counterweight mechanism that activates the trap; it can be deactivated afterward by someone who makes a successful DC 10 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. Development. Inspecting the small room behind the door reveals the full extent of the trap's counterweight mechanism, as well as a system of pipes that connect the spouts to two 20-gallon copper drums (containing the substance for the fire trap). A character who is proficient in the use of alchemist's supplies might be able to craft alchemist's fire from the dregs of the tanks. Doing so requires a successful DC 15 Intelligence check after the character finishes a long rest. On a successful check, the character salvages ld4 flasks of alchemist's fire. On a failed check, the reagents are mixed improperly, spoiling the batch; no further attempt to use these reagents can be made. If the check fails by 5 or more, the character is affected as though hit by alchemist's fire. 11. 0RC QUARTERS Barrels, crates, and sacks line the walls of this chamber. Among the loot, four oversized straw pallets and other simple furnishings show that it now serves as a bunk room. Four bestial humanoids with feral eyes are cleaning their weapons and mending their gear; they spring to their feet and roar in challenge. CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY 41

42 Creatures. Four ores live in an old guardroom. These ores fight dirty. They team up into pairs, each focusing on one character. One ore in the pair attempts to shove the character, then the other attacks, hoping for a prone target. Treasure. The supplies stockpiled here are the same as those in areas 5 and 8: trade goods and staples raided from travelers and nearby settlements. The ores have 210 gp stashed in an old iron cauldron under vermin-infested bedding. A small pouch in another ore's bedding contains a topaz worth 200 gp and two onyx stones worth 50 gp each. This loot isn't well hidden; anyone searching the room can uncover it. Development. If the characters leave the complex before they have defeated Great Ulfe, two of these ores move to reinforce area 2 (reducing the number in this room to two) before the characters return. 12. GREAT ULFE A short flight of stairs leads up to a large, iron-bound door. A bloodstained human skull is fixed to the center of the door by an iron spike. The door isn't locked, but it is heavy and hard to move; a successful DC 17 Strength check is needed to force it open. Beyond the door lies a small chamber covered in poorly cured animal hides and illuminated by smoking torches in bronze sconces. The smell is indescribable. Amonstrous creature about ten feet in height steps forward, a massive axe in one hand. Two huge wolves strain at CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY chains held closely in its other hand. "You think to challenge the Great Ulfe?" the creature booms. "Vak! Thrag! At them!" It drops the chains and, as the wolves spring forward, it charges at you with a roar of rage. Creatures. Great Ulfe is a fierce ogre who leads the ores of the Mountain Door. The chamber he claims as his own once belonged to the dwarf watch-captain. If the characters fail to open the door on the first attempt, Great Ulfe is alerted to their presence. He releases his two dire wolves, Vak and Thrag, and takes the Ready action to attack the first enemy who enters the room. He is armed with a greataxe instead of a greatclub: +6 to hit; 17 (2d12 + 4) slashing damage on a hit. Great Ulfe neither asks nor gives quarter, but if the ogre falls, the wolves attempt to flee. Development. If the characters defeat Great Ulfe but leave any ores alive, one of the surviving ores claims leadership of the tribe. If at least half the ores in the tribe are slain in addition to Ulfe, any survivors abandon the dungeon after the party leaves. They become roving bands of raiders that the adventurers might have to deal with later. Treasure. Great Ulfe keeps his hoard in two large wooden chests against the south wall: 440 gp, 1,600 sp, a potion of climbing, and a +l rapier. (The ogre would never stoop to wielding the delicate blade like some prancing bard.) 13. DWARVEN STATUE At the end of the passage stands a statue of a fierce-looking dwarf in heavy mail armor. The stone warrior holds a sword in one hand and a smith's hammer in the other. The statue is about seven feet tall and stands on a large stone pedestal. The statue is part of another trap designed to thwart invaders of the citadel. All the denizens of the Mountain Door know about the trap and avoid triggering it. If any character approaches within 5 feet of the statue without disarming the trap, read: Suddenly, you feel a small click from the floor beneath your feet. The statue's bearded face slides open, like an oversized nutcracker, and greenish gas billows forth. Poison Gas Trap. A pressure plate is set into the floor about 5 feet in front of the statue. When at least 20 pounds of weight is placed on the pressure plate, it depresses into the floor, opening the statue's face to reveal a nozzle from which poison gas sprays out in a 15-foot cone. Each affected creature must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned until the creature finishes a short rest.

Someone who examines the proper loca ion and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception chec • notices the pressure plate. A successful DC 12 Dexterity check by a character using thieves' tools disarm the trap: the pressure plate can also be deactivated by phy ically jamming it so that it can't move. If the trap isn't deactivated, it resets automatically after 1 minute. 14. BUNK ROOM A large chamber, once the principal bunk room for dwarf guards posted in this part of the dungeon, has been appropriated by Great Ulfe's ores. Up to eleven of the creatures live here, but at the moment a group of them are out raiding the countryside nearby, and three others are on duty in area 4 . • This chamber is filled with rough-hewn bunks, tables, and chairs, and the floor is strewn with filthy pelts. At first glance it appears that a dozen or so humanoids might use this area as a sleeping quarters. Creatures. Only Old Yarrack the orog and four ores are at home when the characters enter the chamber. They enter combat as soon as they're aware of intruders. If the battle goes poorly for the ores, Old Yarrack orders an ore to break off and summon help from area 9. If things get desperate, he sends for help from the ores in area 11. If the ores here fall, Yarrack attempts to join Great Ulfe's forces in area 12. The orog carries a potion of healing and drinks it if his current hit points drop to one-fourth his hit point maximum or lower. Secret Door. The ores don't know about the secret door in the western wall, but a character who searches the spot can discover it with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. Development. Two days after the characters arrive, he first raiding party returns and reinforces this room with four more ores. Thus, the party might encounter as many as nine creatures in this room. Any ores slain in area 4 are replaced by ores from this room, if any survive. Treasure. A successful DC 10 Wisdom check reveals a loose stone on the south wall, concealing a sack that holds 250 sp and 40 gp. Aside from his potion of healing, Old Yarrack keeps his personal treasure in area 8. Old Yarrack carries the key to the cage door in area 6. THE GLITTERHAME Below the Mountain Door lies the Glitterhame, a large eries of natural caverns in the heart of the Stone Tooth. The caverns are beautiful: the walls sparkle and glis- ·en with flecks of semiprecious stone, and millennia of -culpting and erosion by water have created sheets of uted flowstone, delicate stalactites, and majestic stalagmites. Water streams down through the caverns toward an underground river far below. The Glitterhame is now home to a band of troglodytes, dangerous reptilian savages that haunt underground places. The troglodytes and Great Ulfe's tribe maintain an uneasy peace, although skirmishes occur. The troglodytes usually use the old ore tunnel (see area 21) to hunt on the surface and leave the ores alone. In return, Great Ulfe's followers rarely invade the troglodytes' domain. The following locations are identified on map 2.3. 15. THE COLD STREAM If the characters take the steps down from area 10, they emerge into a narrow tunnel with a subterranean stream flowing across it. The stairway twists and turns a long way downward. The floor has been cut into hundreds of shallow steps, but the walls and ceiling are still natural rock. About sixty feet down, a rushing stream spills from a narrow crack to the south and crosses the stairway, disappearing into a narrow, winding tunnel to the north. The rill is only two or three feet wide. If the characters explore the route taken by the stream, they have to go single file as they wade through the water. The bed of the fast-moving stream slants sharply; each character must make a successful DC 8 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to descend safely. If the check fails by 5 or more, the character falls, tumbling 20 feet downhill and taking 3 (ld6) bludgeoning damage. VISION IN THE GLITTERHAME Range of vision is important in the characters' exploration of this level. Most light sources don't illuminate beyond 60 feet, and many of the chambers and passages in the Glitterhame are much larger than that. The darkness hides many perils. CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY 43

44 MAP 2 .3: THE GL ITTERHA M E 15A. STIRGE COLONY Creatures. Stirges have made their nest in a small cave overlooking the stream, about halfway down the passage. Fissures at the back of the cave run 150 feet to the surface, but nothing larger than a stirge can fit through. Six stirges are sleeping in the nest, but any noise or light from a party descending the streambed wakes them. Each round after the characters enter the cave, ld4 stirges wake and attack, until all are active. Treasure. On the floor at the back of the stirge cave lies the desiccated corpse of a dwarf explorer who died here many years ago- part of the failed expedition. A leather pouch on its belt contains 35 gp. 16. HIGH CAVERN The first chamber of the Glitterhame proper is bisected by the stream and has a number of routes leading away from it. The descending fissure opens up abruptly into a very high cavern, its ceiling easily forty feet or more overhead. The stairway continues to wind down along a ledge that follows the north wall of the chamber. A fast-moving CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY stream about five feet wide runs across the floor of the chamber from the north and disappears under a low stone overhang to the south, and larger passageways exit to the southeast and the northeast. Creatures. Four stirges are clinging to the chamber walls high overhead. They can see any light source that is brought into this chamber, but they are very hard to spot in turn, owing to the height of the ceiling. The stirges have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide unless a character specifically looks for danger overhead, so they might surprise the party. The stream exits the south wall of the cavern through a passage only 3 feet high, half filled by water, which serves as an entrance to the troglodytes' lair (area 17). Anyone who searches the stream's banks finds the footprints of Medium reptilian creatures and tracks left by tails with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check. To reach area 17 from this cave, a Medium or larger character must crouch down and then wade or crawl through the stream. Torches and lanterns are difficult to keep lit, since the lowest point of the ceiling in this passage is only about 6 inches above the water's surface.

: 7. TROGLODYTE CAVERN The troglodytes that infest the Glitterhame ha,·e claimed one of the largest caverns as a common room and food :corage area. They defend it against all intruders. Characters coming from area 16 might not be able co see everything at first. • Floundering through the cold, swift stream, you emerge in a huge cavern. The ceiling must be thirty feet overhead, and the far end of the cave is lost in darkness. A foul stench assaults your nostrils immediately. The remnants of butchered game animals hang from crude wooden stakes along the cavern walls, and you spot a pair of ore corpses treated in the same fashion. The grisly trophies that decorate the room represent about two or three weeks' worth of meals for the troglodyte tribe. The troglodytes like to let their meat age a bit before eating it, so most of the carcasses here are appallingly decayed. Creatures. Two troglodytes are hiding in the northern end of this area, one on each side of the stream. Their Chameleon Skin trait gives them advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide. They attack as soon as two characters have entered the area, likely achieving surprise. Mud-and-Wattle Door. The troglodytes have blocked the southwest passage leading to the main warren a rea 18) with a crude plug made of mud and wattle. A -uccessful DC 10 Strength check is required to pull it open. If alerted by the sounds of battle, the troglodytes on the far side secure the door, increasing the DC of the check to 15. Pool. The stream flows through the center of the cavern, growing somewhat wider and deeper until it reaches the southeast corner. The pool in that location is about 20 feet across and about 10 feet deep in he middle. Along the eastern edge of the pool, a short passage leading to area 23 has been blocked up with loose rubble and mud, creating a rough stone wall 10 feet across. Characters can break through this barrier with some effort; it has AC 16 and 50 hit points per 5-foot segment. 18. TROGLODYTE WARREN :\fost of the troglodytes dwell in a group of dismal caverns, occupying three caves that branch off the warren's central area to the northwest, southwest, and southeast. • • The passage opens into a long, low cavern that has three narrow, twisting passages leading off into darkness. Numerous rock columns rise to meet the stone overhead. The air is thick with troglodyte stench, and the floor is lit· tered with refuse from the monsters' meals and gnawed bones of dubious origin. Something scrapes and hisses in the dark, and you hear the soft padding of scaly feet on rock. Characters who are being stealthy might catch the troglodytes unawares. If the characters are carrying any light sources or making a lot of noise when they enter, the troglodytes in the west and southeast chambers are alerted. As soon as any fighting begins, one troglodyte attempts to escape to the north, toward area 19, and summon Kaarghaz, the chieftain. Northwest Chamber. Two troglodytes are sleeping in the small cave to the northwest when the characters enter area 18. Southwest Chamber. The females tend the colony's eggs and raise hatchlings in the southwest cave. Six troglodytes defend the hatchery and fight to the death to defend their young. The chamber also contains two dozen noncombatant hatchlings, which scurry away from intruders. Characters receive no XP for slaughtering them . Southeast Chamber. Three troglodytes recently returned from the hunt are relaxing in the southeast cave. Unless they are alerted to the characters' presence, they are concentrating on devouring what's left of a small deer. Tactics. If the characters attack the troglodytes in the northwest or southeast chamber, those in the other chamber hear the sounds of battle and rush to assist. The troglodytes in the southwest chamber remain there to protect the hatchlings; if the characters attack the hatchery first, all the troglodytes from the other chambers come to join the fight. 19. CHIEFTAIN'S CAVE The door leading north from area 18 is a mud-and-wattle barrier wedged in place; a successful DC 10 Strength check is required to pull it aside. Glowing coals in a crude hearth illuminate this large cave. The ceiling here rises about fifteen feet above the floor, and rubbish and skins cover the floor. A lizard the size of a small horse rises and slowly slithers toward you. Creatures. The chief of the troglodytes, Kaarghaz, occupies the chamber along with his pet giant lizard. Kaarghaz is a troglodyte with the following changes, which increase his challenge rating to 2 (450 XP): His AC is 13 (natural armor). He has 39 (6d8 + 12) hit points. , His Charisma is 15 (+2). , He can speak Draconic and Troglodyte. , He has an additional trait: Spellcasting. Kaarghaz is a 4th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). He knows the following sorcerer spells: Cantrips (at will):.fire bolt, mage hand, poison spray, prestidigita· tion, ray of frost 1st level (6 slots): burning hands, shield, sleep 2nd level (3 slots): invisibility, scorching ray If the characters make a Jot of noise or tip off their presence in some other way, Kaarghaz begins this encounter invisible (see below). Otherwise, read: CHAPTER '2 I THE FORGE OF FURY 45

Behind the lizard, a hulking, scaly-skinned creature easily a foot taller than any of the others you've seen glares at you and snarls. If Kaarghaz is alerted to the party's approach, he casts invisibility on himself before they enter. If he loses at least half his hit points, he tries to escape (using invisibility if possible). If his escape succeeds, he soon afterward rounds up a war party of surviving troglodytes from other areas to track down and ambush the party. Negotiation. Kaarghaz starts out hostile and won't become friendly to the characters. Nevertheless, a character who speaks Draconic might be able to stave off combat by parleying with the chieftain. For example, the characters might have captured some of the hatchlings in the southwest chamber, intending to ransom them back to the troglodytes in exchange for treasure. Even if Kaarghaz can be convinced to give up some of his wealth, he doesn't let the matter rest-he forms a war party (as described above) and goes after the characters. Treasure. The chief's chamber is strewn with trophies, including the skulls, bones, hides, and weapons of defeated foes. Amid the mess, a small square of black silk hides a ruby worth 300 gp. It can be found with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check. A battered wooden chest with leather hasps holds 1,500 sp. 20. SCALY LAIR The swift stream passes over a steep slab of bedrock in front of a short passage. The cave beyond is long and low, with an uneven ceiling about ten feet high. In the southern end of the room, an enormous white-scaled lizard lunges and snaps, but you can see that a sturdy chain around its neck tethers it in place. The agitated creature twists in frustration, its tail lashing. Behind the lizard lie a couple of iron chests. Creature. The cavern holds the troglodytes' secret weapon-a freshly captured giant subterranean lizard (see appendix B). Although the lizard is chained, it can attack anyone who comes within its reach. It strikes with its tail first, hoping to knock a target prone, then snaps at it with its powerful jaws to gulp it down. Treasure. The two chests contain a total of 2,200 sp. One holds a potion of climbing, and the other a potion of water breathing. 21. 0RC TUNNEL Several passages branch away from this large, high-ceilinged cavern. To the north, a carved, square-mouthed tunnel shows that someone has been at work in these caves. A gate of rough-hewn timber blocks a small passage to the northeast. Three other passageways wind off toward the south. A heavy animal smell lingers in the air. CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY A hundred years ago, the ores besieging Khundrukar tunneled into the dwarven stronghold. The cavern they emerged in now serves as a guard post and a mustering point for troglodyte raiders. The tunnel in the northern end of the area runs about 500 feet and opens on the hillside (see the "Ore Tunnel" subsection of "Scout the Area," page 35). The troglodytes use the opening to raid and hunt on the surface. Creatures. In the northern part of the cavern, near the passages that run east and west, two troglodytes are hiding. From their Chameleon Skin trait, they have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to hide. The troglodyte on the west side waits for an opportune moment to attack intruders with surprise. The other moves east to the gate and opens it to release a brown bear, which attacks any non-troglodyte in the next round (roll initiative for the bear when it is released). Bear Pen. A sturdy timber gate, latched on the outside, seals a smaller cave to the east. The bear attacks any non-troglodyte that opens the cage door, then tries to escape through the tunnel. The animal isn't trained but has come to expect food from the troglodytes. It is hostile toward strangers, but someone proficient in Animal Handling might be able to calm it down with a DC 15 Wisdom check. If the check succeeds and no troglodytes remain nearby, the characters can release it safely and let it depart. 22 . FUNGUS CAVERN A trickle of water seeping down from the hillside above reaches this irregular cavern, nourishing a profusion of fungus-weird puffballs, tall caps, and patches offuzzy mold in a variety of colors. A golden-brown carpet of mold covers an old skeleton in rusted mail in the southern part of the room, and a narrow passageway leads to another small room beyond this one. A surprisingly bright sword gleams in the skeleton's bony grasp. Hazard. The skeleton that the characters first see is that of a dwarf. From its location, it's possible for someone to see a second skeleton (human) in the south end of the chamber. Both skeletons are covered with a particularly virulent form of mold. A character can identify the threat with a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check. If either skeleton is touched, the mold ejects a cloud of spores that fill a 10-foot cube originating from the skeleton. Any creature in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (3d6) poison damage and become poisoned for 1 minute. At the end of this time, unless the poisoned condition is removed, the creature must repeat the saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Exposing a patch of the mold to sunlight or dealing any fire damage to it destroys it. Treasure. The dwarf skeleton clutches a +I longsword that bears Durgeddin's smith-mark. The human skeleton wears a steel helmet chased with silver, worth 110 gp.

23. DWARVEN SEPULCHERS • You gaze into an extremely large cave faintly lit by natural phosphorescence. Its ceiling rises fifty feet high in places. Crystals glimmer softly in the eerie light. Weird, beautiful flows and structures of delicate stone grace the chamber. The western portion of the great cave is separated from the rest by a steep bluff; the ceiling here is half the height of the rest of the chamber. A couple dozen large stone sepulchers line the cavern walls, each carved with intricate reliefs and designs and marked with Dwarvish runes. The upper portion of the great cavern was intended to be the final resting place of Durgeddin's clan. Durgeddin and his followers feared that their war against the ores would ultimately claim them all, so they built their own tombs during the first phase of carving out the stronghold. Ironically, only a handful of the dwarves were ever interred here; the rest lie where they fell when the ores stormed Khundrukar. The troglodytes have a superstitious fear of the tombs and refuse to set foot in this part of the Glitterhame. They don't pursue characters who enter this area. If the characters investigate the tombs at greater length, read: • Twenty-three sepulchers stand here. The lids are carved in the likenesses of grim dwarves in armor. Dwarvish runes on the front of each tomb appear to represent the names of the occupants or the intended occupants. Three of the stone coffins have additional runes carved into them. If someone in the party can read Dwarvish, the following details become apparent: The additional runes record the occupant's date of death and the great deeds the dwarf performed in life. Also carved into these three coffins is a warning that doom awaits any who dare to defile the honorable dead. The names on these three sepulchers are those of Borgol the Old, Gharin Ore-Doom, and Numik the Unlucky. Treasure. Each tomb is a marble vault 6 feet long, 4 feet high, and 3 feet wide, with a heavy stone lid. Despite the warnings carved on the tombs, there is no danger here. Even if the characters disturb Borgol, Gharin, or Numik, all they find are old bones and no undead. The three dwarves were buried with little funerary wealth; Durgeddin's folk believed in honoring their dead with stone, not riches. Borgol's remains include a ring of gold in the shape of a dragon holding its tail in its mouth, worth 120 gp. Gharin was buried with a finely crafted warhammer inset with a garnet, worth 110 gp. 24. THE GLITTERHAME This great cavern glimmers with a faint phosphorescence. The ceiling is almost fifty feet overhead, and bright flecks and gleaming stone formations are visible in the distance. Patches of strange fungi dot the floor, including capped stalks standing as tall as a human and glowing puffballs almost a yard wide. High ledges rise fifteen to twenty feet above the floor on the north, south, and west walls. Narrow passageways lead off to the north and the south, and a flight of carved stone stairs descends from the western ledge to a path that meanders through the center of the chamber toward a small iron door in the eastern wall. Audible throughout the entire chamber is the sigh of a soft, cool breeze that rises toward the surface far above. The fungal growths are harmless. In fact, the stalks and the puffballs are edible, if not especially tasty. The danger lies in the grick nest that overlooks the path. Creatures. Two gricks lurk in the 20-foot-high rockfall that spills down from area 26, at the place where the path leading east comes closest to the slope. They are wedged into spaces between boulders, 6 to 8 feet above the cavern floor. Their Stone Camouflage trait gives them advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide, so they might surprise the party. The gricks attack anyone who travels on the path next to the rockfall or climbs anywhere along the slope that leads to area 26. Any character trying to scale the rockfall while under attack must succeed on a DC 8 Strength (Athletics) check to make progress. If the characters reach area 26 by some other means, the gricks move to attack them there. CHAPTER '2 I THE FORGE OF FURY 47

25. LONG CAVERN The thunderous roar of falling water fills this long, low chamber, and spray makes everything slick and wet. A fast stream rushes through the center of the cavern, emerging from beneath a crude dam of rock and mud in the western wall. The stream disappears into a dark shaft at the cavern's eastern end. A rough, winding path follows the stream toward the east. The chamber runs from the troglodyte warrens to a natural shaft on the east end that leads down into the Sinkhole (see area 28). The stream spills over the edge of the shaft in a subterranean waterfall, and near the waterfall a narrow, winding stairwell leads down. Slippery Slope. The smooth cavern floor slopes down toward the stream, and much of the area immediately north of the stream is covered v:ith a thin layer of slime. The slime makes the floor very slippery. Its presence can be discerned with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check. Any creature that enters the slippery slope or starts its move there must make a DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. A creature that fails the check falls prone and slides southward toward the stream at half its walking speed. The stream is flowing fast enough that anyone who falls in must succeed on a DC 10 Strength saving throw to avoid being swept over the waterfall. A creature that goes over the waterfall lands in a pool 60 feet below (see area 28), taking 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and suffering one level of exhaustion. 26. GRICK LAIR A rocky ledge sits at the top of a steep, irregular rockfall about twenty feet high. The mouth of a side cavern leads into darkness beyond. Creatures. The two gricks hidden in the rockfall (see area 24) make their lair at the end of a passage that winds north from the ledge. They are encountered here if they retreated to attack characters who got past them. Treasure. The gricks discarded the inedible portions of their victims in the back of the cave. Rooting through the grisly remains uncovers a suit of scale mail and scattered coins totaling 200 cp, 180 sp, and 60 gp. 27. IRON DOOR The entrance to Durgeddin's halls and forges lies behind a sturdy locked door. Cut into the cavern wall is a small but strong-looking door of iron plates, about five feet tall and four feet wide. Heavy rivets stud its surface, and a tarnished silver rune-Durgeddin's smith-mark-gleams on the door's rusted face. CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FURY The door consists of two pieces of sheet iron bolted to a strong frame. A pintle is fitted through the door's middle, so it has no hinges. It can be opened with the key on the dwarf skeleton in the prison (see area 34). A character can pick the lock with thieves' tools and a successful DC 18 Dexterity check. Breaking the door down is very difficult, requiring a successful DC 25 Strength check. On the other side of the door is a steep staircase that leads up to area 35 in the Foundry. THE SINKHOLE The stream that flows through the Glitterhame descends through the chasm in area 25 to an even lower level of caverns- the Sinkhole. Here it joins a subterranean river that traverses dark caverns and forgotten storerooms before connecting with the Black Lake. None of the monsters that inhabit the complex regularly visit this place. The black dragon Nightscale sometimes swims through its submerged areas, using the river as a back door to its lair. A narrow staircase winds down along the chasm walls until reaching bottom, where it offers access to area 28. The following locations are identified on map 2.4. 28. WATERFALL CAVERN A loud waterfall spills down the northwest wall of this cavern into a deep pool. The rocky walls glisten with spray, and a weird array of colorful minerals and strange lichens lend an unearthly beauty to this spot. A fast-moving stream runs south from the pool at the base of the falls, and a nearby natural passage heads in the same direction. A set of narrow stairs cut into the rock wind up to the north, and two old wooden doors stand in a wall of dressed stone to the east. The stream flowing from area 25 in the Glitterhame pours down into the chamber. The pool is populated by harmless blind fish and white crustaceans but contains nothing dangerous. The outflowing stream drains into the river in area 29. Any characters who fell into the pool are carried by the current toward the outflow at about 20 feet per round. A character who ends up in the river might be swept away; see "Fast-Flowing Water," page 51. 29. RIVER CAVERN This long, narrow cavern is half-filled with an underground river, flowing along at a rapid pace. A narrow ledge on the north side overlooks the river. A bridge of stone spans the river, leading to a larger ledge on the south side that follows the course of the river to the east. The underground river flows swiftly from east to west. The bridge is sturdy and sound; there's no danger in crossing it.

' MAP 2.4 : THE S1NKHOLE Watery Peril. At the west end of the cavern, the ceiling lowers to meet the surface of the river. Any creature swept past this point by the current is trapped in a long, airless underground channel and is likely to drown (see ·suffocating" in chapter 8 of the Player's Handbook). In addition, the creature must make a successful DC 12 trength saving throw each round or take ld6 bludgeoning damage as it is battered by rocks. Even creatures that can breathe water aren't likely to survive for long. The stream runs underground for about 5 miles before emerging on a hillside to the west of the Stone Tooth. 30. OLD ST OREROOM The northern door in area 28 has swollen shut from dampness. A successful DC 10 Strength check is required to force it open. Durgeddin's folk formerly used the large chamber beyond as a storeroom. • The door gives way grudgingly, revealing a low chamber of dressed stone. This chamber is filled with what appears to be rotten food-barrels of salted meat gone bad, sacks of flour or grain covered in russet-colored mold, tuns of cider turned to vinegar. Two open archways in the east wall lead to a similar room, and two more openings are dimly visible beyond. The floor just past the first archway gleams wetly. Creature. None of the supplies are salvageable. While earching, the characters might blunder into a gray ooze that occupies the middle chamber of the three. While motionless, the ooze is indistinguishable from a patch of wet stone. It is alerted when characters force open the door, and it strikes at the first character who enters the middle chamber, attacking with surprise. • What appeared to be a wet patch on the floor suddenly twists like a snake and lunges toward you! I 31. EMPTY STOREROOM The southern door in area 28 is swollen shut and requires a successful DC 10 Strength check to open. The chamber on the other side of the door resembles area 30, but it is empty. The ores broke in and carried off most of its contents during the fall of Khundrukar. 32.FLOODEDSTOREROOM A year or so ago, a season of heavy rains on the surface raised the level of the subterranean river to create a minor flood. Water still stands at the bottom of the stairs. A short flight of stone steps leads down to a wooden door that stands half-open. Dark, stagnant water pools in the small landing at the base of the steps and in the doorway, presumably filling the room beyond as well. The area smells of rot. Diseased Pool. The water is about 5 feet deep and is tainted by disease. Anyone who drinks the water or wades into it is exposed and must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to avoid infection. Symptoms manifest one day after exposure and include high fever, muscle spasms, and eventual paralysis. An infected creature suffers one level of exhaustion when it finishes the first long rest it takes after being exposed. Whenever it finishes a long rest thereafter, it must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature suffers another level of exhaustion. On a successful save, its exhaustion level is reduced by one. If its exhaustion level reaches 5, the infected creature becomes paralyzed until the disease is cured or the effect is removed with a lesser restoration spell or similar magic. If a successful saving throw reduces the infected creature's exhaustion level to 0, the creature recovers from the disease. Treasure. Submerged in the corner of the eastern vault is the skeleton of an ore killed a century ago. The skeleton rests atop a rotted leather pouch that contains a potion of water breathing and a potion of invisibility. CHAPTER 2 I THE FORGE OF FUR\ 49