Well its Monday here for two more minutes anyway.
Map is on the left.
9. The Room of Skulls.
Illumination: None
Smell: None
This room is lined with shelves. Hundreds of skulls, from
every manner of folk, crowd the shelves. Set in the face of the eastern wall, a
plaque written in the script of the Minotaurs reads “Enemies of the House”
If the characters touch or otherwise disturb any of the
skulls they will attract the attention of the malevolent spirits that haunt the
room.
Spectral Horde
Ac 2 [17] HD 4; Attack: Telekinesis 1d6; Move 6; Special Can attack 1d6 times a round;
XP 300
A spectral horde is a conglomeration of petty ghosts who
come together to combine their otherwise insignificant power. The horde cannot
only be hit with magical/radiation based weapons. The horde cannot leave its
source area (in this case it can not leave the Room of skulls.
10. The Orchard
Illumination: Very
dim dull red glow emanating from
the trees, limited visibility (see below).
Smell: Like Rotten
Bacon. ST or gag for 1d4 rounds
(-2 to all die rolls for duration).
This area is a natural cavern. The river runs through it,
and the noise of water is loud but not overwhelming. Bats flutter everywhere, their wings set aglow by the dull
red light.
North of the river:
Twelve meat trees depend from the vaulted, stalactite-covered ceiling.
Each meat tree exists as a distended spindle of moist,
pulsing ligature and flesh; clusters of faintly luminous, man-sized, scarlet,
translucent, bulbous and blister-like sacs of glistening, squirming membrane
are spaced unevenly along its length. Sacs that have been recently filled
betray vague outlines of the bodies of animals and humanoids, writhing away
their final agonizing moments as they are digested by the tree, and thus turned
into food for the grublings The meat sacs provide both the room’s illumination
and odor.
At any given time, 2-12 grublings will be feeding from the
sacs, each thrusting its large, hairy proboscis into one of the writhing nodes
and drawing forth a gory slurry of liquefied flesh and bone in a rapturous
feeding trance. Feeding grublings will always be surprised if attacked and can
also be stealthily avoided - see below.
If he has not appeared already, a 1-2 on a D6 indicates that
two grublings are stuffing what looks to be the body of a dead Shae sorcerer
into one of the sacks as the characters enter the room. This is Pheen Vox* who
may or may not be alive at the referee’s discretion. His facial tattoos make
him instantly recognizable.
The Bridge is
thoroughly coated in sticky brown mucus, but it is open and uncluttered by meat
trees.
The river running beneath the bridge has a depth of about 4
feet. The water has an oily sheen and stinks of garbage. Streams of mucus,
fragments of insect chitin and offal pollute the stream.
South of the river: Ten
meat trees.1d8 grublings feedings. Three pairs of drones are stationed on this
side of the river. Squad A stands before the door to room 13, and Squad b
stands at the mouth of the passage leading down to room 11. Squad C is stationed by the
between the door to area 33 and the river’s point of entry in to the cavern.
The squads are unable to see one another but will sound the alarm and come to
one another’s aid during the second round of combat.
The Skeleton in the Lake: A giant skeleton (15’) lies supine in the lake, resting on its elbows,
with its skull, thorax and right knee above the surface. A stylized star-like
ruin is burned in to the middle of the forehead, and in the center of the ruin
there is what appears to be a very large keyhole.
Grublings: AC 6[13];
HD 1+1; Attack Proboscis 1d6; Move 10; XP 15.
These creatures represent the larval stage of the roachmen.
They are stupid and hungry.
Drone: AC 4 [15]; HD 3; Attack Sword 1d6; Move 12; XP 40
Drones are roachmen at a more advanced, aware stage of their
development. Drones will fight to defend the nest at all costs.
11. Lair of the Duchess:
Illumination: Bioluminescence
Smell: Acrid,
chemical
This large cavern is the lair of the Insectress’ chief
lieutenant and queen of the roachmen, the Duchess: a bloated, egg-producing
arthropod monstrosity. The cavern floor is covered with a crusty landscape of
dried secretions, from which the acrid chemical smell noted above emanates.
Half eaten carcasses of people and animals protrude from the crusted slimy
nightmare-scape. The Duchess lolls atop a raised dais at the west end of the
room, the disarticulated remains of her most recent lovers scattered carelessly
about her.
The Duchess: AC 2
[17]; HD 6; Attack: Tentacles, Fangs 1d6; Move 18; Special: See below XP 500 l
This huge beetle-like arthropod is covered with a bulbous
and ruin marked carapace. A glowing orange-red tentacle sprouts from the top of
the Duchess’ head. During combat the Duchess may attack with both its fangs and
one tentacle each round. Any character hit by a tentacle attack must roll a d6
and add in either their strength or dexterity bonus. If the roll with bonuses
equals a 6 or more the character manages to avoid being immobilized and takes
no damage, but they are still caught within the grasp of the tentacle. If the
character remains conscious through the next round they make attack or make another
roll to try to get free (1d6 + Strength or Dexterity bonus. A roll of 6 or
greater results in the character escaping from the Duchess’ grasp. Once a day the tentacle can cause
petrifaction (negated by a successful ST).
Treasure: Two large
amphorae are leaned against the far western wall of the cavern (on the far side
of the river from the entrance). These can only be seen easily from the west
side of the river, they remain invisible from the other side unless a superior
light source is in use.
Amphora 1 contents: 1500 sp; 1 neutron knife ( Standard
rules:1d12 damage, functions as a magical weapon; Metal Earth House Rules: wounds
on a successful hit, unless target makes a successful ST, in which case 1d6
damage).
Amphora 2 contents: 2500 GP and assorted gems equaling
roughly 4000 GP in value.
12: The Robot Shrine
Illumination: Faint
and flickering orange light from a dying wall-mounted glowstrip.
Smell: Rust and oil.
Shelves laden with all manner of mechanical hardware line
the walls of this room. There is a break between the shelf rows along the
southern wall of the room; here, hidden behind a veil of burlap, sits the
rusted out body of an old mining robot upon a throne made from twisted metal
wreckage. Candles have been placed around the figure, and ruins drawn on the
floor at its feet. An altar made of discarded machine parts stands before the
throne, at the center of the ruin marked space.
13. Roachmen Ready Room
Illumination: None
Smell: Shit
This room is meant to serve as a buffer between the egg
chamber and the dungeon beyond the area controlled by the Duchess. 4 Drones
wait here they are asleep and hanging upside down. The floor is a trash heap of
bones and insect casings.
Drone: AC 4 [15]; HD 3; Attack Sword 1d6; Move 12; XP 40
14. Holding Pen
Illumination: None.
Smell: Shit and
Blood.
This heavy iron-bound door is locked with two chains. 8
slaves wait within. Two shae; a sasquatch; three minotaur and two lizardmen.
They will all make promises of how much they can pay if they are helped out.
1d4 of them are beyond help and cannot be moved, although given constant care
and successful STs they might recover in 1d6 weeks. All of the prisoners are adventurers and the group may make
a good pool from which to draw henchmen and/or new PCs.
15. Nursery:
Illumination: Green
glow emanating from egg bioluminescence
Smell: Ammonia
Any signs of this room's original purpose have long since been
obliterated. Each about the size of
a grown man’s head, hundreds of green glowing, gently pulsating
translucent eggs cover every available surface of the room. The eggs are
grouped together in clusters. Three Matrons move amongst the eggs, tending to
them and will respond to any threat with immediate and violent action.
Matron: AC 4 [15];
HD 4; Attack Claws; Move 12; XP 120
*Pheen Vox is an 3rd level Shae Sorcerer who entered the Halls of the Hidden Prince in search of treasure. His family has offered to pay 10k GP for his safe return 0r 5k for his corpse. I will flesh out this hook when I revise the dungeon.