Ancientbeyondreckoning,G’lyh’rulhasaccumulatedtens
ofthousandsofyearsofknowledge.Ifthecharactersestablish
telepathiccommunicationwiththeabolethanditisinclinedto
speaktothem,itcanprovideinformationasifthecharacters
hadcastacommunespell.(Sincethey’renotactuallycasting
thespell,thiseffectisnotsubjecttotherestrictionson
spellcastingwithintheTomboftheNineGods.)Aftersharing
thisinformation,theabolethgrowsboredandwithdrawstoa
darkcornerofthelaketodreamofevilthings.
66 .DoorofDevouring.............................................................................................................................................................
Ifthecharactersapproachthisareabywayofthespiral
staircase(area 26 ),readthefollowingwhentheyreachthe
bottomofthestairs:
Atthebottomofthestaircase,adarkcorridorleads
south,whileastonedoorwithironhingesandabrass
knobstandstotheeast.Ifthecharactersapproachthisareafromthelake,read:
Aworkedstonecolumnstretchesfromthebottomof
thelaketothecavernroofandisattachedtothenearby
wallbyastoneconduit.Ononesideofthecolumn,
stepsofmoss-coveredstoneclimbfromastonedockto
alandingwhosestonedoorshowsnohandlesor
hinges.Ropeslashapairofrowboatstoadockpost,
andarustyironcagewallowsintheslime,heldafloatby
chainandwinch.Phosphorescentcrabsgatheratthe
bottomofthelakebelowthecage.
Thestonedoorseparatingthemooringareafromthe
spiralstaircase(area 26 )radiatesaurasofabjuration,
conjuration,andillusiontoadetectmagicspellorsimilar
effect.Thedoorcanbeopenedeasilyfromthewestside
simplybypullingonthebrassknob.Thedoorismuchharder
toopenfromtheeastside.
HungryDoor
Themossystaircasethatclimbsupoutofthelakeandthe
landingatitstoparestrewnwithbitsofcrabshell.Ifany
charactertouchesorinspectsthedoor,read:
Amonstrousmouthformsonthedoor’ssurface,calling
outwithadeepdrawl:“I’msohungryIcouldeatyou
alive,butI’llsettleforsomethin’else.Somethin’livin’.
Somethin’light!”Themouthissimilartothatcreatedbyamagicmouthspell,
butmorepowerful.Asuccessfuldispelmagic(DC 19 )caston
thedoorsuppressesitsmagicfor 10 minutes,preventingthe
mouthfromforming.However,thedoorcannotbeopened
withoutthemouthexceptfromthewestside,notevenwitha
knockspell.
Themouthisn’tprogrammedtosayanythingelse,butits
words(andthecrabshellsunderfoot)providethecharacters
withaclueregardinghowtoopenthedoor.Ifthemouthis
offeredalivephosphorescentcrab,itopenswide,chomps
downtoconsumethecrab,thenspitsoutitscrushedshell.
Oncethemouthhasbeenfed,itdisappearsandthedoorinto
area 26 swingsopen.Thedoorlocksandthespellresetsifthe
doorisclosedagain.
Ifacharactertossesanythingintothemouththatisn’ta
phosphorescentcrab,themouthspitsitout.Ifthecharacteris
within 10 feetofthedoorwhenthishappens,thedoorwraps
itstonguearoundthecharacterandswallowsthecharacter
whole.Noattackrollorsavingthrowisrequired.Acharacter
“devoured”inthismanneristeleportedtoarea 57.DivingCage
Arustyirongateonthesideofthecageprovidesingressfor
twoMediumorsmallercreatures.Thecageradiates
transmutationmagictoadetectmagicspellorsimilareffect,
andbestowstheeffectofawaterbreathingspellonany
creatureswithinit.Thestoutbarsgranthalfcoveragainst
attacksoriginatingfromoutsidethecage.
Usingthewinch,acharacteronthestepscanlowerthe
cage 20 feettothelakebed,allowingcharactersinthecageto
easilyharvest 2 d 6 phosphorescentcrabsfromthemuck.
Thecreakingdescentofthecagedrawstheattentionofthe
abolethinarea 65 .Iftheaboleth’scruelerpersonalityis
dominant,itattemptstoenslaveanycharactersinthecage.If
itsucceeds,itsendsthembacktothesurfacewithordersto
enticeothersdownintothedepths.Iftheaboleth’schildlike
personalityisdominant,itswimsoverandusesitstelepathy
tostrikeupafriendlyconversationwiththedivers.Rowboats
ThetworowboatshavethenamesPredatorandPreyetched
intotheirtransoms.Adetectmagicspellorsimilareffect
revealsanauraoftransmutationmagicaroundeachvessel.
EachboatcanholduptofourSmallorMediumcreaturesand
theirgear,andeachcontainstwooars,anemptywooden
bucket,anda 50 - foot-longcoilofhempenrope.
Predator.CreaturesaboardthePredatorhaveadvantage
onattackrollswhiletheboatisinthewater.Afilledbullseye
lanternhangsofftheboat’sbow.
Prey.CreaturesaboardthePreyhaveadvantageonsaving
throwswhiletheboatisinthewater.67 .HalloftheGoldenMastodon............................................................................................................................................
Acharacterwhosearchesfortrapsinthetunnelapproaching
thisroomnoticesablockofstonelodgedintheceilingwitha
successfulDC 20 Wisdom(Perception)check.Theblock
remainsthereuntiltheroom’strapisactivated.
Alife-sizegoldenstatueofamastodonstandsatopa
one-foot-highstonecogatthecenterofthisroom.
Jeweledtuskssweepfromitsjowls,anditstrunkis
raisedinaroar.Inscriptionscoilaroundthestatue’s
body,andmuralsonthewallsshowaChultanwarrior
ridingalivingmastodonthroughaseriesofhellish
landscapes.Ineachscene,adifferentbreedofdevil
assailsthem.ThemuralsonthewallstellthestoryofCh’gakare
(pronouncedchuh-GAH-kah-ree),aChultanwarriorwhostole
hisking’sprizedsteed:amastodonnamedGhom.As
punishment,theking’ssorcerersbanishedCh’gakareand
GhomtotheNineHells,butthetwofoughttheirwayback
home.Onhisreturn,Ch’gakarechoppedofftheking’shead
andturnedhisskullintoajeweledchalice.Anycharacterwho
studiesthemuralsandsucceedsonaDC 15 Intelligence
(History)checkrecognizesthelegendandcanrecountit.The
muralsshowCh’gakareandGhomfightingspineddevils,
beardeddevils,barbeddevils,horneddevils,anderinyes.AdvicefromtheSpirits
AnycharactersinhabitedbythespiritsofI’jin,Obo’laka,or
Shagambireceiveadvicewhenenteringthisarea: