Hiddeninthelegofthelectern,onthesidefacingtheeast
wall,isasecretcompartmentthatcanbefoundwitha
successfulDC 10 Wisdom(Perception)check.
Ifthelinesofthenurseryrhyme(seebelow)areread
aloudinreverseorder,startingwiththelastlineandending
onthefirst,thedoorsofthesecretcompartmentopen,
revealingabrassleverinside.Iftheleverispulled,theoctagon
sealontheskeletongateinarea 71 rollsaside,revealingan
octagonalkeyholebehindit.
Thecompartmentcanalsobeopenedwithaknockspell,or
withasuccessfulDC 20 Dexteritycheckmadebyacharacter
usingthieves’tools.Openingthecompartmentineither
mannertriggersthetrap(see“SpiderFanTrap”below).
NurseryRhymeBook
AnycharacterwhounderstandstheInfernaltonguecan
translatethehags’nurseryrhymeasfollows:
Page 1 :Backward,backward,eighttoone.
Page 2 :Speaktherhymeuntilit’sdone.Page 3 :Keepthespiderlockedaway.Page 4 :Seethelever,clearasday.Page 5 :Spin,spin,ironspider.Page 6 :Turntheirfleshandbonestocider.Page 7 :Speaktherhymeandmeetyourfate.Page 8 :Forward,forward,onetoeight.SpiderFanTrap
Anycharacterwhoinspectstheflooroftheroomandsucceeds
onaDC 15 Wisdom(Perception)checknoticesthinseams
alongthefloor’sperimeterthatsuggestapitbelow.Theseams
aremeanttodeceiveadventurersandmakethemwaryofthe
floor,whichdoesn’tactuallyhaveapitunderneathit.
Therealdangeristheceiling,whichappearstobesmooth-
cutstonebutisactuallythinplaster.Fivefeetabovethefalse
plasterceilingistheroom’strueceiling,whichhasabladed
fanshapedlikeagiantironspidermountedtoit.
Ifacharacterintheroomreadstheentirenurseryrhyme
beginningwiththefirstlineonpage 1 andendingwiththelast
lineonpage 8 ,orifthecompartmentinthelecternisopened
improperly,theceilingfanbeginstotwirlasareversegravity
spellactivateswithintheroom.Thelecternistheonlyfixed
objectintheroom.Anycreaturewithinreachofitcan,witha
successfulDC 17 Dexteritysavingthrow,grabthelecternand
avoidfallingupward.Acreaturethatcan’tgrabthelecternor
isn’tsecuredinsomeotherway“falls”upwardthroughthe
fakeplasterceilingintotherotatingbladesofthefan,taking
44 ( 8 d 10 )slashingdamage.Thecreaturetakesthatdamage
againeachtimeitstartsitsturnontheceiling.Thereverse
gravityeffectlastsfor 1 minute,afterwhichcreaturesonthe
ceilingfallbackdowntothefloor 20 feetbelow.Oncethespell
ends,theceilingfanstopstwirling.Thetrapdoesnotreset.
77 .DeathGod’sNursery.........................................................................................................................................................
Openingtheskeletongateinarea 71 revealsa 10 - foot-wide,
20 - foot-longstaircaseofpolishedblackmarblethatdescends
tothisarea.Whenthecharactersreachthebottomofthe
stairs,read:
Crumblingbalconiesoverlookapooloflavafillingthis
triangularchamber,abovewhichissuspendedan
enormouscrystalcylinderheldinplacebythree
adamantinestruts.Wraithlikeformsswirlinsidethe
cylinder,andotherworldlyscreamshangintheair.Four
long,writhingtentaclessproutfromthecylinder’scap.
Ashriveledmonstrositythesizeofanelephantfloats
nearthecylinder.Itsbodyiswetandmalformed,its
armsandlegsareatrophied,anditsoversizedhead
dripsblackgoo.Thecreatureisattachedtothecylinder
byatwistedumbilicalcord.ThecylindricaldeviceistheSoulmonger.Themalformed
creaturefloatingnexttoitisanatropal(seeappendixD),
whichfeedsonthecapturedsoulsofthedead.Theatropal
attacksanycreaturethatthreatensitortriestodamageits
foodsource.Iftheatropaldies,Acererakarrivestotakehis
revenge(see“Acererak’sRevenge”below).
Theceilingofthevaultis 30 feethigh,andthewallsalong
thenorthbalconyarelinedwithalcovescontainingpilesof
skullsandbones—theremainsofOldOmuansandtheir
minotaurprotectors.AdvicefromtheSpirits
Anycharactersinhabitedbytricksterspiritsreceiveadvice
whenenteringthisarea:
FickleI’jinencouragesherhosttoinvestigatethemist-
filledarchwayonthesouthbalcony(see“MistGate”
below).
AdventurousKubazanexpectshishosttomakethe
ultimatesacrificeanddieinablazeofglory.
KindMoawantstofreethesoulstrappedinsidethe
Soulmonger.
GreedyNangnangurgesherhosttosearchthebalconies
andbone-filledalcovesfortreasure.
NervousObo’lakaisconcernedthatthebonesinthe
northernalcovesmightriseupandattack.
ShrewdPapazotlsuspectsthattheatropalmightbe
vulnerabletoradiantdamageandthatkillingitmight
summonforthitsevilmaster.
VirtuousShagambirecognizesthattheatropalisunholy
andordersherhosttodestroyitatonce.
ContemplativeUnkhurgesherhosttocommunicatewith
theatropal.Perhapsthecreatureisjustmisunderstood.
DerangedWongowantshishosttoattackthetentacles
sproutingfromthetopoftheSoulmonger.TheSoulmonger
TheSoulmongerisanuprightcrystalcylinder 20 feethighand
10 feetindiameter.Theadamantinestrutsthatsuspendit
abovethelavaattachtoanadamantineringaroundthe
cylinder’smidsection.
Underthescrutinyofadetectmagicspellorsimilareffect,
theSoulmongerradiatesanintenseauraofnecromanticmagic.
DestroyingtheSoulmongernotonlyendstheeffectsofthe
deathcurse(seetheintroductiontotheadventure)butalso
freesallthesoulstrappedwithinthedevice.Freedsoulstravel
totheafterlife,andanycreaturewhosesoulissetfreecanbe
broughtbackfromthedeadbymagicalmeans.
TheSoulmongerisanartifactofevil—aHugeobjectwith
AC 15 ; 200 hitpoints;vulnerabilitytoradiantdamage;and