waydoortotheplaneofArcadia.Alegendlorespellcastonthe
spectaclesrevealsthisinformationandraisestheirpotential
valueto 2 , 500 gpiftheyaresoldtoawizardorsage.
Theobjectonthetableisamusicboxmadeofdarkwood
withgoldfiligree.Adetectmagicspellorsimilareffectreveals
anauraofconjurationmagicaroundit.Eachofitsfivesidesis
sculptedwiththeimageofahornedwomanplayingadifferent
musicalinstrument:adulcimer,aflute,aharp,alyre,anda
viol.Whiletouchingthebox,acreaturecanuseanactionto
makeitplaymusicfeaturingoneoftheinstrumentsshown,
whichcanbeheardupto 60 feetaway.Thecharactercanalso
useanactiontostopthemusic.Themusicboxisworth 750 gp.
Thelibrarycontainstwohundredhistoricaltexts( 50 gp
each),sixtytomesofarcanelore( 100 gpeach),threedusty
spellscrolls(createundead,fabricate,andresurrection),andsix
spellbooks.Thefirstthreespellbookscontain 1 d 6 spellseach
of 1 stthrough 3 rdlevel.Thefourthandfifthspellbooks
contain 1 d 4 spellseachof 4 ththrough 6 thlevel.Thesixth
spellbookhasatitle(XtheMystic’sArcaneGrimoire)burned
intoitsspineandcontains 1 d 3 spellseachof 7 ththrough 9 th
level.
81 .EbonPool...........................................................................................................................................................................
Apoolofjet-blackoozeglistensinsidethissilent
chamber,whosewallsaredecoratedwithreliefcarvings
depictingblackstars.Thepoolradiatesanauraofconjurationmagictoadetect
magicspellorsimilareffect.Creaturesthatcomeintocontact
withtheoozeareunharmed.Anyobjectthatisn’tbeingworn
orcarriedbyacreaturedisappearsifsubmergedintheblack
ooze.Suchitemsarepermanentlylost,havingbeen
transportedtoasecretdemiplanewhoselocationcannotbe
divined.Anyamountofoozethatisremovedfromthepool
disappearsinstantly.
ActivatingthePool
PeggyDeadbells(inarea 71 )andMisterThreadneedle(inarea
74 )haveblackmarblesintheirpossessionthatcanbeusedto
activatethepool.Ifoneoftheseblackmarblesistossedinto
thepool,read:
Theblackmarblesinksintotheooze,whichrisesup
suddenlytoformafour-foot-tallblackobelisk—a
miniatureversionoftheobeliskthatstoodoutsidethe
tombentrance.
Anycreaturethattouchestheoozeobeliskisteleported,
alongwithallobjectsitiswearingandcarrying,toan
unoccupiedspacewithin 10 feetoftheobeliskoutsidethe
tombentrance(area 1 ).Thiseffectisnotsubjecttothemagical
wardsthatpreventteleportationspellsfromfunctioning
withinthetomb.
Theoozeobelisksinksbackintothepoolanddisappears
after 1 minute.Tossinganotherblackmarbleintothepool
causestheobelisktoreform.
Conclusion........................................................................................................................................................................................
DestroyingtheSoulmongerfreesthesoulstrappedinsideit
andendsAcererak’sdeathcurse.Characterswhoaccomplish
thisgoalwillhavesavedmanylives,andifwordspreadsof
theirheroism,wealthyandinfluentialNPCscomeforward
bearinggiftsofthanks.Thesegiftscantakemanyforms,
includingparcelsoflandandspecialfavors(see“Marksof
Prestige”inchapter 7 oftheDungeonMaster’sGuide).Ifthe
charactersallowtheatropaltosurviveinthedepthsofthe
tomb,iteventuallyattractsnihilisticdevoteesofAcererakwho
feedittheirowndarksoulsasnourishment.LostTreasures.........................................................................................................................................................................
Astheyexplorethetomb,charactersarelikelytofindoneor
morefabledtreasuresaswellasmagicitemsinhabitedbythe
spiritsofOmu’sdeadtrickstergods.Whathappenstothese
itemswhenthecharactersleavethetombisdiscussedbelow.RelicsofthePast
Acererakplacedfourtreasuresinthetombaslures:theBlack
OpalCrown,theEyeofZaltec,theNaveloftheMoon,andthe
SkullChaliceofCh’gakare.Theseitemscanbekept,soldto
interestedbuyers,orreturnedtotheirrightfulowners.
BlackOpalCrown(Area 49 ).Theyuan-tiofOmuareafter
thistreasure.Iftheycan’twrestitfromthecharacters,they
attempttobuyorstealthecrownfromtheindividualtowhom
thecharacterssellit.Whetherthecrownhasthepowertoset
looseDendartheNightSerpentisuptoyou.Shouldthecrown
fallintothewronghands,charactersmightneedtoventure
intothecavernsbelowthePeaksofFlametoretrieveitbefore
theworldends.
EyeofZaltec(Area 62 ).TheCompanyoftheYellow
Bannerwasvanquishedtryingtoobtainthislostjewel,which
isrumoredtohavethepowertoresurrecttheancientdead.If
theEyeofZaltecindeedhassuchpower,itrequiresagreat
manysacrificestofunction.Tabaxithievesmighttrytosteal
thejewelandbearitsafelybacktoMaztica,perhapstradingit
forthereleaseofenslavedlovedones.Conversely,avillain
mightbuythejewelanduseittoresurrectadeadtyrant,an
evilarchmage,orsomeevengreaterthreat.
NaveloftheMoon(Area 56 ).Ifthecharacterstrytosell
thisstoneinBaldur’sGate,PortNyanzaru,orsomeothercity,
wordofthesalequicklyreachesthespiesofwealthyCalishite
merchants.Abiddingwarmightensue,orassassinsmightbe
senttoretrievethestoneandquietlydisposeofitsnewowner.
Whetherthestonehasitspurportedpowertoreunitefamilies
separatedbytimeandfateisentirelyuptoyou.
SkullChaliceofCh’gakare(Area 67 ).Princess
Mwaxanarécan’taffordtopaycharacterswhatthistreasureis
worth,andshewilldespisethemforsellingittosomeoneelse.
ThreeofPortNyanzaru’smerchantprincesexpressinterestin
buyingthechalice:IfanTalro’awantstoaddittohisprivate
collectionofChultanrelics,Kwayothéwantstomeltitdown,
andZhanthiwantsitforsentimentalreasons.Denyinganyone
ofthemwouldbeagravemistakeonthecharacters’partand
mightresultinthemreceivinganominousYtepkaSociety
token.MagicItemsoftheTricksterGods
Certainmagicitems—specificallythoseinwhichthespiritsof
theninetrickstergodsreside—turntodustandare
destroyedassoonastheyexitthetomb.Theseitemsinclude
Obo’laka’sringofprotection(area 10 ),Moa’sstaffofthepython
(area 14 ),Wongo’smaceofterror(area 16 ),Papazotl’samulet
ofhealth(area 22 ),Nangnang’segg-shapedpearlofpower
(area 24 ),I’jin’shorn-shapedwandofwonder(area 35 ),
Kubazan’sbracersofarchery(area 42 ),Shagambi’sinstrument
ofthebards(area 48 ),andUnkh’srobeofscintillatingcolors
(area 55 ).