- DUMPING PIT
Victims of Narrak's experiments arc dumped here.
Exposure to the fac~rzrcss has begun to animate
the corpses.
This cavern is one enormous pit that reeks of death and
decomposed flesh. The glow of fauzress is everywhere,
seeming to flow like fog around dark shapes shambling
across the pit floor A smgle derro watches from atop a
lS·foot-high ledge. A crack in the southeast wall of the
pit leads to a narrow tunnel and is flanked by mounds of
fungi and offal.The pit is 15 feel d<"cp, and the kdge that overlooks
it is lined with pointy bits of scrap metal to make any
climbing attempt perilous. A creature trying to reach
the top of the ledge must succeed on a DC 12 Strength
(Athletics) check. On a failed check, a creature lakes 3
(ld6) slas hing damage and remains in the pit. The pit's
floor is difficult terrain due to the many corpses and
body parts strewn around.
A single derro stands on the ledge overlooking the
pit, which contains seven shambling zombies-three
ducrgar and four grim locks. The grim lock zombies
are drawn to noise. while the duergar zombies attack
any living creatures they see in the pit. Meanwhile.
the derro uses its crossbow to take shots at any living
c reatures it sees.
A crawling claw wearing an obsidian ring on one
stubby finger (see "Treasure~) lurks amid the offal
mounds. These mounds are difficult terrain to Small
and Medium c reatures, and the fungi growing atop
them provide cover to Tiny creatures. The shriveled
gray hand once belonged ro Pelek the svirfneblin (see
"Development").
The crack in the southcnst wall between the mounds
leads to a narrow, meandering tunnel. the floor of which
is sunk below a foot of foul water. See the "'Wborlstone
Tunnels: General Features" sidebar for rules on narrow
tunnels and foul water.
TREASURE
Faerzress has transformed Pelek's obsidian ring into a
single-use magic item. When a living c-reature puts it on.
the ring disappears, and the creature's skin becomes
as hard as obsidian for the next hour. For as long as
the effect lasts. the creature gains the benefit of a
stoneskin spell.
DEVELOPMENT
If the characters capture and interrogate the derro, he
talks willingly if they agree to spare him. He knows as
much as the quasits in area 11.
Killing the crawling claw and burying its remains in
Blingdenstone lays Pelek's spirit to rest (see area lb).
- OBELIS K
The Gray Ghosts believe that the mysterious obelisk in
this cavern is an important source of magical power,
CH\I'IUR ~I CRi\CKl.SI"UGH
and they are intent on rebuilding it. The obelisk was
broken long ago. Howe ver. shards of the obelisk that
appear throughout the Undcrdark are magically
absorbed into it as soon as they touch its metal surface.
The leaders of the Gray Ghosts are obsessed with
finding missing shards and completing this monolith.
but not even they know what will happen when the
obelisk is made whole again.After a steady upward climb, the tunnel opens into
a huge, well·l•t chamber. The glow offaerzress and
bioluminescent fungi compete with shafts of white light
that fall upon naturally formed shelves along the walls as
well as a rocky mesa at the center of the cavern. Crudely
formed ramps connect the d ifferent levels of the mesa
up to the height of its two topmost tiers, which are linked
by a sturdy bridge. Atop one of those tiers sits a large red
egg. Atop the other stands a so.foot-tall obelisk made of
smooth black metal with a few noticeable imperfections,
as though small parts of it were somehow chipped away.
A female derro stands close to the obelisk, gently
patting and stroking its surface. The obelisk flashes
once, the glow of faerzress around the cavern flaring in
response. The derro squeals with glee as she snatches an
object up from the ground, then writes something down
in a small notebook.The chamber is brightly lit, as if by sunlight. The
sunlight is just a natural trick caused by crystal growths
reflecting and amplifying the light of the bioluminescent
fungi growing on the walls. The characters realize this
if they climb near the ceiling of the cavern, where the
optical trick is easy to discern.
The different levels of the mesa arc separated by
10-foot-high cliffs. Climbing a cliff requires a successful
DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. Pliinki. a mad
derro savant (see appendix C), stands atop of the
mesa. Hidden on a shelf above the cavern's entrance,
a spectator tasked with guarding this area sees the
characters as soon as they walk 15 feet into the cavern.
The spectator screeches an alarm and attacks, killing
non-derro with glee. As it fights. it projects telepathic
ramblings into the characters' minds, mostly dealing with
how exciting it is to havt> intruders to kill and how even
more exciting things will be when the obelisk is complete.
Pliinki shouts crass obscenities at the characters in a
raspy voice while commanding the spectator to dispose of
them. Both she and the spectator fight ro the death.OBELISK
Made from a black metal of alien origin, this monolith is
perfectly smooth except for the cracks and chipped-off
edges where it was splintered by some unknown force.
The obelisk is IS feet per side at its base, stands 50 feet
tall, and tapers slowly to a pyramidal cap.
Any character proficient in Arcana can tell that the
obelisk's fractures arc leaking quasi-magical e nergy.
The character further understands that feeding magical