llF. ARCANE LOCKED DOORS
Muiral has cast an arcane lock spell on these doors, be-
yond which a stone staircase descends to area 30b. The
characters can force open the doors with a successful
DC^25 Strength (Athletics) check, but doing so alerts
the drow in area 30b.
llG. SOUTHEAST PALACE QUARTERS
This room resembles area 1 lc, except that the fireplace
chimney is intact. The chimney has abundant handholds
and can be climbed easily. After 90 feet, it opens into a
damp, soot-stained natural cave roughly 30 feet wide
by 60 feet long. Buried under the soot in a corner of the
cave is a swollen wooden chest.
Treasure. The chest is unlocked, but its lid is stuck
and must be pried open with a crowbar or similar tool. A
character can also smash the chest's soft lid with a suc-
cessful DC^9 Strength check. The chest contains^120
pp, a set of thieves' tools wrapped in lizard hide, and a
s toppered gourd containing oi l of slipperiness.
llH. NORTHEAST PALACE QUARTERS
This room is like area Uc but contains no treasure.- BALLROOM
Pilla rs and Ceiling. Ten pillars carved with friezes of
drow warriors support the SO-foot-high arched ceiling,
which is engraved with web-like patterns. Two pillars
have toppled at the far end of the hall.
Mon sters. Two of Muiral's arcane experiments (see be-
low) huddle next to the rubble of the toppled pillars.
Floor. Dusty black marble tiles cover the floor, many of
them cracked and broken.
Muiral injected two drow prisoners with magic elixirs
that forever transformed them into hideously deformed
giants with bulging muscles, charcoal-black skin, and
long, dirty-white hair. Mhavra and Naldath stand^24
feet tall, their limbs ill proportioned and their backs
hunched. Their eyes gleam, hateful and red.
The giants' darkvision allows them to see almost the
entire length of the hall, and they hurl rocks (chunks
of toppled pillars) at any intruders they can see. If the
rocks don' t get the job done, the giants smash foes
with wrought iron chandeliers that they wield like
morn i ngsta rs.
The mutated drow use the cloud giant statistics, with
these changes:- They are neutral evil.
- They have the following racial traits: They speak El-
vish and Undercommon. They have darkvision out to
a range of 120 feet. They have advantage on saving
throws against being charmed, and magic can't put
them to sleep. While in s unlight, they have disadvan-
tage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Percep-
tion) checks that rely on sight.
Replace the cloud giant's spells with the following:
dancing lights at will, and darkness and faerie fire
(save DC 15 ) each once per day.
13. VESTIBULE
Webs. A 10-foot-thick mass of sticky webs conceals the
30-foot-high ceiling. Three phase s piders lurk in the
lightly obscured area amid the webs.
Gu ards. Four male drow stand guard in the room, two
flanking each double door.
The drow are named Hlonlok, Izzorvir, Nephraen, a nd
Sornnozz. They have orders to kill intruders on sight,
and the phase spiders follow their lead.
Sornnozz has betrayed his kin by choosing to serve
Xarann A'Daragon, a House Freth spy who has infil-
trated Muiral's Gauntlet. When combat erupts, Sorn-
nozz switches sides and helps the characters kill the
phase spiders and the other guards. He then offers to
lead the characters to Xarann in area 17d. If pressed
for details, Sornnozz claims that Xarann is looking for
ways to weaken House Auvryndar's hold over Muiral's
Gauntlet, and he thinks a band of adventurers might be
the ans we r to Xarann's prayers.
14. GUEST APARTMENT
Vlonwelv maintains these quarters for guests.
14A. DINING ROOM
IfVlonwelv is still alive, the characters hear her disem-
bodied voice when they enter this chamber for the first
time (see "Vlonwelv's Pulpit," page 138 ).
Ch andelier. The room has a^30 -foot-high fiat ceiling,
hanging from which is a wrought iron chandelier
shaped vaguely like a giant spider and anchored to the
ceiling by a chain.
Furnis h i ngs. Beneath the chandelier lies an elongated,
oval dining table with a slate top and spider-like iron
legs. Eight cushioned iron chairs surround it. An or-
nate wooden cabinet stands against the north wall.
Fresco. A large fresco of an elven city covers the
south wall.
Before the drow were driven underground and into
Lolth's evil embrace, they lived in cities on the surface
alongside their elf kin. The fresco on the south wall de-
picts one of these a ncient cities.
Treasure. The cabinet contains a 10-pound box of sil-
ver flatware (250 gp) and a silver snuffbox (25 gp).14B. SITTING ROOM
Fireplace. A massive fireplace dominates the east wall.
(The fireplace's 5-foot-wide chimney climbs vertically
for 50 feet, then ends abruptly. The rest of it caved in
long ago.)
Furnishings. Six stuffed chairs and a chaise tongue are
arranged near the fireplace.14c. STUDY
Furnis h in gs. An elegant zurkhwood desk stands in the
middle of the room, a thin matching chair positioned
behind it.
Booksh elves. Carved into the west, south, and east
walls are rows of bookshelves. Five books rest on one
of the southern shelves; all the other shelves are bare.LEVEL lO I MUTRAL'S GAUNTLET