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- COLD STORAGE
The Melairkyn dwarves used this chamber for cold stor-
age. Halaster has turned it into a trap. The room has the
following features:
Cold. The room is bitterly cold.
Glowing Rune. The walls rise 10 feet, then angle in-
ward, forming a pyramidal roof with a 40-foot-high
apex. Inscribed on the sloped north wall is a IO-foot-
tall Dwarvish rune that glows with a faint blue light.
Any character who understands Dwarvish knows that
the oversized rune on the north wall is an ancient sym-
bol meaning "cold." A detect magic spell reveals an aura
of conjuration magic around the rune. The rune's magic
lowers the room's temperature to 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
When a spell is cast in this room (including one cast
from a magic item), the giant rune flashes and deals 36
(8d8) cold damage to all creatures in the room. Once the
rune has released this cold energy, it can't do so again
for 1 hour.
19. GIANT SPIDER DEN
Giant spiders make their home here despite countless
attempts by adventurers to get rid of them.19A. ARACHNID DOWN
Clutter. Narrow paths wind between scattered piles of
broken furniture and garbage.
Chandeliers. Two iron chandeliers, once anchored to
the 20-foot-high ceiling, have fallen- their ropes cut.
One has crashed into a pile of debris. Pinned beneath
the other chandelier is a dead giant spider.19B. OLD BEDCHAMBER
Dead Spider. A dead giant spider, its body shot full of
arrows and scorched by fire, lies next to a broken
wooden bed against the east wall.
Armoire. Standing against the south wall is a wooden
armoire draped in cobwebs.
Treasure. The armoire contains the skeletal remains
of a halfling adventurer who was trapped inside by giant
spiders and starved to death. The skeleton is clad in a
chain shirt and wears a ring of swimming on one bony
finger. Characters who search the armoire also find an
explorer's pack (minus water and rations).19c. STICKY WEBS
This room is full of thick, sticky webs (see "Dungeon
Hazards" in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide).
The webbing stretches all the way to areas 19d and 19e.
Any tugging or burning of the webs in this area alerts
the giant spiders in area 19d, which creep down the hall-
way to investigate.19D. SPIDER WARREN
Five giant spiders lair here and attack all intruders.LEVEL 2 I ARCANE CHAMBERS1 9E. SPIDER LARDER
Dense webbing fills this room as well (see area 19c for
rules). Suspended within the webs are six cocoons. Five
contain the desiccated corpses of four goblins and a
nothic. The sixth contains a swarm of insects (spiders)
that bursts forth and attacks if the cocoon is torn open.
Treasure. The dead nothic has no treasure. A thor-
ough search of the goblin corpses yields 20 cp, 18 sp, 5
gp, and a silvered dagger.- DEAD EYES WATCH POST
The Xanathar Guild forces stationed here include five
human thugs, eight bugbears, and their leader, Nadia
the Unbent. A beholder zombie provides added security.
20A. BEHOLDER ZOMBIE
Watcher. A beholder zombie floats near the 20-foot-
high ceiling of this chamber, out of melee range.
Painted in white around its central eye is a circle with
ten equidistant spokes radiating outward from its cir-
cumference (Xanathar's symbol).
Noise. Sounds of mock battle emanate from the tunnel
to the west (leading to area 20b).
The beholder zombie attacks anyone who enters the
room without brandishing or wearing the symbol of
Xanathar. Combat in this room brings reinforcements
from area 20b.20B. WATCH POST BARRACKS
Xanathar Guild. Unless they are drawn to area 20a by
sounds of combat, the following creatures are training
here: a 7-foot-tall, powerfully built woman with shaggy
black hair and pale skin named Nadia the Unbent (NE
female Illuskan b erserker), five human thugs (three
women and two men), and five bugbears.
Blood Circle. Painted in blood on the middle of the
floor is a IO-foot-diameter circle with ten equidistant
spokes extending outward from its circumference
(Xanathar's symbol).
Hammocks. Fifteen leather hammocks are hooked to
stone brackets that protrude from the walls at regular
intervals.
Secret Door. A secret door in the west wall leads
to area 20c.
If she's here, Nadia the Unbent stands in the middle of
the bloody circle, armed with a 10-foot-pole, and is using
it to knock about her underlings in a contest to see who,
if anyone, can push her out of the circle. Nadia relishes
any opportunity to fight and kill, and she hurls herself
and her forces into battle without a second thought.20c. ARCH GATE TO LEVEL 6
This hallway has three alcoves:- The two southernmost alcoves contain secret doors to
areas 20b and 20d, respectively. - The alcove to the north has an arch embedded in its
back wall. Carved into the arch's keystone is an image
of a rust monster.