Two of the five books are blank. The others include
Matrons of the Sunless Depths (a treatise on the im-
portance of the drow matriarchy, written in Elvish by
Vlonwelv Auvryndar), The Poison Chalice (a fictional
tale of political intrigue in the city of Menzoberranzan,
written in Elvish by an unknown author), and Demonic
Infestations (a collection of stories about demonic pos-
session, written in Common). None of the books are
especially valuable.14D. MIRROR GATE TO LEVEL 7
Bed. A zurkhwood bed draped by a spider silk canopy
stands against the north wall.
Mirror. A tall, rectangular mirror is mounted on the
east wall. The mirror is one of Halaster's magic gates
(see "Gates," page 12).
Etched into the bottom of the mirror's stone frame are
the letters T-U-0-Y-A-W (a reflection of W-A-Y-0-U-T).
This gate's rules are as follows:- If a creature speaks the words "Way out!" while point-
ing at the mirror, the gate opens for 1 minute. - Characters must be 9th level or higher to pass through
this gate (see "Jhesiyra Kestellharp," page 10). The
first creature to pass through the gate triggers an el-
der rune (see "Elder Runes," page 12). - A creature that passes through the gate appears in
area 41 on level 7, in the closest unoccupied space
next to the identical gate located there.
- SCREAMING SKULLS
Collapse. The eastern branch of this hallway has col-
lapsed. A search of the rubble yields nothing of value.
Skulls. The western branch contains six large piles of
drow skulls (each marked with an X on map 10).
Muiral collected the skulls long ago, and the drow
have chosen not to disturb them. A creature that ap-
proaches within S feet of a pile can hear faint, dying
screams emanating from the skulls. A skull removed
from a pile falls silent. - FALSE MIRROR GATE
Mirror. Mounted to the north wall above a rectangular
dais is a 6-foot-tall oval mirror set in a stone frame
carved to look like Halaster's yawning face, the mirror
forming his wide-open mouth.
Dais. Etched on the floor of the dais are the words "Flat-
tery will get you everywhere."
Statues. Flanking the dais are two petrified hook
horrors that look like carved statues. (The hook hor-
rors pose no danger in their current state. Casting a
greater restoration spell or similar magic on one re-
stores it to flesh and blood, whereupon it attacks.)
The mirror looks like one of Halaster's magic gates
and functions similarly (see "Gates," page 12). Its
rules are as follows:
If a creature stands atop the dais and says something
flattering about Halaster, the mirror vanishes, reveal-
ing a dusty corridor beyond that leads off into dark-
ness. This corridor is an illusion.l-EVEL 10 I MUIRAL"S GAUNTLET
- Any creature that steps through the mirror is tele-
ported, along with all its worn and carried items, to
the top of the 60-foot shaft in area 22a, whereupon the
creature falls and takes 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage
on impact. - The first creature to fall for the trap triggers a magic
mouth spell in area 22a. Halaster's mouth appears
on a wall and says, in Common, "You fell for it! Get it?
Fell for it?! Ha ha ha ha!"
- THE DARK SELDARINE
These temples are dedicated to the Dark Seldarine,
a pantheon of drow gods under Lolth. Each room has
walls that rise lS feet, then angle inward to a central
point 30 feet above the middle of the floor.
17A. TEMPLE OF GHAUNADAUR
Ghaunadaur, a god of subterranean horrors, is re-
spected and feared by many Underdark races, including
drow. This temple contains the following features:
Green Slime. Each 10-foot-wide, lS-foot-high section of
vertical wall is covered with six S-foot-square patches
of green slime (see "Dungeon Hazards" in chapter S of
the Dungeon Master's Guide).
Secret Door. The slime obscures a secret door. Ability
checks made to search the walls for secret doors are
made with disadvantage until the slime is scraped off
the section of wall in which the secret door is hidden.
Altar. What appears at first viewing to be a glistening
altar of variegated gray stone is, in fact, a hollow glass
altar with three psychic gray oozes sealed inside it.
The glass altar is a Large object with AC 11, SS hit
points, immunity to damage from nonmagical weapons
that aren't adamantine, and immunity to acid, poison,
and psychic damage.
The gray oozes attack all creatures that enter the
room using their Psychic Crush action option (see the
"Variant: Psychic Gray Oozes" sidebar in the "Oozes"
entry in the Monster Manual). While contained in the al-
tar, the oozes have total cover, their speed is 0 feet, and
they can't attack with their pseudopods.17B. TEMPLE OF KIARANSALEE
This temple of Kiaransalee, drow god of undeath, reeks
of decay and contains the following:
Altar. An altar made of humanoid skulls and bones
rests near the south wall.
Decor and Secret Door. Embedded in the walls are
drow skeletons posed as if dancing. One skeleton
along the south wall is missing its head (behind it is a
secret door that won't budge).
Only an undead creature or a creature possessed by
one can open this secret door without the aid of a knock
spell or similar magic.
If a character kneels before the altar and offers a
prayer to Kiaransalee, or leaves a respectful offering on
the altar, the room grows markedly colder as the silent
ghost of a drow priestess materializes next to the altar
and tries to possess the nearest humanoid creature. If it
succeeds, the ghost uses its host to open the secret door,