2c. FUNGUS GARDEN S
The creature in area 2a comes here to feed, as do other
creatures dwelling in the caverns. The cave has the fol-
lowing features:
Fungi. Gardens of fungus sprout from mounds of of-
fal on the uneven floor. The fungi release clouds of
dimly luminescent spores that fill the cave like a fine,
hanging mist.
Carrion Crawlers. Four carrion crawlers dwell here.
Two cling to the 10-foot-high ceiling, and two feed on
the rotting corpse of a fifth carrion crawler lying amid
the fungus.
The crawlers are natural enemies of the creature in
area 2a, which recently killed one of them with a blow
from its war pick. They ignore characters who keep a
respectful distance.
A character who studies the fungus and succeeds on a
DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check can distinguish edible
varieties from poisonous ones, and also ascertains that
the spore clouds are harmless. A character unaware
of this information who eats fungus has a 50 percent
chance of consuming a poisonous variety and must
succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poi-
soned for ld4 hours.2D. STANDING GATE TO LEVEL 12
This cave contains a pair of standing stones with an
inanimate minotaur skeleton embedded in each one,
facing each other. These standing stones form one of
Halaster's magic gates (see "Gates," page 12). The
rules of the gate are as follows:- Any creature that touches one of the standing stones
is targeted by a maze spell (save DC 22). - To open the gate, a creature must escape the labyrinth
created by the maze spell. When it returns, the gate
opens for 1 minute. - Characters must be 12th level or higher to pass
through this gate (see "Jhesiyra Kestellharp," page
10). The first creature to pass through the gate trig-
gers an elder rune (see "Elder Runes," page 12). - A creature that passes through the gate appears in
area 12a on level 12, in the closest unoccupied space
next to the identical gate located there.
3.FOYER
Monsters •. Two male fire giants (named Druvax and
Zelzzarf) and seven hobgoblins are sorting through
pieces of scrap iron on the floor and tossing them
noisily into piles.
Statues. Two statues of dwarves flank the double door
to the southwest. Each statue stands atop a crum-
bling, 2-foot-high stone block. The statues have been
magically reshaped in gruesome ways.
Arcturia used stone shape spells to mutilate the stat-
ues, which once depicted proud dwarf warriors. The
statue to the west has stony pseudopods sprouting from
it, while the statue to the south appears half-melted.
The giants and the hobgoblins aren't happy with
drudge work and eagerly hurl themselves into combat if
LEVEL 14 I ARCTURTADOOMthe chance presents itself. The scrap iron was brought
down from level 13 and will later be transported to area
14 to be eventually melted down and recast.- PRISON
Arcturia confines living subjects here until she finds
time to experiment on them. The 15-foot-high room is
engulfed in a permanent antimagic field (see the anti-
magic field spell for effects). The room has the following
additional features:
Cells. Six 10-foot-high cells with arched ceilings are
barred with iron portcullises. Lying in the southwest
cell is a humanoid corpse clad in plate armor and rid-
dled with arrows.
Lever. Bolted to the floor in the middle of the room is a
4-foot-wide, 7-foot-long iron plate with a comb-shaped
hole in it. An iron lever protrudes from the hole.
The remains in the southwest cell are those of a fe-
male orog who was captured by Arcturia and stripped of
her weapons. The hobgoblins found her, shot her full of
arrows through the bars, and left her corpse to rot.
The iron lever operates the mechanism that raises
and lowers the portcullises by sliding it along the comb-
shaped hole in the floor plate. Depending on how the
lever is positioned, it can be used to raise any of the
portcullises one at a time, or to lower all the portcullises
into place.
The portcullises are impervious to weapon damage.
The gaps between the bars are 4 inches wide. Closed
portcullises are locked in place; forcing one upward re-
quires a successful DC 26 Strength (Athletics) check. - SIDE CHAMBERS
Other than a polymorph trap (see "Polymorph Traps,"
page 180), these conjoined rooms contain little of note.
5A. DOMED CHAMBER
This room has a domed ceiling 20 feet high. It is other-
wise empty.5B. TELEPORT DESTINATION
This chamber has a fiat ceiling 15 feet high. Creatures
teleported from area 13a arrive here. The room is other-
wise empty.- STATUE OF ARCTURIA
Here marks the perpendicular intersection of two cor-
ridors, one cut short by dead ends. Beyond an archway
to the southwest is a stone statue of a 6-foot-tall skele-
tal figure with butterfly wings sprouting from its back
and sharp bone spurs on its forearms and elbows. The
statue stands atop a 3-foot-high stone base. The statue
clutches a stone wand and points it toward the floor.
The statue represents Arcturia and is neither magical
nor animate. The statue's wand points in the direction of
the polymorph trap that is set before it (see "Polymorph
Traps," page 180). Characters who search the floor for
traps have advantage on checks made to detect the poly-
morph trap.