- STATUE OF HALASTER
Set into an alcove at the back of this dusty side cham-
ber is a nonmagical, life-size statue of Halaster Black-
cloak carved from granite. The statue is thrusting its
stone staff outward in a threatening manner, its visage
sculpted with a look of wild abandon. Its robe is en-
graved with hundreds of lidless eyes. The statue stands
atop a 1-foot-thick granite disk.
MITHRAL KEYS
A character who inspects the statue and succeeds on a
DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check discovers that one of
the eyes carved into Halaster's robe is a button. Press-
ing this button causes two keys tucked under Halaster's
robes to clatter onto the floor around the statue's base.
Each key is a fiat, 6-inch-long piece of mithral worked
into a curious shape.
The first key is shaped like an F, the second like a V
with a small loop at the bottom. These are two of the six
keys required to activate the weapon of mass disintegra-
tion in area 37.
- DWARVEN CRYPT
This room is a dusty crypt with an arched ceiling 20 feet
high. It has the following features:
Sarcophagi. Four limestone sarcophagi with faded
Dwarvish inscriptions line the room's perimeter.
They contain only dust, shards of bone, and strips of
moldy cloth.
Polymorph Trap. One 10-foot section of floor
bears a hidden polymorph trap (see "Polymorph
Traps," page 180).
- DEATH'S HEAD WATCH POST
The hobgoblins of the Death's Head Phalanx have set up
an outpost here to guard the foundry (area 12). Charac-
ters approaching this part of the dungeon hear the war
chants of the hobgoblin phalanx in area 9c.
9A. TRAINING ROOM
Characters who listen at the door hear guttural cheers
coming from within. The room contains six hobgoblins.
Two are engaged in mock swordplay with dulled blades
in the middle of the room while the other four cheer
them on. The room is otherwise empty.
9B. CRYPT
A granite sarcophagus against the north wall has been
opened, its lid dumped onto the fl.oor. Dust and cobwebs
cling to its sides, obscuring ancient inscriptions.
The sarcophagus contains the dusty remains of a
Melairkyn dwarf entombed here thousands of years ago.
The inscriptions on the sarcophagus, written in Dwar-
vish, translate as follows: "Thou hast found the final
resting place of Harlsnod Darkshine-architect, trap
builder, and drinker of fine ales."
9c. HOBGOBLIN PHALANX
Here, a hobgoblin captain has marshaled a phalanx of
twenty hobgoblins. The captain faces east and recites
a liturgy in Goblin to the dread god Maglubiyet while
the soldiers stand at attention in two rows of ten, facing
west. As she reaches dramatic peaks in the liturgy, the
hobgoblins grunt and nod approvingly, banging their
fists on their armor.
The hobgoblins attack intruders on sight. A battle
here pulls reinforcements from areas 9a, 16, and 18. It
also attracts the attention of the fire giant metalsmith
in area 11.
- DWARVES' DEN
Tankard. A large iron tankard sculpture has torn loose
from the 30-foot-high ceiling and fallen onto a stone
table in the middle of the room, cracking it in half.
Toppled stools surround the broken table.
Statues. Two 4-foot-tall statues of dwarves stand atop
2-foot-high blocks of stone at opposite ends of the
room. The head of the southern statue has broken off
and lies on the floor nearby.
This cast-iron tankard once hung from the ceiling by
iron chains and is big enough for four dwarves to crawl
inside. It weighs 1,500 pounds and makes a satisfying,
bell-like clanging sound when struck-and the noise
draws hobgoblins from area 9c.
STATUES AND MITHRAL KEY
The north statue depicts a smiling female dwarf raising
a stone tankard. Hidden in the tankard is a fiat, 6-inch-
long mithral key shaped like an H missing its top left
stem. This key is one of six required to activate the
weapon of mass disintegration in area 37.
The south statue depicts a headless male dwarf rest-
ing a large pair of stone tongs on one shoulder; its head
cracked when it hit the floor, and it falls apart into two
halves if disturbed.
- SMITHY
Characters who listen at the doors to this room hear
loud hammering from beyond. The 30-foot-high room is
warm and contains the following features:
Fire Giant. In the middle of the room, a male fire giant
uses a massive hammer and anvil to pound a heated
iron fragment into a rounded shape.
Fire Beetles. Resting on the floor next to the oversized
anvil is an iron cage containing fifteen brightly glow-
ing giant fire beetles. (The giant uses the cage as
a lantern.)
Iron Pieces. Wings to the west and east contain pieces
of sculpted iron of all shapes and sizes.
The giant, Hrossk, is hostile toward adventurers.
He keeps his greatsword close at hand and hurls large
metal cogs instead of rocks. Combat in this room can
be heard by the fire giants in area 12 , who investigate at
once if a fight breaks out.
Hrossk's job is to recast hot iron into body parts for
the giant construct in area 15. Without Hrossk, Em-
berosa lacks the metalsmithing skills needed to finish
work on Mecha-Halaster. Hrossk is currently crafting a
piece of what will become one of the construct's eyes.
LEVEL 14 I ARCTUR!ADOOM
