30A. NETHERSKULL'S BIOGRAPHERArch. A stone arch decorated with gold-inlaid images
of soaring dragons is embedded in the middle of the
north wall, atop a 3-foot-high red marble dais. Carved
into the wall above the arch are the following words in
Draconic: "Only a dragon can unlock this gate."
Gon g. A 3-foot-diameter bronze gong hangs from a
sturdy wooden frame anchored to the floor near the
west wall. The gong is embossed with carvings of ears
of corn. A padded wooden mallet dangles from a hook
on one of the support posts.
Mons ters. Sitting on the steps of the dais, scribbling
madly in a journal with a quill pen , is a wretchedly
pale man in a dusty black robe. He is watched over by
two invisible nycaloths.
To flatter Netherskull, Halaster assigned a would-be
apprentice to chronicle the death tyrant's history in a
series of journals. This biographer is a skittish, ill-bred,
and unkempt male human in his thirties named Kavil
Mereshanter. Kavil is a mage, with these changes:
- Kavil is neutral evil.
- He speaks Dwarvish, Common, Giant, and
Undercommon.
Kavil was denied admittance to Dweomercore {level
9), and Halaster robbed him of his spellbook. The Mad
Mage has promised to return the book once Kavil com-
pletes his work. (In fact, Halaster has misplaced the
spellbook, though Kavil is unaware of this.)
As Netherskull's appointed biographer, Kavil is ex-
pected to earn the death tyrant's trust, but Netherskull
trusts no wizard, and has been reluctant to grant inter-
views. Kavil has instead filled one journal after another
with his own narrative concoctions and self-pitying
asides. The biography is a mostly fictionalized, some-
what sensationalized version of Netherskull's life, death,
and undeath. Kavil knows that anyone who reads this
drivel won't be fooled, but he's hoping the deluge of
words will impress Halaster while simultaneously dis-
couraging close examination of the work.
Kavil won't start a fight, but he sides with the
nycaloths if a battle erupts, which is likely since the
fiends have orders to slay intruders. If reduced to^33 hit
points or fewer, Kavil switches sides and offers infor-
mation in exchange for his life. He knows one random
Undermountain secret, determined by drawing a card
from the Secrets Deck (see appendix C), as well as a se-
cret way into Netherskull's lair (see a rea 39b). Kavil isn't
aware of the secret door that leads to area 30b.
Characters who spend at least 10 minutes poring over
Kavil's journal can piece together bits of Netherskull's
history and, with a successful DC^10 Wisdom (Insight}
check, separate out Kavil's gibberish to learn the follow-
ing truths:- The beholder's true name is unknown. It changed its
name to Netherskull after becoming a death tyrant. - Netherskull has slain countless interlopers, none
more deserving of death than a pompous human pal-
adin named Fidelio, who wept bitter tears before his
disintegration.- Netherskull's primary goals are to destroy Halaster
and take over Undermountain.
Arch Gate to Level 18. The arch in the north wall is
one of Halaster's magic gates (see "Gates," page 12).
The arch's gold inlay can't be removed. The rules of this
gate are as follows:- The gate opens for 1 minute when a real or illusory
dragon touches the arch. An a rtistic rendering of a
dragon, such as a dragon-shaped figurine or a drawing
of a dragon, also opens the gate. - Characters must be at least 15th level or higher to
pass through this gate (see ''.Jhesiyra Kestellharp,"
page 10). The first creature to pass through the gate
triggers an elder rune (see "Elder Runes," page 1 2). - A creature that passes through the gate appears in
area 16 on level 18 , in the closest unoccupied space
next to the identical gate located there.
Gong. A detect magic s pell reveals an aura of conju-
ration magic around the gong. If the gong is struck with
the mallet, three items appear on the floor before it: a
small clay bowl filled with bland, edible food (hunks of
bread and cheese, strips of meat, and dried nuts); an
empty tin cup; and a glass carafe containing 1 gallon
of water. The items disappear after 1 hour. Removing
any of these items from the room also causes them to
vanish. Once it is used to summon food and water, the
gong can't do so again until the next dawn. If the gong is
taken from this room, it loses its magical property.
- The gate opens for 1 minute when a real or illusory
- Netherskull's primary goals are to destroy Halaster
- The beholder's true name is unknown. It changed its
30B. PLAY- BY-PLAY GENERATOR
This dusty room has a 10-foot-high ceiling. A 3-foot cube
composed of equal parts adamantine and flesh sits atop
a 3-foot-tall hexagonal plinth of carved stone. The sur-
face of the cube facing the secret door bears Halaster's
fleshy, grimacing visage.
Disturbing the cube causes it to sprout spindly arms,
legs, and wings. It then fights until destroyed. It has the
statistics of a quadrone, with these changes:- The cube is chaotic evil.
- It speaks Common and is the source of Halaster's
play-by-play (see "Halaster's Play-by-Play," page 194). - Whenever it would normally make a shortbow attack,
it instead hurls a magic dart at a target it can see up to
60 feet away from it. Each dart hits its target automati-
cally ( no attack roll required) for 5 (2d4) force damage.
As the cube attacks, it continues its play-by-play rou-
tine, commentating its battle with the adventurers. De-
stroying the cube ends the play-by-play throughout the
Obstacle Course.
Hidden Key. A secret compartment is hidden atop the
hexagonal plinth. Finding it requires a successful DC
15 Wisdom (Perception) check. It contains a 6-inch-long
key carved from a dragon's finger bone, shaped like an
H. This key, which is identical to the one in area 19, un-
locks the doors to area 39c.
3 1. HALL OF EMBERS
Brazier. A 5-foot-tall, 7-foot-diameter stone brazier dom-
inates the northwest part of the room. Eight embers
gather and swirl above the empty brazier like fireflies.LEVEL 15 I OBSTACLE COURSE 205