9. HIGH GROUND
-----------~
This 30-foot-high cavern contains two 10 -foot ledges-a
smaller one to the west and a bigger one to the south.
Five gargoyles perch on the north ledge. When the gar-
goyles detect intruders, one of them flies north to warn
the dao (in area 11) that visitors have arrived. If this
gargoyle is wounded or waylaid, all the gargoyles attack.
Otherwise, the gargoyles that remain speak to visitors
in Terran, welcoming them to the "magnificent subterra-
nean domain ofjarO.k the dao." They hurl mean insults
at the characters if they don't seem to comprehend what
the gargoyles a re saying.'TREASURE
A gargoyle that dies but isn't disintegrated outright falls
to stony pieces, revealing a fist-sized, transparent red
garnet (500 gp) where its heart used to be.10. CULVERT
The normally sluggish river of ooze flows a bit faster as
it approaches a natural, 10 -foot-diameter culvert in the
north wall. Any creature in the ooze that ends its turn
in the culvert must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving
throw or be irresistibly pulled under. Unless the crea-
ture is tethered to something, it drowns in ooze as it is
borne deep into the Underdark.- TuE GLITTERING CAVERNS OF
jARUK THE PRIS_MA T IC ____ _
These crystal-lined caves are home to a dao and
its minions.llA. FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOULDERS
Columns and Crystals. Two columns of rock support
the 30-foot-high ceiling of this cave, the walls of which
are encrusted with crystals that catch and reflect light.
Boulders. The floor is strewn with boulders and rubble.
Six galeb du h r beholden to jarO.k hide here, disguised
as boulders.
Music. Dissonant music emanates from a smaller cave
to the southeast (area llb).
If the characters attackjarO.k in area 1 lb, the galeb
duhr attack the characters when they return to this cave.
Otherwise, the creatures remain motionless and pose
no danger. If provoked into attacking, the galeb duhr an-
imate boulders. The galeb duhr and their boulders can
pursue prey beyond the confines of this cavern.llB. jARUK's CAVERN
Music. Rock music fills this 30-foot-high cavern, which
resembles the inside of a geode. The walls and ceiling
are encrusted with crystals that catch and reflect light.
Dao in th e Sand. The floor is concave and filled with
golden sand to a depth of 10 feet. A dao hides in the
sand until visitors appear.
Medusas. Two medusas wearing black robes and veils
lurk in the northern alcove.
The dao,jarOk, rises out of the sand when the char-
acters first arrive. He greets them with a song (see the
"JarOk's Song" sidebar). As he sings, the veiled medusasemerge from their alcove and begin to dance around
him as the sand swirls and forms little dust devils. JarO.k
is evil and cruel, but his current predicament motivates
him to be a civil host.
Once his song has ended ,jarfik offers the characters
a quest: destroy the lich Ezzat on level 20 and bring him
the lich's phylactery. The dao promises treasure in ex-
change and is forced by Halaster's magic to make good
on this promise (see "Treasure" below). If the characters
completejarO.k's quest and give Ezzat's phylactery to the
dao, the sandy floor turns into a giant vortex that draws
jarOk, the medusas, the sand, and the lich's phylactery
back to the Elemental Plane of Earth. The characters
find jarOk's promised reward on the floor of the emptied
cave. Characters who completejarfik's quest should
receive XP as if they had defeated the dao and the medu-
sas in combat.
If the characters destroy Ezzat but give the lich's
phylactery to lchthyglug the marid in area lc,Jarfik
knows this and attacks the characters the next time he
sees them.
jarO.k can't leave his cave without Ezzat's phylactery. If
the dao dies here, his body disintegrates into crystalline
powder, only to re-form 24 hours later. (The characters
don't receive XP for killingjarfik more than once.)
The medusas defend the dao to the best of their abil-
ity. jarO.k is immune to their Petrifying Gaze.
Treasure.jarOk wears a pair of golden hoop earrings
studded with obsidian (500 gp for the pair) and an am-
ber diadem (7,5 00 gp). These baubles vanish with the
dao when he returns to the Elemental Plane of Earth.
JarO.k's reward consists of a gem of brightness and
two common wondrous items: boots of false tracks and
an orb of direction (both described below). These items
appear only after the characters completejarfik's quest
and help him escape from Undermountain.
The wearer of boots of false tracks can choose to have
the boots leave tracks like those of another kind of hu-
manoid of the wearer's size. Only humanoids can wear
these boots.
Someone who holds an orb of direction can use a n
action to determine which way is north. This property
functions only on the Material Plane.)AR0 K'S SONC
Welcome to my cavern!
I'm master of this hole.
JarOk is who I am-
The khan of rock and roll.
I'm the sand in your shoes.
I'm the soil in your graves.
jarOk is who I am-
The diamond in these caves.
I leave no stone unturned.
My wealth's beyond belief.
JarOk is who I am-
A god in bas-relief!
Gold runs through my veins.
It seeps through all my pores.
jarOk is who I am-
The pleasure is all yours.LEVEL 19 I CAVERNS OF OOZE