Moss. Thick moss grows on the walls and the ceiling.
Fungi. The earthen floor gives rise to a forest of fungi,
including barrelstalks, timmasks, tongues of mad-
ness, and trillimacs (see "Fungi," page 59).
Giant Insects. Six giant centipedes and four giant fire
beetles are meandering among the fungi.
Myconids. The northern alcove is mostly clear of moss
and fungi and filled with clouds of spores. Ten myco-
nid sprouts and thirteen myconid adults gather here
in silent meditation.
The centipedes and the fire beetles share this delicate
ecosystem with the myconids, serving to help control
the growth of fungi in the caverns. The light from the
fire beetles' carapaces is the cave's only illumination.
These creatures are not under the myconids' control
and fight only in self-defense.
The myconid sprouts form an inner ring 6 feet in
diameter, and the adults are in a protective ring^10 feet
in diameter around them. The myconids use their Rap-
port Spores action option to peacefully meld with one
another. Creatures that approach within^10 feet of the
outer ring are subject to the spores' effect.
Characters who make telepathic contact with the
myconids are greeted warmly. The myconids offer to
take visitors to their sovereign (area 4b) or escort them
to the edge of their domain. The friendly fungus folk
are blissfully unaware of the conflict happening outside
their caverns, but they're afraid of the "rock giants"
(Halaster's stone golems) and "rock demons" (gargoyles)
that dwell in the caves around them.
4B. FRIENDLY SOVEREIGN
Sloped Floor. The cave floor s lopes upward, reducing
its height from 15 feet near the entrance to^10 feet at
its north end.
Fungi. Exotic mushrooms sprout from the earthen
floor. The walls are lined with ripplebark (see
"Fungi," page 59).
Sovereign. A 9-foot-tall myconid sovereign stands near
the back of the cave. Its bioluminescent cap sheds
bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an ad-
ditional 10 feet.
When not melding with its subjects, the myconid sov-
ereign- named Floot-spends its time cultivating exotic
mushrooms and crafting potions. Using its Rapport
Spores action option to facilitate telepathic communica-
tion, Floot welcomes characters to its domain and offers
them two potions as gifts (see "Treasure" below). Floot
expects nothing in return, but if the characters are of a
mind to reciprocate, the sovereign urges them to destroy
any "rock demons" (gargoyles) they encounter, for the
good of the myconid colony.
Treasure. Floot offers the characters a potion of mind
reading and a potion of superior healing. Each potion is
held in a clay gourd and hidden inside a hollowed-out
trillimac (see "Fungi," page 59).- QUAGGOTH SPORE SERVANTS
Guards. Five quaggoth spore servants gather here.
Fungi. The walls are lined with ripplebark (see
"Fungi," page 59).
LEVEL 20 I RUNESTONE CAVERNSThe animating spores of the myconid sovereign have
given the dead quaggoths a semblance of life. While in
the presence of one or more myconids, the quaggoth
spore servants regard all creatures with detached indif-
ference and refrain from attacking. But they turn hostile
if there are no myconids around to pacify them.- GIGGLING CHASM
A 20-foot-wide, 70-foot-deep crevasse has opened up
in the floor of this 20-foot-high cavern. The sound of an
old man giggling rises from the depths of the crevasse
every minute or so. This is a harmless illusion, one of
Halaster Blackcloak's regional effects (see "Halaster's
Lair," page 311). - LAIR OF THE MUMMY LORD
These caves form the lair of a duergar mummy lord
named Gorka Tharn. Characters who cast spells in
these areas or disturb the features of the caverns
awaken the mummy lord, allowing the creature to bring
its lair actions and regional effects into play (see the
"Mummies" entry in the Monster Manual). In its lair, the
mummy lord has a challenge rating of^16 (15,000 XP).
6A. TOOTHY MAW
This 20-foot-high cavern resembles a tooth-filled maw
because of its numerous stalactites and stalagmites.
The plentiful rock formations make it difficult for large
and cumbersome creatures to pass through the cavern,
so the Stonecloaks avoid this area.
Casting a spell of 1st level or higher in this cavern
has a chance of waking the mummy lord equal to the
spell's level x 10 percent. If the mummy lord awakens,
the duergar mummies in area 6b rise out of their mass
grave and emerge from that area, moving to attack all
creatures in the mummy lord's lair.6B. MASS GRAVE
The floor of packed earth in this 10-foot-high cave is
a shallow grave for eight duergar mummies (Gorka
Tharn's former disciples). The mummies burst out of
the ground and attack any creatures that enter this area.
If intruders flee, the mummies pursue. If the mummies
awaken, so too does Gorka Tharn.- MUMMY LORD'S CRYPT
Niches. Niches carved into the walls of this damp
20-foot-high cavern contain hundreds of moldy skulls
(a mix of dwarf and duergar). A few fallen skulls rest
on the cavern floor.
Shrine. A small chamber to the east contains a chipped
stone altar with treasure piled around it. The wall be-
hind the altar is painted with a faded mural.
Alcove. An alcove to the northwest features a central
stalagmite and stalactite, each 8 feet tall and covered
with soot drawings of snakes and scorpions.
Stealing any of the treasure around the altar or touch-
ing the stalagmite automatically awakens Gorka Tharn.
In addition, casting a spell of 1st level or higher in this
cavern has a chance of waking the mummy lord equal to
the spell's level x 10 percent.