similar gem is meant to be placed. The three missing
gems can be found in area 17.
When all eight yellow sapphires are placed in their
pillars, they gl ow brightly as the pillars' magic activates.
Any creature that e nters the area ins ide the pillars or
starts its turn there is teleported to a similar location in
area 7, along with anything it is wearing or carrying.
The sapphires can be pried from their fixtures, but
removing even one of them deactivates the pillars.
TREASURE
The yellow sapphires are worth 1,000 gp each.
- VAULTS
These chambers have 15-foot-high, fiat ceilings.
9A. HALL OF STAFFS
Mosaics. Tiled mosaics depicting a variety of magic
staffs cover the walls. (Hidden behind a mosaic depict-
ing a staff of thunder and lightning is a secret door.)
Dead End. Part of the eastern wall has been obliterated,
leaving behind a jagged dead-end tunnel.
The mosaic of the staff of thunder and lightning, un-
like the ot hers, is cracked and scorched. If this section
of wall is targeted by any effect that deals lightning or
thunder damage, the secret door hidden behind the mo-
saic swings opens into area 9b. Knock spells and s imi-
lar magic have no effect on the secret door, but a disinte-
grate spell destroys it. No amount of physical force can
open the secret door from this side, but the door opens
easily from area 9b.9B. DIABOLICAL SHIELD
Hanging on the west wall of this otherwise empty
15-foot-high room is a steel s hield cast in the form of a
scowling devil's face wreathed by bronze flames.
A detect magic spell reveals an aura of abjuration
magic around the otherwise ordinary shield, inside
which is trapped a d eva named Aryx. While trapped
in the shield, Aryx can't communicate with anyone.
Any ability that detects the presence of celestials, such
as a paladin's Divine Sense class feature, reveals the
presence of such a creature bound within the shield.
If a dispel evil or good spell is cast on the shield, or if
the shield comes within 10 feet of a fiend, the deva is
released, appearing within 5 feet of the s hield or in the
nearest unoccupied space. Once freed, the deva uses its
detect evil and good spell to determine if there are any
evil creatures in its presence. If so, Aryx attacks them,
targeting fiends above all others.
Aryx was sent by Tyr, the god of justice, to talk some
sense into Fazrian, the fallen planetar on level 21. Be-
fore Aryx could approach Fazrian, however, Halaster
trapped the deva in the shield. Aryx must complete its
mission before it can return to Tyr's heavenly realm. If
the characters claim to have killed Fazrian or helped the
planetar achieve atonement, the deva uses a commune
spell to verify as much. If the characters speak the truth,
Aryx shows its gratitude by granting each party member
a blessing of health (see "Supernatural Gifts" in chapter
7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). If the characters have
not yet dealt with the fallen planetar on level 21, Aryxoffers to fight alongside the party until such time as it
can leave this level and complete its mission, provided
the characters aren't predominantly evil. If the charac-
ters help Aryx defeat Fazrian later on, the deva s hows its
gratitude by bestowing upon them the blessing of health.10. ARCANE DISPLAY
These areas have 20-foot-high, arched ceilings.lOA. ZIGZAGGING GALLERY
Characters who make a loud racket in this hall attract
the seven fta meskulls in area lOb. The features of this
hall are as follows:
Chandeliers. Radiant crystal chandeliers levitate near
the ceiling.
Paintings. Paintings line the walls. They come in many
sizes and have gilded frames.
The hall contains three chandeliers, their locations
marked on map 23. Each cha ndelier magically sheds
bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an addi-
tional 20 feet. A chandelier can bear up to^150 pounds of
additional weight before falling. Casting dispel magic on
a chandelier causes it to go dark and fall to the floor with
a loud crash.
The paintings are stuck to the walls with sovereign
glue and require universal solvent to remove without
destroying them. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of
illusion magic a round each painting, of which there are
hundreds. Half of them are portraits of Halaster, looking
as demented as ever io his robe of eyes. About a quarter
of them are portraits of other wizards (former appren-
tices). The remainder are paintings of unknown people
with th e heads of small beasts (badgers, mice, rabbits,
birds, fish, a nd so forth). The paintings' eyes (including
the eyes on Ha laster's robes) seem to follow visitors as
they move through the hall-a minor magical illusion.lOB. SHIELD TRAP
Flameskulls. Unless they were drawn to area lOa,
seven ftameskulls float here, their green flames the
only sources of light in this room.
Decor. More paintings like the ones in area lOa line
the walls. A golden shield encrusted with gemstones
hangs on the south wall among the paintings.
Halaster made the flameskulls from the skulls of
wizards who tried and failed to become his appre ntices.
They attack intruders on sight, bombarding them with
fireball spells in the first round of combat. The ftame-
skulls pursue intruders that flee, using their mage hand
spells to open doors if needed.
Hanging on a stone peg that juts from the wall, the
gold-plated shield is etched with arcane runes. A detect
magic spell reveals an aura of necromancy magic ra-
diating from the s hield. A character who examines the
runes and succeeds on a DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana)
check can ascertain that the runes give the shield the
magical ability to trap creatures inside it.
Any creature that touches the shield must succeed on
a DC^18 Wisdom saving throw or become trapped inside
it, along with everything the creature is wearing or car-
rying. The shield displays a faint image of the trappedU:VEI. 23 I MAD WIZARD'S I.AIR