Dwarven bones are scattered around the smashed
sarcophagus, but a character who studies the wreckage
and succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation)
check can tell that the scene has been cleverly staged to
fool tomb robbers.
- KING MELAIR'S LOST TOMB
The dwarves have left many surprises here to prevent
tomb robbers from reaching their king's resting place.
29A. SECOND FALSE TOMBCeiling. This tomb has a 10-foot-high, vaulted ceiling.
S arcophagus. A black marble sarcophagus flecked with
gold stands close to the south wall, its lid carved in the
likeness of a dwarf king.
Cr ystal P anels. Ten glittering panels are set into the
west, south, and east walls. Each panel is a 6-foot-tall,
3-foot-wide, 1-inch-thick rectangle of golden crystal,
carved with the bas-relief image of a dwarf warrior
clutching a battleaxe. (The panel in the middle of the
south wall is set into a secret door that swings open
into area 29b.)
The lid of the sarcophagus can be lifted by creatures
with a combined Strength of 20 or more. Removing the
lid triggers a magic mouth ·spell that admonishes inter-
lopers in Dwarvish: "You dishonor our beloved king!
May his tomb become yours as well!" After this warning,
all ten battleaxes break free of their panels (whether on
the walls or not; see "Treasure") and attack the tomb's
interlopers. Use the flying sword statistics for each
crystal battleaxe.
The sarcophagus contains tatters of a black shroud,
the dust and bones of a nameless dwarf, and the bones
of a mole that was accidentally sealed in with the
dwarf's remains.
Treasure. The crystal panels can be carefully pried
from the walls. Each panel weighs 50 pounds and is
worth 500 gp, or 50 gp without its crystal battleaxe.
29B. FIRST INTERSTITIAL HALL
This hall is choked with dust and cobwebs. It ends in an
unlocked door that opens into the next hall.
29c. SECOND INTERSTITIAL HALL
This hall is choked with dust and cobwebs. It ends in a
blank wall that holds a hidden secret door. The secret
door is locked, and the mechanism to unlock it is located
at the bottom of a hidden pit.
Pit Trap. The pit in this hall is 10 feet wide and 30 feet
deep. A character who searches the floor for traps and
succeeds on a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check spots
the trap. When a weight of 50 pounds or more is placed
on the cover of the pit trap, the cover swings open like
a trapdoor, causing any creature standing on it to fall in
and take 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage. The pit remains
open for 1 minute; then its cover rises up on hidden
springs and snaps shut. A successful DC 20 Strength
check can pry the pit open. Hammering spikes or pitons
into the edge of the pit's lid prevents it from opening.
A character in the pit can disable the spring mecha-
nism from the inside with a successful DC 15 Dexterity
check using thieves' tools, as long as the character can
reach the mechanism at the top of the pit and can see.
Hidden among the flagstones on the pit's floor is a
stone button that, when pressed, unlocks the secret door
to area 29d. A character who searches the bottom of the
pit can find the button with a successful DC 12 Wisdom
(Perception) check.29D. Goos AND DEMONS
Statues. Watching over this chamber are four 9-foot-tall
stone statues of imperious dwarves.
Tapestry. Hanging on the south wall between the
statues of Morad in and Berronar is a thick tapestry
depicting King Melair, his adamantine war pick in
hand as he battles a purple worm. (The tapestry is too
moldy and frayed to be worth anything.)
Magic Wall. The wall behind the tapestry is a magical
conjuration. It doesn't detect as such under the scru-
tiny of a detect magic spell, but it vanishes if targeted
by a successful dispel magic spell (DC 16). It also
ceases to exist while contained in the area of an anti-
magic field spell. It otherwise looks and feels solid.
The statues represent the dwarven deities Moradin
(god of creation), Berronar Truesilver (god of hearth and
home), Clangeddin Silverbeard (god of battle), and Mar-
thammor Duin (god of exploration). A demon is trapped
in each statue (see "Trapped Demons" below).
Each statue is a Large object with AC 15, 100 hit
points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
Toppling a statue requires a successful DC 22 Strength
(Athletics) check. A statue that topples or takes 10 or
more damage cracks enough for the demon inside to
erupt in a cloud of reeking black mist. It then coalesces
into it~ true form in the nearest unoccupied space.
Trapped Demons. The Melairkyn dwarves trapped
four demons in the statues after attempts to banish the
fiends failed- a barlgura in the statue of Moradin, a
hezrou in the statue of Berronar, a vrock in the statue
of Clangeddin, and a glabrezu in the statue of Martham-
mor. Over the centuries of its confinement, the glabrezu
has learned how to telepathically contact creatures in
this room. Using its telepathy, it tries to trick an inter-
loper into freeing it. Though the other three demons
have telepathy, they are not powerful enough to use the
ability while trapped in their statues.
The glabrezu makes telepathic contact with one char-
acter at random, congratulating that character on mak-
ing it this far and claiming to have the knowledge and
power to reveal the way to King Melair's true tomb. It
promises (truthfully) to do so in exchange for its release
from captivity. If the glabrezu is released, it casts dispel
magic on the wall behind the tapestry, granting access
to areas 29e and 29f, then lets the characters desecrate
King Melair's tomb before it attacks them. If it needs al-
lies, it knocks over more of the statues to free the other
demons. These weaker demons obey the glabrezu for as
long as it benefits them to do so.
If the first character it approaches refuses to help the
glabrezu escape, it makes contact with each of the other
party members in turn. If it realizes none of the charac-
ters can be swayed, it screams vile epithets and vows to
destroy them whenever it is set free.LEVEL 6 I LOST LEVEL