Gallery of Wishes
Type | Dungeon |
---|---|
Status | Explored June 883 TA |
Location |
near the Land of Bogs and the Little People |
Hex | 3010 |
Campaign | Dragonsford Campaign |
Adventure # | 81 |
Introduction
Upon your return to Dragonsford, you head to the Wicked Lady pub for a pint and a shepherd's pie. However, when you reach the pub, you find your usual seats occupied by a dark man dressed in leather armor. The salt stains speak of a seafarer, and the gossip around the town is that a ship did pull into docks under Dragonsford Castle the previous night. As you enter the pub, the man motions to you to come and join him. He orders a round of the finest ale and a pie for each of you. Whispering and glancing for listening ears, he tells you that his name is Bilgewater. He has returned to Dragonsford after nearly twenty years at sea. It seems that he was sold into slavery at the age of seven by one Strudwick, feudal lord of Dragonsford in exchange for a wooden replica of a ship. As the years went by, Bilgewater sailed to many ports along both the Inner Sea and the Great Sea. At last, he hired onto a ship heading for Dragonsford and revenge, only to find that Strudwick had been thrown down as feudal lord. He is willing to offer 400 gold pieces to any adventurer who will kill Strudwick and bring back his ear. As Bilgewater's ship will be sailing from Dragonsford bound for Haggelthorn tomorrow, he has no time to do the deed himself. However, Bilgewater will be back in Dragonsford at the Wicked Lady pub in six days time. There he hopes to meet with you and learn of Strudwick's demise and claim his prize.
After Strudwick was deposed, he fled to the Gallery of Wishes with his family to devote himself to collecting art, his true passion. It was several years into his "retirement" that Trick and Tessa, his twins children, died of the pox. Rumor holds that Strudwick was so distraut over their deaths, that he summoned a djinn who was imprisoned in a magical blue bottle to grant him a wish. In doing so, his children were brought back to life but Strudwick was driven insane.
Actually, the djinn granted him one wish if the Strudwick would allow him to remain outside the bottle. Strudwick agreed as long as the djinn wouldn't leave the house. The djinn agreed to live a room sealed from all others. Strudwick then asked that his children be brought back to life. This the djinn did, bringing them back as evil wights. The djinn granted Strudwick another wish if he could solve the following poem and bring the Crown of Fire back to him. Thinking that he could right the mistake of his first wish, Strudwick has slowly gone insane trying to make sense of this nonsense rhyme:
Canto One
A diamond so bright, a child's delight
It flickers and dances at noon-
When held to the sun from the neck of the one
It sparkles and makes magic appear
From the mountain so dark, a hand will reach out-
When the magic it sees from this world
The clock will begin where the stone steps do end
The hour of counting is six.
Canto Two
Taking Three as the suject to reason about-
A convenient number to state-
We add Seven, and Ten, and then multiply out
By One Thousand diminshed by Eight
The result we proceed to divide, as you see,
By Nine Hundred and Ninety and Two;
Then subtract Seventeen, and the answer must be
Exactly and perfectly true.
Canto Three
The final clue follows, a simple choice really
It's a matter of the brightest of light
When it falls through the rain, the Leprachaun's bane,
It's always on the left the right.
Gallery of Wishes
Room 1: Great Hall
Careful examination of the fireplace shows that it has small vents on both the eastern and western walls. The vents can be traversed by small creatures (hobbits, gnomes, dwarves, etc.) and very small humans.
Room 2: Anteroom
Careful examination will yield a secret door in the northeast corner of the room. If the party enters the complex by knocking, they will escorted here to wait for the master.
Room 3: Captain of the Guard's Bedroom
The captain is an ogre of the nastiest disposition. He is dressed in shabby leather armor and carries a rusty sword. Around his neck is a brass key to his treasure chest. The chest contains a Potion of Bugbear Control, 300 gold pieces, and a Dagger +2.
Room 4: Guard's Quarters
The eight guards take shifts throughout the day and night, and there will always be two guards here sleeping. They will wake up when the door is opened, unless cautious measures are taken.
The guards are dressed in leather armor and carry swords in varying states of disrepair. They each have pouches containing 20 gold pieces.
Room 5: Guard's Common Room
Room 6: Butler's Pantry
Careful examination shows that there are several small holes in the eastern wall which give a good view of the front entrance hall. Also revealed is a secret door in the western wall which leads to a narrow hallway running west.
Room 7: Butler's Room
Careful examination will reveal a small unlocked treasure chest in a secret compartment under the wardrobe. The chest contains 50 gold pieces and an amethyst gem.
The butler, Alford, is married to the maid, Louisa. During the night, they will be found here in the bedroom. During the day, they will be found throughout the house. Louisa is easily frightened and will scream at the approach on any intruder. Otherwise, she will not defend herself. Alford will attack an intruder with a long dagger that he keeps tucked away in his boot. Louisa is a tall thin women in her early fifties. She dresses plainly and speaks very little. Alford is tall and thin and also mid-fifty. Alford has a love of gambling, and has won most of Stanwood's money, although his luck against the guards is not as good.
Room 8: Cook's Quarters
Careful examination reveals 5 gold pieces in the bottom drawer of the dresser, under some stained tunics.
The cook, Emma, is married to the gardener, Stanwood. During the night, they will be found here in the bedroom. During the day, Emma will always be in Room 9, and Stanwood will always be outside. Emma is will attack intruders with a large kitchen knife, and Stanwood will defend himself with a pickax or whatever weapon is at hand. Emma is a young woman in her mid-twenties. She has red hair, green eyes, and a fiery temper. Stanwood is dark-haired, very solidly built, but is somewhat dimwitted. Stanwood looks to Alford as a father, although he has lost almost all his pay to the latter at cards.
Room 9: Kitchen
Emma prepares three meals a day for the thirteen members of the household. She does not allow the guards to enter the area, and she keeps a close eye on the room to make sure they don't come in looking for "snacks" or beer.
Room 10: Trick's Room
Examination of the room shows a small privy in the northeast corner of the room and a small nook with a fireplace and a chest in the southeast corner. The chest is filled with toys and is not locked.
Trick will attack anyone who enters except Strudwick or Reva.
Room 11: Entrance Hall
An examination of this room shows that the chairs, although worn where the handle rubs against the wood, have been dusted recently.
Careful examination of the fireplace shows that it has small vents on both the eastern and western walls. The vents can be traversed by small creatures (hobbits, gnomes, dwarves, etc.) and very small humans.
Room 12: Tessa's Room
Examination of the room shows a small privy in the northeast corner of the room and a small nook with a fireplace.
A crystal pendant hangs from the post of the bed, but it will appear as another "toy" unless the party specifically searches for it.
Tessa will attack anyone who enters except Strudwick or Reva.
Room 13: Strudwick's Bedroom
Careful examination of the writing desk will reveal a small locked diary, bound in leather. The key is always on Reva. The diary tells the story of Strudwick's madness and the djinni.
Careful examination of the fireplace reveals that another room lies beyond the back of the fireplace.
Reva will almost always be here, and her husband will almost always be in Room 14. Reva is a striking dark-haired woman with soft brown eyes and a determined jaw. She usually carries a dagger to protect her from the guards, and she will attack if cornered. Strudwick has wild gray hair and wears a tattered blue wizard's robe. He rarely bathes, and is usually a babbling idiot. However, he will cast spells if cornered.
Room 14: Strudwick's Study
Examination will reveal a bottom drawer of the desk reveals an open chest containing 400 gold pieces and two small sapphires, all that remain of the family treasure.
Careful examination of the fireplace reveals that another room lies beyond the back of the fireplace.
It is in this room the Strudwick can almost always be found. He will attack intruders with his Wand of Frost (7 charges) if they cannot solve the riddle for him.
Room 15: The Gallery of Wishes
The key to this room lies, of course, in the second painting, which is referred to in the poem. The painting leads to the Crown of Fire, which must be retrieved to satisfy the djinni. For bringing his children back to life correctly, Strudwick will give the Gallery of Wishes away. Zabdiel, however, will remain to continue his research.
Room 16: Zabdiel's Lair
The seal will fire off a Whirlwind spell unless the phrase, "let me pass to Zabdiel's lair, a home to smoke and wind and air" is muttered upon opening the door.
Zabdiel never allows anyone into this room. It is here that he seeks happiness through the elements of air.
Crown of Fire
A large painting on glass of a craggy mountain over which an ominously black thunderstorm is brewing. Lightning can be seen striking the mountain through a panorama of trees in the foreground. Off to one side, a small cave offers shelter to two large grey wolves.
Room 17: Cave
Room 18: The Chamber of the Crown
The small crack in the wall is home to six giant rats. They have no treasure, but they will attack if disturbed.
Room 19: Clockroom
Note that the creatures may not be harmed until the portcullis is raised. If the party attempts to leave, the southern portcullis will drop and all the carrion crawlers will be released.
Room 20: Keyroom
As you enter the room, a magic mouth appears which says:
One chest contains the key to crown,
One chest is empty all around,
The last holds only instant death,
And this my friends is the fun of the test.
My clues are simple, the inscriptions are few,
But chest with the key is the only one true.
West: The gold chest is empty
Center: Instant death is in this chest
East: The copper chest is empty
As soon as the party enters the room, the portcullises in the south will begin to rise, allowing the carrion crawlers within to escape at the rate of one per five minutes (real time).
Opening any but the gold chest will cause all the portcullises to open except the southernmost Room 19 which will shut. The gold chest will open to reveal a magical key. The key has heads, one made of some sort of strange green metal the other some sort of strange red metal.
Monsters
1 ogre |
Treasure
Potion of Bugbear Control |