The Sword and the Beast
Type | Dungeon |
---|---|
Status | Explored March 883 TA |
Location | Shadowkeep (now Dwarrowdelf) |
Hex | 2313 |
Campaign | Shadowkeep Campaign #13 |
Adventure # | 77 |
Introduction
The final level of the Shadowkeep Campaign starts in the workshop of a craftsman where the party "activates" the golem that will be used in the battle for the sword. The key involves the party discovering that they are inside of a giant metal golem. They must defeat the "immune system", activate the creature (brain), and arm the creature for battle.
Next, they must find the Crypt of the Sword. This will require that they leave the golem in the workshop and venture into the other rooms of the giant keep, solving the puzzle of the "rooms within rooms". Once found, the guardian golem must be defeated by the "party" golem. Failure will mean that the sword is lost (with the possibility of the "simple" solution).
As an epilog, the party will be sent to the underground meeting place of the Pentaverate: the dwarves of the Shadowyarn Mountains; the nobles of the Eastern Reaches; the nobles of the Western Reaches; the priests of the Church of St. Theodore (from an old U-Gene adventure); and the Monks of the Wait. There, the Pentaverate are planning a raid on the Shadow Keep. However, the groups are arguing about this when "the party" arrives. Shortly thereafter, the crypt will be invaded by the minions of Atli the White, and the stage will be setup for the Siege of the Shadowkeep.
This poem will be found once the party has escaped from the golem.
Canto Thirteen: Sword and Beast
My inner eyes, such sights have seen,
My time is near, my faithful queen.
One more vision comes my way,
How and why I cannot say,
Paramount 'bove all the rest,
Lies this last and final test.
Seek the sword the Stone God mocked,
Within three tests and firmly locked,
No beast nor man may enter there,
Another way must you prepare.
Sometimes the foe is the treasure,
A brilliant man takes a measure,
Of all of the tools that he can see,
Sometimes the dungeon is the key.
Pass through the tests, notice clearly,
Memories may pay off dearly,
Battle rages, swords swing gallant.
Life for all lies in the balance.
Be the one and faithful bearer,
Slay the god within his lair.
First seek the help of those who fight,
For justice, truth, and honor right,
They will guide you through the gloom,
My sight is gone, my life is too.
The Sword and the Beast: Portal 13, Golem Level
Room 1: Left Foot
If the party "lights up", then the room will catch on fire, filling quickly with billowing black smoke. Magical light will have no effect, only heat.
Room 2: Left Leg
Room 3: Right Leg
Room 4: Right Foot
There are six exterminator bugs here. They will attack if the room is entered.
Room 5: Lower Body
There are six toolbox bugs and six cleaner bugs here.
This is the compartment which is used to hold the sword in Room X. It is locked by the small brass keys around the Master's neck.
Room 6: Middle Body
In the center of the room are six exterminator bugs and six toolbox bugs. They move towards the party if they enter the room.
This is where the magical fire is lit.
Room 7: Upper Body
There are six cleaner bugs here.
This is where magical items are sacrificed.
Room 8: Left Arm
The hallway ends in a door which has a handle but no lock.
Room 9: Right Arm
The hallway ends in a door which has a handle but no lock.
Room 10: Head
There are six exterminator bugs here.
This is where the brain is put.
Creatures of the Golem
- Toolbox Bugs -This creature resembles a large beetle with a brass exoskeleton. The most notable feature of this creature is that its legs end in a number of different tools and two large pouches on either side of its body. These are workers who do not attack. They were used by the craftsmen to carry tools and supplies around the golem. These bugs regenerate after several rounds.
- Exterminator Bugs - This strange scuttling creation of gears and levers resembles a large mantis at first glance. Its eyes are a deep violet color, and its exoskeleton is brass. The most notable features of this creature are its long whip-like tail which is tipped with a very sharp needle and a long yellow crystal cylinder mounted on its back. The crystal cylinder is actually a vial of poison which is emptied when the creature hits someone with its needle-like tail. These bugs regenerate after several rounds.
- Cleaner Bugs - This mechanical bug resembles a very large brass cockroach with white glowing eyes. It has two large pinchers in front and a green globe on it back, and moves with a shuffling motion. This is a cleaner bug which these creatures secrete an acid which will bubble through skin (although it has no effect on metal) quickly. The green acid is used to clean excrement and animal remains from the dungeon.
The Sword and the Beast: Portal 13, Level 1
Room 11: Golem's Hideaway
From the ground....
1" = 6 feet (72") ==> things appear 72 times larger than real life
The golem is charged by melting magical items in the furnace in its belly. For each item, the following bonuses are gained.
- +1 hit point for each level of item sacrificed
- level is always hit points / 10
- bonuses to the base AC 0 for magical armor, helmets, shields, and the like
- bonuses to strength for strength-related items
- bonuses to other magical abilities for appropriate items
- note: these are scaled following the table below
- an intelligent magical item will add the appropriate skill level to use these abilities
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A small chest sits behind the golem. It is locked.
The chest contains: Ring of Protection +3, Book of Pure Prayer, 200 gold pieces
Room 12: Master's Workshop
From a tiny perspective....
The door that the party came out from under is a secret door, which can be opened only by solving the following riddle. The answer is "18".
Room 13: Master's Quarters
Close inspection shows the lock on the small chest fused closed.
Close inspection shows that the medallion has the symbol of four concentric squares etched on it.
The small chest is actually opened by sliding one of the metal studs on the top of the chest to one side, inserting one of the small brass keys, and turning it to slide a tray from the bottom. The "main" part of the chest is filled with a fine metallic powder which will be released if the chest is forced open. The powder is explosive and poisonous, so something bad will undoubtedly happen here.
The tray in the small chest contains a potion that will make very tiny people big again and another which (since the stopper was loose) is empty, presumably to make big people very tiny.
On the table is an inkwell, long since dried, several pens and a scrap of paper with the following message written on it.
Day 647
Well, it happened, and I don't think that any power in the Realm can save us now. I guess this is what we all expected and feared when we voluteered to build this vault. There is one way to make sure that the secret of the vault gets kept, make sure the builders never leave. Markel never showed signs of the sickness, and he was upon poor Abtu slitting his throat before even the tin men could stop him. I'm not sure who I pity more, the four priests left forever chanting in the key room or Bolin and myself, forced to live out our lives eating magical mush and drinking stale water. At least I have my workshop and my cats. Even though the appeal of building seems to be fading. It should be enough that the tin men will remain forever, along with my other creations. Most would be happy to have their legacies guard the most important treasure in the history of mankind. But what I wouldn't give to see the sun one more time.
Room 14: First Apprentice's Dorm Room
Room 15: Second Apprentice's Dorm Room
Beneath the bed is stashed a bag of 800 gold pieces.
Breaking open the bug-like creature reveals two more medallions.
Room 16: Apprentice's Room
Room 17: Guard Room (SW)
The guards will activate when the party enters the room. Their swords have been enchanted with a permanent sleep spell. This spell works through cloth and most armor. They attack four times per round. AC -4.
Room 18: Common Room
Room 19: Cafeteria
There are six cats in the room that run towards the party when they enter.
The three basins are magically enchanted to provide the denizens with food and water. The use of the third basin is unknown. This is how the cats have survived over the the years.
Room 20: The Gateway
The door is the entranceway into the center (key) room. If the party attempts to break it down, they will be hit with the corresponding amount of lightning. The answer is 250.
Room 21: Empty Room
Room 22: Empty Room
Room 23: Guard Room (SE)
The guards will activate when the party enters the room. Their swords have been enchanted with a permanent sleep spell. This spell works through cloth and most armor. They attack four times per round. AC -4.
Room 24: Wizard's Room
A door in the south leads into a privy.
A secret door leads into a small chamber. At the west end of the room is a stone pedestal on which sits a glowing black-blue crystal. The crystal is surrounded by a globe of crackling energy. On the side of the pedestal is carved the following rune.
The small chest by the bed contains the following treasure: Incense of Meditation, Loadstone, Potion of Deadly Healing, Dagger +2
By solving the rune, the party will gain control of the crystal. The answer is 26. The crystal is what allows the mages in the key room to live without air, water, or food. Breaking the crystal will "wake the mages". They will then come through the magic door to find out what is up. Only the wizard himself knows the secrets of the inner chambers, and he has been "melted" ages ago by the cleaner bugs.
Room 25: Meeting Room
These items are worth 500 gold pieces.
Room 26: Adept's Dorms
Room 27: Guard Room (NE)
The guards will activate when the party enters the room. Their swords have been enchanted with a permanent sleep spell. This spell works through cloth and most armor. They attack four times per round. AC -4.
Room 28: Game Room
There are a total of 300 gold pieces scattered around the room.
Room 29: Guard Room (NW)
The guards will activate when the party enters the room. Their swords have been enchanted with a permanent petrification spell. This spell works through cloth and most armor. They attack four times per round. AC -4.
Room 30: Center Room (Lightning)
These are the mages of lightning. There will always be four here, and four sleeping in the dorm rooms. If attacked, the other four will come to the rescue along with the guards from the other corner rooms. They fight as 21st level magic users.
If anybody approaches the large cube in the center, it will activate like a plasma-ball filling the room with lightning.
They are attracted to mass and metal, so the effects will be divided accordingly. The lightning will do 200 hit points per round to the party unless they flee.
The Sword and the Beast: Portal 13, Levels 2-4
Room 31: SW Guard Room
The guards will activate when the party enters the room. Their swords have been enchanted with a permanent petrification spell. This spell works through cloth and most armor. They attack four times per round. AC -4.
Careful examination shows a secret trap door in the corner of this room leading to a spiral staircase leading down.
Room 32: NW Guard Room
The guards will activate when the party enters the room. Their swords have been enchanted with a permanent petrification spell. This spell works through cloth and most armor. They attack four times per round. AC -4.
Room 33: NE Guard Room
If the party enters this room, a number of the ghosts (see Center Room) will enter here through the SW corner.
Room 34: SE Guard Room
The guards will activate when the party enters the room. Their swords have been enchanted with a permanent petrification spell. This spell works through cloth and most armor. They attack four times per round. AC -4.
Room 35: The Pendulum Hallway (W)
Careful examination of this room shows a spoked wheel on the wall.
This room is trapped for "human" adventurers travelling through it. The guards will not enter here until the trap is sprung. In this case, a razor sharp pendulum which will slice through the party if they enter here (again, it is triggered by warm-blooded creatures entering). It will swing back and forth until it comes to a complete rest at the bottom. The wheel will raise the pendulum back to its full position, a loud click signalling that it is in place.
Room 36: The Spiked Plate Hallway (N)
Careful examination of this room shows a spoked wheel on the wall.
This room is trapped for "human" adventurers travelling through it. The guards will not enter this room until the trap is sprung. In this case, a plate of sharpened spikes will drop on the party if they enter here (again, it is triggered by warm-blooded creatures entering). The spiked plates are attached to the ceiling by a long length of chain. The wheel will raise the plates back to its full position, a loud click signalling that it is in place.
Room 37: The Magnetic Hallway (E)
Careful examination of this room shows that the eastern wall of this room is made of metal painted to look like stone.
Very careful examination will show a hidden button on the west wall of this room.
This room is trapped for "human" adventurers travelling through it. The ghosts will enter this room when the trap is sprung. In this case, the eastern wall is a very powerful magnet which will hold the party against it while the ghosts attack. The button will shut off the magnet for one round.
Room 38: The Gravitational Hallway (S)
This room is trapped for "human" adventurers travelling through it. There are a number of sharpened spikes on the ceiling of this room. When entered, a powerful reverse gravity spell will fire off, slamming the party into the ceiling. After one minute, it will shut off. Then, it will turn on again. Then off. Until everything is dead. Also, the ghosts will enter this room when the trap is sprung.
Room 39: Center Room (Petrification)
The ghosts can wail, pass through, or use vision to petrify the party. They are immune to physical attacks, but they can be hit with magic.
Room 40: Illusionary Center Room
This is the tricky level. It is setup just like the previous level, except that the stone box (which would be thought to be the final room) on the pillars is a trap. There are two "dimensions" to this level. In reality, it is empty. There are no creatures, no traps, no guards. The "dimension" that will be displayed to the party is the "trap" version. The "trap" version will have the following illusions in it. If the party can see through the illusions, then the same rooms will appear, although they will be empty.
Entering this level triggers a very intense anti-magic shield that will cause spells which have mind effects to be cancelled.
Careful examination shows that the glass globes each contain a small creature or several small creatures (orcs, goblins, minotaurs, etc.).
If the party enters the room, the dragons will wake up. They will try to cast spells to capture the party (charming them into thinking that they are in a bubble) or they will roar causing the globes to drop and form into real creatures. If that happens, they will also use their breath weapons. The goal here is to get the party to blow off all their beans, just to turn around and have the whole thing be empty.
If they manage to make it into the cube without dispelling the illusion, they will see the following sight.
As they try to pull the stone out, they will be put into a battle against a mirror image of themself (run by the DM). If they will the battle, the sword will stay stuck.
Room 41: The Sword and The Beast
The small chest can be unlocked by using one of the small brass keys found on the master's body. The chest contains: a strange mechnical device with two handles attached to a hollow disk (somewhat like an exercise grip). When squeezed together they produce a very bright spark of fire. The chest also contains a number of old oily rags, a jar of a thick viscous yellow grease, and a large metal screwdriver.
If touched, the globe will feel warm to human skin. Pressing harder against the globe merely causes the warm glow to become hotter and hotter. Magical items pressed against the globe will cause a bright white light to cover the surface of the globe, near where the item contacts it. The item will not pass within the globe however. Non-magical items can be slowly pressed into the globe, although the strength required to do so is massive, and the rate that they enter is very, very slow. The golem enters by inching its way in slowly. The globe is invulnerable to magical spells of any type, disapating their effects over its surface with a bright white light. This should reduce the party to watching their golem fight the guardian golem for possession of the sword.
The golem in the sphere has been charged with 200 level of magic items and has the intelligence of a singing sword named Rondulet. The golem has a base armor class of 0 and a modified armor class of -2.
Monsters
Exterminator bugs (18) |
Treasure
Ring of Protection +3 |