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The Temple of Bone

The Temple of Bone is also known as the Hill of the Hunter, though why it is called that has been lost to legend for thousands of years.
    The Temple of Bone is a suitable adventuring locale for adventurers of seventeenth or eighteenth level as presented here. Unless otherwise noted the walls of underground areas are lines with hewn stone that is two feet thick in most places. Ceilings are fifteen feet tall in all hallways, room ceiling heights are often greater, as noted. There is no lighting within the temple, natural or otherwise. A substantial portion of the temple is flooded; the result of an underground river having eroded through the walls of chamber 13. These areas are tinted light-blue and characters swimming in them are blind unless they have a blindsight similar to sonar because of all the silt that obscures the water. Arrows indicate stairways and they point down towards the bottom of the stairway. All writing in the Temple of Bone is in infernal.

History

In ancient times, one of the Twelve Lords of Primal Torment, a being called Titalus, Lord of Slavery, sent into the world of mortals his favored servant, Abarat, the Hunter. This terrible fiend of the netherworlds was to scour the lands in search of the Three Investitures of Qo and make ready passage into the mortal realm for his lord. Accompanying Abarat was a mighty du'kur demon-hound, more than two-hundred feet in length and one-hundred feet from foot to shoulder. Upon this terrible beast did Abarat ride and wreck great destruction.
    Abarat's search was brought to a halt when a troupe of adventuring storm giants slew the du'kur and defeated the Hunter in battle. They were not powerful enough to destroy Abarat's spirit and so they broke it into three parts: a rod, a crystal, and a ring. These things they scattered across the land, hoping that the Hunter would never again be freed.
    Centuries passed and the cairn where the demon-hound was buried slowly eroded away. Latent evils there beckoned to evil men and on the slopes of the great hill a small city grew. Occultists who dabbled in demonology found the place an easy location Surrounding areas of the Temple of Bone to speak with their otherworldly masters and soon many dwelled there and word of the vile city's ill repute was heard far across the land. Chief among them was a man known as Aoran Zeprithun, a powerful agent of the god called Qo and one of the Three of Shadow.
    Holy crusades finally brought the city low and laid to rest the many undead and demon spirits that had come to live there. The rib-cage bones of the slain du'kur hound now jut skyward from the hill which the city ruins lay against. Rumors persist that evil spirits still dwell among the ruins and that on some nights the bones of the demon-hound burn with a strange green phosphorescence.

In the Ashes of Arend Campaign

Our adventure to the Temple of Bone began first with the recovery of a map penned by agents of Titalus which indicated the site to be a place of interest, possibly the resting site of one of the Investitures of Qo. Hoping to recover such a device before other servants of Titalus could, the party hired a boat and traveled from Bluewater, across Lake Clinnon, and to the town of Twin Shores. There they learned that undead had been roaming the countryside at nights, forcing inhabitants of some remote farms to seek refuge in the city. Pursuing this and other rumors they traveled out from the city and entered into environs of the temple where they battled a pair of banshees, one of whom slew Tellzan's daughter/cohort, the elemental sorceress Elena. The evil powers of the ruins quickly animated her and her ghostly form retreated deep into the ruins. Pursuing her they discovered the Temple of Bone, as presented here. Therein, they released the spirit of Aoran, who possessed Al-Rathis. Further explorations revealed that cultists had already brought the three relics which held the spirit of Abarat to the temple. In a bid to stop the evil influence of the temple they decided to release Abarat and slay it once and for all in a battle atop of the cairn.

Area Descriptions

The outside parts of the Temple of Bone leave much room for expansion and elaboration. On the road from Twin Shores to North Shore there is a little used trail and departs to the southwest. Following this trail eventually leads to wide open field. The center of the field is dominated by a massive hill on whose top, pointing up to the sky, are eight enormous rib-bones. Densely scattered upon the sides of the hill are a multitude of cramped ruins. filling most of the fields to the edge of the forest is a great grave yard, some of whose graves have been recently unearthed. At night the bones illuminate the clearing with their green witchfire.
    As played in our Ashes of Arend campaign there were several encounters in this area. Various undead roam the ruins during day and night, however they only stray from the ruins during the night. Most undead are minor and barely worthy of notice to adventurers of the proscribed level, but as a horde they can be a major nuisance. Chief among these undead are two banshees (EL19) who arise from the earth at night and cry out their lament. A pack of sixteen nessian warhounds led by an advanced warhound (EL 17) also roam the ruins. They are not bothered by nor interested in the undead; their main duty is to watch over the ruins while agents of Titalus are absent from their searches. One other notable tragedy lives near the ruins in the corrupted forests. There dwells an advanced splinterwaif (EL 5) that use to be a dryad who long ago was steward to the area.
    Among the ruins, one-hundred feet below their upper crown around the bone henge, there is a recently broken sealed passageway from which descends a long staircase down into the heart of the cairn. At the end of this staircase is the location of area 1. Temple of Bone, interior map
    Area 1: Entrance This octagonal room has three exits: to the right, left, and directly across. Each of the doors are decorated with scenes of demons in contest with mortals, the walls are similarly frescoed. The right hand door shows a scene of demons feasting upon opened graves, pulling souls forth and devouring their essence. The words "The Defeated Arise to Serve" are scribed into the mantle over the door. The lefthand door displays demons threatening and subjugating terrified holy warriors with the words "Sweet are the Vows of Corruption" over its mantle. The third door has been blasted with magics and it is somewhat torn from its hinges, but its display can still be viewed: Twisted, still weeping bodies of mortals are offered up by enchained demons who bend their knee towards a distant throne of fire. Above the center door reads in infernal "The lost quail before their domination."
    Each door is built of 2 inch thick, magically fortified steel (hardness 20, 120hp, break DC 33) and is warded by a symbol of pain (sor/wiz 5, CL20, DC30 to discover or disable, Fort save DC20 to resist). Each doors symbol is activated if any of the doors are violated by a non-evil aligned being. The ward of the center door has already been destroyed by agents of Titalus.
    Area 2: The Rat Door This 50 foot corridor ends at a strange door of blackened iron. A close examination reveals that its surface is a bas-relief scene of a swarm of rats, from which ten iron-sculpted hands reach out as though the owner of the hand were buried entirely by ravenous rats. To safely open this door the correct hand must be firmly grasped. The pressure of squeezing the
Iron Rat Swarm (2 swarms, EL 12)
Tiny Construct (Swarm)
HD15d8 (110hps); Init +2; Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC24 (+2 size, +2 Dex, +10 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 22; Attack swarm 3d6 plus disease; space/reach 10 ft./0 ft.; SA disease, distraction; SQ immune to magic, half damage from slashing and piercing, darkvision 60 ft., mindless, swarm traits;
Fort +5 Ref +7 Will +5
Str 6, Dex 15, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2
    Immune to Magic: Immune to magical and supernatural effects. Electrical attacks slow (as slow spell) the swarm for 1 round, no save. A fire energy attack ends this effect immediately and heals the swarm of 1 point of damage per 3 points it would have otherwise suffered, gaining any excess beyond its max hit-points as temporary hit-points. Affected normally by rusting attacks, but is still treated as a swarm.
    Disease (Ex): Creatures which suffer damage from the iron rat swarm must save (Fort DC 17 negates) or contract and immediately suffer the effects of filth fever (1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con damage) as though afflicted by a contagion spell.
    Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a swarm in its square must succeed a DC 17 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round.
right hand unlocks the door, causing the iron rats to animate and swarm aside in a way that allows passage. Grasping the wrong hand results in dire consequences for the intruder. The hand grips the offender's hand, automatically succeeding at a grapple attempt, and the iron rats swarm down off the door and devour their victim. The door grapples as a large creature with a Strength of 30 and a base attack of 15 (grapple +29). Dealing 10 or more points of damage to the doors causes the swarm to animate. Treat the two swarms as an EL 12 encounter, if someone is grappled by the door raise the EL to 14 and the swarms attack the grappled creature. Leaving the corridor and returning to area 1 causes the rat swarm to cease attacking, as does the death of anyone grappled by the door.
    Area 3: The Medusa Door This hallway ends at an imposing door whose face is carved to resemble an eight armed, fanged medusa with a serpentine lower body. Each of its arms jut out from the door and hold a adamantine spear. In the navel of the carving, about three feet from the ground, there is a hole in the door large enough for a human to insert their naked hand. The points of the spears hover menacingly over where anyone placing their hand into the door would stand. Over the door is written, "Kneel, give me thy hand and speak the name of your lord." Opening the door is done by inserting a hand into the hole and speaking, "The lord of subjugation." Kneeling isn't necessary. Speaking otherwise with a hand in the door causes the relief in the door to animate. "Vile blasphemer!" it declares as it the adventurer who has their hand in the door is afflicted with a heightened flesh to stone (sor/wiz 9, Fort negates DC 24) and the medusa relief strikes with all eight spears. A kneeling character is considered prone. Each spear attacks with a +21 attack roll and deals 2d6+5 points of damage. The medusa attacks with the spears until no one is in reach. The spears are large sized and non-magical, but quite valuable (3454gp each). Attempting to remove the spears causes the medusa relief to attack. When the correct reply is spoken the door slides backwards, allowing characters to slip by and into area 11. The medusa-relief door trap is EL6.
    Area 4 This hallway has been flooded. A staircase descends into water thick and dark with floating sediment. Perhaps the best way to deal with the flooding problem is ample application of lower water spell castings. The doors at the other end of the flooded corridor are likewise broken. Moving through the lower set of submerged doors while swimming requires a DC 15 escape artist check.
Undead Inhabitants (EL 17) Most of the undead in area 4 are clerics of Qo of varying level. Unless otherwise noted, each undead is a wight: 20 zombies, 15 of 1st-3rd level cleric, 5 of 4th-6th level cleric, 2 vampires (Vormarg and Thatishand) of 10th level cleric, 10 fighters of 2nd level.

Avatar of Qo Ritual
Describes a lengthy ritual of fasting and suffering by a willing victim who must have once been a good divine caster, but who has since embraced evil. As a part of the ritual the victim has three great sword sized nails slowly driven through their torso during the two hour time span that this ritual is performed. If the victim does not perish during this process, from blood loss or outright harm, then in theory they would be reborn as an avatar of Qo and invested with a small portion of Qo's divine spark. However, since in the World of Sulerin the god Qo has fallen and no longer answers his followers prayers, any survivor of the ritual is instead animated as a banshee (EL 17), a result of the powerful negative energies that fill their body during the ritual.

Threepart Relic of Abarat: the Crystal
Radiates powerful abjuration-conjuration magic and evil. The crystal radiates antipathy (Caster level 20th) (see alter description) against non-evil creatures. The crystal is a relic and it is indestructible. When an evil being possesses the crystal it gains a +2 profane bonus to its caster level and is immune to negative energy attacks. A neutral aligned being suffers 1d6 points of Charisma ability score damage for touching the crystal. A good creature touching the crystal suffers 1d6 Charisma damage and becomes wounded as lesions begin to spread across their body, causing 1d6 points of damage each round until they no longer touched the crystal and they have bound their wounds. Magical healing also stops the spread of lesions.
    When reunited with the rod and ring threeparts the spirit of Abarat is released from its imprisonment. See area 18: The Sepulcher of Abarat for more information about this event.

Holy Symbol of Qo
Radiates strong abjuration and evil. This particularly potent holy symbol has been enchanted with evil magics. A non-evil creature wearing it suffers as though it was a necklace of strangulation (See DMG). Evil creatures who don the necklace gain a +2 profane bonus to their Charisma and Wisdom scores and a +2 profane bonus to their armor class. Attempts to command undead while wearing the amulet are treated as though the rebuker was two levels higher.

    Area 5: Worship Chamber This room is roughly 100 feet long by 75 feet wide. At one end is a very large statue of a demonic looking man dressed in a black robe, with his head tipped back in a snarl of ecstasy. With one hand the statue holds aloft a book and the other hand is cast wide as though exalting. Before the statue is an alter, carved from marble, stained brown from sacrifices, and covered with rivulets of was from many candles that have been set upon it. On the front of the alter is a symbol of Qo, a square disk with three nails asymmetrically set upon it. The alter has a powerful permanent, heightened antipathy (Sor/Wiz 8) cast upon it (Will partial DC 23) that repels all non-evil beings.
    Populating the church-like interior of the room, sitting in row behind row of church pews, are numerous undead that appear to be engaged in prayer. The undead of area 5 are in magical stasis which ends either when the amulet of Qo, hidden in the alter, is donned or when the alarm of the alter trap is set off. In the former case they are helpful, in the latter they have a hostile attitude and attack. These were once living worshipers of Qo, but a powerful magic has set them in slumber and turned them to undead, a state intended to last until Aoran returns to awaken them.
    A search of the alter (search DC 25) reveals that there is a hidden compartment. The compartment is magically trapped (EL 10, search and disable DC 34, casts finger of death [on success take 3d6+20 points of damage, Fort DC 23] and maze [no save], and casts an audible alarm which awakens the undead inhabitants of the chamber. Contained in the compartment are three items: a magical scroll that contains a ritual for creating an avatar of Qo, a ten-inch shard of opaque-gray crystal (this is one of the three relics that must be reassembled to release Abarat from his imprisonment), and a holy-symbol of Qo (see sidebar).
    Area 6: Private Chamber of Aoran In our Ashes of Arend campaign this chamber held the ghost of Aoran, a half-demon/half-undead spirit which promptly possessed Al-Rathis. If you are using this in your own campaign you might substitute the 18th level cleric, Lothgodian, with the ghost template which is presented here.
    This room has been permanently unhallowed with a dispel magic effect (CL 20th) that affects anyone other than Aoran who enters the room. The room is appointed with simple furnishings. In one corner there is a full-size bed with a large foot-locker before it. The footlocker is not trapped. It contains rotted clothes, priestly garb, a spare holy symbol of Qo, some
Lothgodian    CR20
Male Human Cleric 18 Ghost
NE Medium Undead (Incorporeal)
Init 6 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Senses Listen +16, Spot +8
Languages Arendish, Cananor, Arnor, Darini, Ilyaunaya, Apocix
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AC 34, touch 20, flat 32
hp 119 (18HD)
Fort +11 Ref +9 Will +15
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Speed fly 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +21 incorporeal melee touch 1d6 plus 1d4 ability damage
Base Atk +13 Grp +14
Special Atk rebuke undead 9/day Corrupting Gaze (Su) Fort DC 27; Corrupting Touch (Su); Draining Touch (Su); Frightful Moan (Su) Will DC 27; Horrific Appearance (Du) Fort DC 27; Malevolence (Su) Will DC 23
Cleric spells prepared (CL 18, +21 melee touch, +16 ranged touch)
9th--energy drain, gate, time stop [d]
8th--create greater undead, polymorph any object [d] (DC 26/F), unholy aura, summon monster VIII
7th--blasphemy, destruction (DC 27/F), repulsion (DC 25/W), screen [d]
6th--antilife shell, blade barrier, create undead [d], greater dispel magic x2, harm (DC 26/W)
5th--dispel good, false vision [d], flame strike (DC 23/R), insect plague, slay living (DC 25/F), wall of stone
4th--discern lies (DC 22/W), dismissal (DC 22/W), divination, freedom of movement, imbue with spell ability (DC 22/W), spell immunity, unholy blight [d] (DC 22/W)
3rd--animate dead, bestow curse (DC 21/W), deeper darkness, dispel magic, magic circle against good, non-detection [d], searing light
2nd--desecrate [d], eagle's splendor, enthrall (DC 20/W), owl's wisdom (DC 20/W), shatter, sound burst (DC 20/F), spiritual weapon, undetectable alignment (DC 20/W)
1st--bane (DC 19/W), command (DC 19/W), comprehend languages (DC 19/W), detect good, disguise self [d], divine favor, protection from good (DC 19/W), protection from evil (DC 19/W)
0--guidance (DC 18/W), inflict minor wounds (DC 20/W), mending, read magic, resistance (DC 18/W), virtue (DC 18/F)
D: domain spell  Deity: Qo.  Domains: Evil, Trickery
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Abilities Str 13, Dex 16, Con -, Int 13, Wis 21 [27], Cha 22 [26]
Special Qualities Incorporeal; Manifestation (Su); Telekinesis (Su); Rejuvenation (Su); +4 turn resistance.
Feats Craft Wondrous Item, Great Fortitude, Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Spell Focus (necromancy)
Skills Concentration +15, Diplomacy +18 (+8 cha), Knowledge (History) +9 (+1 int), Knowledge (Religion) +8 (+1 int), Listen +16 (+8 wis), Search +6 (+1 int), Spellcraft +15 (+1 int).
Possessions +5 mithral ghost-touched full plate, +4 morning star, oil of magic vestment +5, amulet of charisma +4, periapt of wisdom +6, potion of inflict critical wounds, 15 pp, 13 gp, 9 sp, 19 cp, 6592 gp in other assets.
ancient prayer books (non-magical), a bottle of red wine (worth 100gp to a collector), a small crystal goblet (30 gp), and a small bag of coins (172 gp). Against one wall of the room is a large, freestanding coat closet. The wood is badly desiccated, but the heightened and permanent symbol of death (Fort DC 29) that is scribed against the inner wall of the clothes cabinet is still a danger to anyone who opens the door and looks within. Besides rotted robes there is a small metal box, also trapped (greater glyph of warding which creates a blade barrier CL 20th in the immediate vicinity of the box. The box contains the spell book of the high priest that once dwelt here.
    In the Ashes of Arend campaign this chamber was sealed by an arcane lock (CL 20) upon its door and also protected by a forbiddance against all creatures. Aoran had sealed the room before beginning his attempt to consume the blood of Titalus, in the hopes that he would gain some measure of the demon lord's power. The experiment nearly killed him and bound him to Titalus's will as a thrall, but it also changed him from a ghost to half-ghost/half-demon. Greatly weakened, Aoran fell into a deep torpor and was not awakened until the seal on his room was violated.
    Also, in our Ashes of Arend campaign there was a second door departing from this room to a permanent extra dimensional space where was hidden numerous minor artifacts and powerful items which Aoran had accumulated during his millenia long existence. Naturally, this chamber possessed numerous powerful traps and wards to deter the curious. Even the door to its entrance was concealed by powerful magic.
    Areas 7A and 7B: Acolyte Chambers These rooms are appointed with simple furnishings. There are four beds in each one, each with a small footlocker at one end of the bed. The sheets are rotted. Chamber 7B has been completely infected with brown mold. There is no treasure in these rooms. Their usual occupants are in prayer in area 5.
    Area 8: Community and Dining Chamber When the temple was active, this is where acolytes and other temple residents would eat, recreate, and pursue academic activities. The chamber is dust laden and unoccupied. There are three long tables of thick, rotted wood that span the length of the room with matching rotted benches. Some old silver plates and eating utensils still rest upon the table (treasure: 20 silver plates and cutlery, 400gp value). There is nothing else of notice in here.
    Area 9: Storage The metal banded wooden door to this chamber has swollen in its frame and it has been locked. The door can be broken open (Strength, DC 25) or destroyed (hardness 5, 20 hps). The magic which use to protect the contents of this chamber from rot has long since faded and nature has taken its course. The smell that issues from the room is terrible from all of the rotten food. Large casks of wine vinegar are stacked in one corner; casks of stale water are stacked in another. Two shelves run the length of the room containing rotted salt-meats, hills of mold that use to be wax sealed cheeses (some may still be good), brown lumps that use to be bags of onions, and so forth. In the back of the room are two locked chests (open lock DC 25) which contain a dozen maces and chain mail armor. There are also six scrolls of create food and water carefully bound and set in a small locked chest on one of the shelves. A primitive fire pit rests at one corner of the room and tiny air holes allow smoke to exit the room with the assistance of a bound Medium air elemental (El 3). The magic which binds the air elemental has held over the many centuries and it is furious at being imprisoned here, it immediately attacks.
    Area 10: Senior Priest Sleeping Quarters These chambers are better appointed than those of area 7. The chamber is square, 20 feet wide on each side. This is where the leading priests of the temple, subservient only to Aoran, slept. The two beds that occupy the room are large and would be comfortable looking if they were not rotted. They are elaborately carved such that fantastic creatures like dragons and demons chase each other through the wood work. If they could be transported out of the chamber they might still be worth something. A ragged curtain use to divide the room in half. The rings which held it to the ceiling are still there, but the tapestry has long since rotted from its hangings and lays in a moldering pile upon the floor. Both of the chambers usual occupants (two 10th-level vampire clerics) are in area 5, awaiting the return of Aoran.
Advanced Dread Wraith/Cleric 3    (CR 17)
LE Large Undead (Incorporeal)
Init +13 (+9 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Senses Listen +29, Spot +29
Languages Arendish, Arnor, Cananor
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AC 28 (-1 size, +9 Dex, +10 deflection), touch 28, flat 19
hp 156 (24HD)
Fort +10 Ref +19 Will +20
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Speed fly 60 ft. (good) (12 squares)
Melee +22 incorporeal touch (2d6 plus 1d8 Constitution drain)
Base Atk +12/-
Special Atk Constitution drain, create spawn, spells
Cleric spells prepared (CL 3, +22 melee touch, +26 ranged touch)
2nd--desecrate [d], eagle's splendor, silence
1st--bless, divine favor, doom (DC 16/W), obscuring mist, protection from good [d]
0th--detect magic, guidance, inflict minor wounds (DC 15/W), resistance
D: domain spell  Deity: Qo.  Domains: Evil, Trickery
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Abilities Str -, Dex 28, Con -, Int 17, Wis 20, Cha 30
Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., daylight powerlessness, incorporeal traits, lifesense 60 ft., rebuke undead, undead traits, unnatural aura.
Feats Alertness, Blind-fight, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (incorporeal touch), Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack
Skills Concentration +24, Diplomacy +34, Hide +33, Knowledge (religion) +27, Listen +29, Sense Motive +29, Spot +29, Spellcraft +27

    (EL 18) An advanced dread wraith hides in the ethereal border of this room and watches any who enter. It was once the failed acolyte of Vormarg, one of the senior temple priests, but having failed to overpower their teacher they were slain and bound in undead servitude. While Vormarg has slept in topor in the worship chamber (area 5), the bound wraith that his acolyte was transformed into has steadily fed upon the evil powers that infest the tomb and grown in power over the many, many centuries. It would now pose a danger even to its former master. Furthermore, over the millenia, its has accumulated a number of wriath spawn from previous explorers of the tomb, who also lurk just out of sight until their creator signals to attack.
    The dread wraith is commanded to guard the footlocker of the priest Vormarg and it is compelled to attack anyone who attempts to open it. The dread wraith casts its spells when it hears the approach of adventurers in the outer hallway in the following order: desecrate, protection from good, bless, and divine favor. If the intruder into the chamber is alone then they attack as outlined below as soon as the figure enters the room. Otherwise if a party of adventurers has entered the room then it waits until all but the last adventurer has left the room, has one of its spawn close and lock the door, it casts silence and they attack the trapped adventurer en masse. Against multiple opponents it uses its whirlwind attack while its minions harass spellcasters. Against single opponents it uses its lifesense ability to keep track of its enemies movements while it spring attacks from the protection of the chamber walls. The dread wraith is accompanied by eight normal wraiths.
    The footlocker of Vormarg (CR8 trap; paralyzing mist vapors. Never misses; DC 15 Fortitude partial; 2d6 Dex and paralysis/1d6 Dex damage, repeat save after 1 minute. Affects all targets within 10 ft. of trap. Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 27) contains the following valuables: a fancy purple velvet cloak (105gp), an ancient calendar in hammered silver and embellished with jade (760gp), a strange idol of serpentine depicting a great eye with numerous tentacles radiating out from it (1,570gp), an ivory scroll case with tiger's eye caps (1,550gp), a gold medallion of a demonic head (1,040gp), chain mail shirt +4 that is well oiled and triple linked, an ornamental silver skullcap with gold inlaid runes (2,200gp), a wand of contagion (I3, cl5, 36 charges, 8,100 gp), a scroll with stone shape and greater magic weapon (1,075 gp), an oil of timelessness (150 gp), a ring of blinking, a necklace of prayer beads (smiting) with 28 semiprecious stones (15,000gp), 1,200 pp, 5,200 gp.
    The footlocker of Thatishand contains: a large steel shield +2, a small jade scroll case (700gp) containing a scroll with remove disease, augury, summon monster IV, and dispel magic (1,600gp), a choker spun gold that burns with a harmless red flame (2,600gp), a frightening mask of a dead woman made of beaten gold (550gp), a bag of shriveled ears and half a dozen various earrings (1,270gp value total), a bag of 500pp, a small chest of 4705gp).
    Hidden under the bed of Vormarg is treasure taken by the dread wraith from adventurers that it has slain in previous years. This treasure includes: a staff of defense (35 charges, 56,000gp), a Medium sized suit of bronze enameled scale mail +3, a large wooden shield +3 with a cockatrice rampant described upon its face, a master worked suit of banded mail, a chain cloak, 421cp, 1302sp, 5074gp, 53pp.
    Area 11: The Crypt This is a vast room, 75 feet on one side by 150 feet. The ceiling of the chamber is forty feet high and painted with ancient frescos showing demon worship, battles and sacrifice. Spread evenly throughout the room are numerous sarcophagi. Each of these sealed burial chambers is roughly eight by six feet square. Each is styled different; some with
Demon Statue    (CR 18)
Neutral Huge Construct
Init -2 (-2 Dex)
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AC 36 (-2 size, -2 Dex, +25 natural, +5 deflection), touch 11, flat 36
hp 400 (48HD)
Fort +16 Ref +14 Will +16
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Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee Two +57 Threepart Rod of Abarat (4d8+21 plus contagion), Two +52 tentacle slam attacks (20 ft. reach, 4d8+16)
Base Atk +36 grapple +60
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Abilities Str 42, Dex 7, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1
Special Qualities construct traits, damage reduction 15/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to magic, low-light vision.
The golem suffers a -4 penalty to all saves, checks, and attacks because it is holding the Rod, a piece of the Threepart Relic of Abarat (see below). This penalty is not incorporated into the above statistics.
Threepart Relic of Abarat: the Rod
This iron rod is 15 feet long and weighs about 70 pounds. Covering its surface are a multitude of evil looking runes which, when the staff is held by an evil being, flicker with strange black illumination. One end of the staff is clawed and is obviously meant to hold some device; the appropriate item to mount in the claws is the crystal located in area 5.
    The rod is a relic and it is indestructible. When an evil being possesses the staff it gains a +2 profane bonus to its caster level. This stacks with similar bonuses granted by the other two parts of the relic. A non-evil creature or construct of any type which picks up the staff suffers a -4 penalty to all attacks, saves, and checks for as long as it holds the rod and for them it seems to weigh 280 pounds. Any creature susceptible to disease is afflicted with a magical contagion (As spell, select random contagion, Fort DC 24 resists) each time that they touch the staff. The staff whispers secrets of fiends to its bearer, granting them a +10 bonus to intimidate and diplomacy checks made against evil outsiders.
    When reunited with the ring and crystal threeparts the spirit of Abarat is released from its imprisonment. See area 18: The Sepulcher of Abarat for more information about this event.
gargoyles resting on their pointed tops, some columned, and others depicting the stories of those encased within. This chamber is where evil priests who worshiped the powers of evil have been buried. A variety of evil religions are represented.
    Watching over the room from a large recessed alcove is a goat-legged, human-torsoed, and scaled bull-headed statue of a demon with four arms. Its two lower arms are twisting tentacles and its upper two are pincered. The Huge statue continually radiates a powerful fear effect which affects any creature that comes within 50 feet of it (DC 25, Will resists of become frightened). On one of its horns has been placed a ring of deflection +5. In one of its thick pincers it tightly grasps a long iron rod that is covered in evil runes. This rod is a portion of the Threepart Relic of Abarat (see sidebar).
    Opening any of the crypts that fill this room has a 60% chance of awakening the wrathful spirit that occupies the crypt and 1d6 guardian spirits that were buried with it. Treat guardian spirits as wraiths and the crypt occupant as one of the following: a banshee, a 15HD spectre, an 18HD crimson death, a 15HD vampire, and various other powerful undead. If no undead awakens to their tomb being violated then there is only a 10% chance that there is treasure in the tomb (otherwise it has been pillaged already). If an undead spirit is awakened then there is a 70% chance of treasure being found.
    The main interest of the room is the Huge statue. It does nothing unless attacked or if the rod that it holds is touched. When this happens the construct suddenly animates and immediately attacks.
    In our Ashes of Arend campaign this room was further populated by a powerful undead cleric of Qo and some minor undead minions, who were performing a ritual to liberate the rod from the statue. The party interrupted the evil clerics endeavors and combat quickly ensued, during which Sasha, the druidess, was slain by a well placed casting of meteor swarm. Fortunately her companions were able to resuscitate her before much time had passed.
    Area 12: Niches A long, 10 foot wide staircase descends down into murky water from here. The door between here and area 11 is a heavy (eight inch thick) and magically fortified stone slab that slides sideways. It is broken however and so adventurers can either attempt to force it open (DC 32 Strength check) or physically destroy it (hardness 18, 170 hps). A golden plate is set into the face of the door. The writing stamped into it reads in ancient Arnor, "Sealed by the hand of the high priest. Do not defile this door with your touch."
    To either side of the door are recessed alcoves in which skeleton shaped greater stone golems (EL 18) stand. The golems have been ordered to attack anyone they observe touching the doors. Fastened to the backs of the golems are lengths of drooping, heavy-linked chain, which disappear into holes in the wall behind them. When ordered by one of the temple priests the golems would use these chains to pull open the doors. They also conveniently prevent the golems from pursuing anyone more than 20 feet down the corridor (unless, of course, the golem succeeds a DC 30 Strength check to break the chains from the wall).
    Area 13: Flooded Statuary Room This chamber is the source of all the water that is flooding the lower chambers of the temple. An underground river runs not far from here and the earth outside of the temple is saturated with water that has, over the many centuries, eroded away the stone and seeped through cracks. Much of this chamber has since collapsed and thus, besides water, there is a great deal of broken stone. Among the ruins are also parts of statues which use to reside in this room.
    Before the flooding, while the temple was still in regular use, martyrs who failed to become avatars of Qo where immortalized by having their body turned to stone and set as a statue in this room and also in area 15. Digging through the rubble can turn up parts of a masterworked suite of rusty full plate, a rusty masterworked greatsword or two, a crested silver helmet, a suit of ornamented but damaged banded mail, holy symbols of Qo, and other bits of treasure that may have survived exposure to water for centuries.
    Area 14: The Shadow Door (16 greater shadows, EL 16) An opaque wall of darkness fills the corridor here. When the chamber at the end of the hallway had been filled with statues of dead martyrs the high priest of the temple decided to seal off the passage so that none could access the area beyond. In addition to the door that was built, the priest summoned numerous greater shadows and bound them into the shape of a wall. Creatures who attempt to pass through the darkness are repelled and automatically take 1d8 points of Strength damage. The wall is impervious to physical damage, but it can be harmed by some magic. A heal spell or cure wounds spell will cause damage to the wall. A disintegrate spell will destroy the bonds which hold the greater shadows in place, causing them to immediately attack. The wall has 200 hit points, after which point the magics which hold the greater shadows in place fail and they are set free to attack.
    The physical door which separates this area from area 17 has rusted from its hinges and now rests amidst the other rubble in area 17.
    Area 15: Flooded Statuary Room This flooded chamber contains twelve statues of deceased martyrs who perished when their bodies were pierced by the three thorns of Qo in an attempt to incarnate the avatar of Qo. Their broken bodies were set in a regal pose, turned to stone, decorated with any armor or possessions they prized, and set in this chamber as an example for other zealots to admire. The water has rusted much of the metal armor and weapons possessed by these statues. Fancy clothing, cloaks, and the like have long since rotted away. There are still a variety of valuable items though which have resisted the ravages of time, if an adventurer is willing to take the time to clean away the encrusted grime that disguises their value.
    Treasure: A three pointed gold crown with serpentine and topaz stones inset (2,300gp), a silver amulet in the shape of a beetle (450gp), a mithral sceptre with a large pearl set in its pommel (4,250gp), a +2 enchanted longsword, a helm of comprehend languages stylized as a grinning skull. Removing any of these items from the statues incurs the wrath of a lurking shadurakul canomorph (EL 11) that was set as a guardian of the chamber.
    Area 16: Flooded Staircase A ten-foot wide staircase descends down from here into murky, brackish water. The door at the top of the staircase is a heavy, unornamented iron door (hardness 10, 60 hp, Open Lock DC 30, break DC 28) which is locked.
    Area 17: The Grand Hall Unless the explorers of this chamber have lowered the water level, then this room is entirely flooded from floor to ceiling due to the collapse of area 13. A dim and flickering, torch-like illumination comes from somewhere buried among the rubble that covers the floor.
    This unusually large chamber is roughly one-hundred twenty feet long on a side. Eight massive pillars, each twenty feet thick, hold up the eighty foot high ceiling of the room. Sixty feet from the floor, at the northeast side of the room is a balcony set sixty feet high.
    Along the center of the room, northwest to southeast and through the center columns a great pile of rubble is piled up upon the floor. This is where there once was a bridge, thirty feet above the floor, that joined the two side passages of the room. Residents could travel across the room from area 15 to area 13 by traversing this bridge, aided by the passages cut through the central columns of the chamber. Now the bridge lays in ruin and from the walls above it jut shattered remains of its starting points, thirty feet above the ground.
    At the back of the room, to the northwest, there is a slightly recessed set of massive double doors, crafted from sturdy iron and thickly plated with gold. Anyone approaching the door feels an instinctual need to stay far away from it and that a deadly, evil menace that lurks just beyond it. A powerful antipathy (Sor/Wiz 8th, heightened to 9th, CL 25th) repels all creatures that would dare approach the door. The walls about the door are stylized with a relief that strongly suggests tentacles reaching out from around the door and creeping along the neighboring walls. The door face is dominated by a massive devil-hound relief which leers darkly towards the room and watches everything in the chamber with its two gouged out eye sockets. Above it, in hammered mithral are several infernal letters which read, "The Hunter."
    The door exiting this room to area 13 has fallen from its rusted hinges and rests on the floor of the grand hall. The door exiting towards area 15 is still sealed; a thick iron door with a horned demon depicted on either side. The four doors which access this room are controlled by a mechanism in the center of the room. The mechanism failed on the northeast door long ago, allowing cultists access to this chamber and since water destroyed the door at area 14 it too is non-functional. However, the door to area 15 is still operational. In the center pillar there are five levers. Four of them are arranged as corners of a square and they correspond to the corner pillars of the room. The remaining lever is placed in the center of the other four, it is the action lever. Proper operation of the levers is as follows: pull the two levers neighboring the door which is to be opened and then pull the center lever. This causes heavy chains to audibly move within those two columns and remove the heavy stones which prevent the target door from opening. Following this procedure will open the door to area 15. Correctly following the procedure to open the door at area 14 or to area 4 has no effect (though there is the sound of moving chains from the two corresponding pillars). Relocking a door is as simple as releasing the central lever from its open position. Opening the door to area 18 requires that all other doors be "closed", otherwise the operation fails as detailed below.
    Failing to follow the above procedure causes a release of electrical energy to course through the central lever and arch to the other four, electrifying anyone who stands in the central pillar for 10d6 points of damage. If the room is flooded then anyone within 30 feet suffers the same fate. The chains which hold open the door locking mechanisms reset on a failed attempt.
Advanced Bone Walker    (EL 18)
Neutral Large Construct
Init +8 (+6 Dex)
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AC 32 (-1 size, +8 Dex, +15 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 24
hp 210 (30HD)
Fort +10 Ref +21 Will +10
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Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee 4 claws +33 melee (1d8+11/17-20)
Special Atk rend 2d8+16
Base Atk +33 grapple +37
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Abilities Str 33, Dex 24, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Special Qualities construct traits, magic immunity, fast repairing 10, DR 15/adamantine

    Waiting among the rubble is an ancient war-machine left to guard this room; a 30 HD bone walker. It unhesitatingly attacks anyone who comes within reach of it. Strewn about the floor of the room are the treasures of its past conquests, most of which are damaged by being submerged in water for centuries. Searching among the rubble reveals the following treasure: 430 platinum coins, 8342 gold coins, 14,503 silver coins, 7,420 copper coins, a wand of ghoul touch (l2, cl3, 47 charges, 4,230 gp), a mighty cleaving bastard sword +2 which sheds light in a 20-foot radius as a torch (18,335 gp), a white and red onyx (85 gp), a pearl (779 gp), a large green peridot (585 gp), a pale green ioun stone (20,000 gp), a dice set made of carved malachite (280 gp), and a platinum calendar medallion with fiery yellow corundum gemstone (1,692 gp).
    Area 18: The Sepulcher of Abarat The door to this chamber is locked and warded as detailed in area 17. When opened a stale, rot infested wind is blown out like a great breath, extinguishing any torches and strangely dimming all magical light to half its normal radius. If area 17 is still flooded, the waters of it do not pass into this room as though held by an invisible wall. The passage beyond is unlike others of this complex. it is oval-shaped and winds with irregular humps downward. This is actually the neck of the great demon-hound that trespassers are traveling through, at its end is a strangely shaped chamber in whose sunken recesses are ancient and evil treasures, the bounty claimed by Abarat while it still walked the world of mortals. Set in the center of the twenty-five foot long chamber that is the upended skull of the du'kur demon-hound is a large ring that has been affixed to the floor. A hole has been drilled into the floor beneath the ring, suitable in
Threepart Relic of Abarat: the Ring
This adamantine ring, if wrested from the floor where it has been affixed, is suitable in size for a large creature, however it will resize to fit any wearer of evil alignment. Its surface is plain, but slightly translucent and shadows can be seen raging within.
    The ring is a relic and it is indestructible. When an evil being wears the ring it is granted a +2 profane bonus to its caster level. This bonus stacks with the similar bonus granted by the other relic parts. A non-evil being which picks up the ring suffers 3d8+5 points of damage as it burns and causes wounding lesions to open all over the offending creature's body. The wounds continue to form, causing further damage until the ring is dropped and the wounds are attended to with a successful heal check. The wearer of this ring gains the power to expend undead turning/rebuking attempts to rebuke evil outsiders. A wearer who cannot already turn/rebuke undead is able to use this ability once per day as though they were a cleric of the same character level.
size for the rod portion of the threepart relic to be inserted. Setting the crystal in the claw of the rod and then inserting its other end into this hole is the catalyst for releasing the powerful fiend known as Abarat, the Hunter.
    When Abarat is released there is a powerful earthquake that shakes the entire complex and a loud, triumphant roar can be heard through the stone above as the great demon hunter appears on the top of the cairn hill among the rib bones of its fallen steed. Adventurers who return to the surface may get there just in time to witness the rib-bones burning with bright green flames that lick high into the sky, and to do battle with the demon which is eager to shed some blood after thousands of years of imprisonment.
    Exactly what treasures reside here and what Abarat is up to the GM. In the Ashes of Arend, Abarat was a gargantuan demon with the stats of a geltutoog incasos and the following treasures were found:
    Art: An idol of Qo holding six symbols of other evil gods, one in each hand, and children begging and grasping upwards from its feet, made of jet (400 gp); A two ton brass idol of a massive wolf-like creature with a city build upon its back (1,000 gp); A black opal pendant on a fine gold chain (1,305gp); a black star sapphire pendant on a chain of three twisted silver cords (835 gp), a black, impassive humanoid mask made of velvet and with numerous citrines (130 gp); a brass mug with inlaid jade (575gp); a bone statuette depicting a sacrificial ceremony in progress on a generic alter (80gp); a carved harp of exotic wood with ivory inlay and zircon gems (650 gp); a ceremonial silver dagger with a star ruby in its pommel (1000gp); a ceremonial silver dagger with an emerald set in its pommel and a forked serpentine tongue shaped blade (1450gp); Cloth of gold vestments with ancient symbols of prosperity woven in with platinum thread (110gp); a silver bodice pin, floral in design (100gp); an embroidered and bejeweled set of exotic leather gloves with cats printed up the finger tips (3,220gp); a golden dragon scale carved into a dragon shaped comb with a red garnet eye (650 gp); an intricate ivory ankle chain with smiling jester faces carved within (1340gp); an ivory statuette of a warrior leaning on his sword (40 gp); a large silver cloak pin with a griffon design (702gp); a marble statuette, 12 inches tall, of a paladin of Idara, with golden armor (4150gp); a miniature scale castle carved from jade (280gp); an old masterpiece painting of a comedic event (1335gp) and a painting of a battle showing the Fall of Caerilon (950gp); an ornamental silver ink pot with jet gems (110 gp); a pen and quill set, wrought of silver, showing devas swallowing sword blades (680gp); a pewter beer stein, 12 inches tall, gold plated with hunting scenes (101 gp); a silver and gold lock and key (205gp); a silver chalice with lapis lazuli gems (78gp); a silver comb with small sapphires and an oceanic theme (95gp); a silver coronet encrusted with gems (3,675gp); a set of silver dice with aquamarine pips (1,085gp); a set of silver earrings with complex wrought loops (97gp); a silver earring of a fox chasing its tail (20 gp); a silver plated longsword with an iolite jewel in the hilt (875gp); a silver-plated steel gorget chased with stellar designs (100gp); a noble's gold colored cloak pin with fancy edging (600gp); a small gold statuette of a maiden on a unicorn (70 gp); a small provocative painting depicting dancing satyrs (425gp); a chain of silver and gold links (310gp); an idol of a giant rat gorging itself and devouring many corpses at once (1090gp); a simple platinum arm band (960gp); a pair of wrought silver and gold collars (1090gp for both); and 38,291 gold pieces worth of various ancient coins.
    Magic Items: A potion of glibness (500gp); an oil of magic circle against chaos [book of eldrich might] (750gp); a ring of deflection +5 (50,000 gp); a ring of regeneration (90,000gp); a proteus rod [relics & rituals 1] (81,000gp); an arcane scroll with the following spells scribed onto it: dream travel [manual of the planes], firebrand [magic of faerun], and project image; a staff of eyes with 38 charges [magic of faerun (26,372gp); a staff of power with 4 charges (16,000gp); a staff of spirits [relics & rituals] with 2 charges (744gp); a staff of the woodlands with 29 charges (52,200gp); a +3 bastard sword of acidic burst [magic of faerun] (50,335gp); demon's bane [Encyclopaedia Arcane: Demonology] (25,000gp); a cube of force (62,000gp); a gate amulet that malfunctions and causes its activator to be surrounded by the effects of the target plane for 1 round; a manual of gainful exercise +3; Vengaurak's Mask [relics & Rituals] (87,000gp).