THE LAST BASTION OF THE PYROKAI

by Ryan Staake

"The Last Bastion of the Pyrokai" is a combined wilderness and dungeon adventure for the AD&D game system. The first part is a trek through the desert during which the party is hounded by a rival group of adventurers. The second part is the exploration of a bizarre and mysterious temple. This adventure is best suited for six diverse characters of eight to ten levels of experience (about 50-55 total levels) with a good sense of humor. New items are explained at the end of the adventure.

To play this adventure you will need to download the file PYROKAI.ZIP. This file contains bitmap graphics of all the necessary DM and player aids. There are two player aids and two DM aids included. Player Aid 1 (PLAYAID1.BMP) and DM Aid 1 (DMAID1.BMP) show the route to the Temple of the Pyrokai. Player Aid 2 (which is included at the end of the adventure) is a list of hints on how to survive in the Temple. DM Aid 2 (which has two parts, DMAID2A.BMP and DMAID2B.BMP) is a map of the Temple.

Starting the adventure

This adventure starts in a town called Hedjazi, population 1200. The town is a busy trade center that can be located in the desert of any game world. The PCs have recently arrived in Hedjazi as guards of a merchant caravan. They have just been paid and are traveling through a run-down section of town when something unexpected happens.

(NOTE: All text that is to be read to the characters will be indented from the main body of the text, in the same manner as the following paragraph.)

After being paid a hefty chunk of money for guarding a merchant caravan through the desert wastes, your adventuring party has found itself in the bustling town of Hedjazi. You are trying to find a place to squander some of your new- found wealth when a man comes stumbling around the corner, gasping for breath. He spots your group, drops a scroll in front of you, and utters the word "Balthazar." He then falls to the ground. You can see a silver knife protruding from his back.

Before the PCs can do anything else, two more men come running around the corner. As soon as they see the PCs, they change direction and run off into the shadows. They seem to disappear without a trace, and the PCs never saw their faces, leaving no clues as to why the man was murdered. (Actually, the men escaped with the use of a rope of climbing extended to an upper window of a two-story building.) These men are Antipholus and Dromio, a couple of rogues with whom the PCs will tangle later. It is Dromio's silver throwing knife that found its mark in the dead man's back. The murderers had been pursuing the man for some time and finally caught up with him here.

The man is clearly dead. If the party casts speak with dead, the man can only reveal that his master Balthazar sent him to retrieve the scroll and that he was attacked without warning. He does not know who his attackers were. The scroll is covered with incomprehensible runes which no party member can translate. The only clue, if speak with dead is not cast, is the name Balthazar. If anyone asks around, or if the body is taken to the authorities, the party finds out that Balthazar is the name of a well-known local sage who only helps those worthy of his expertise.

Arranging a meeting with Balthazar is not easy. When the PCs arrive at his fancy (and well-guarded) adobe house in the upper-class district of Hedjazi, they discover a long line of people waiting to see him. Regardless of what the PCs say to the guards, they will be told simply to wait in line. If the party waits in line, it is over an hour before a well-dressed servant comes out and tells everyone that Balthazar is not seeing anyone else today. If the PCs talk to the servant and tell him about the scroll or the body, they will be ushered in immediately. Otherwise, they will have to wait until the next morning to see Balthazar.

Characters who insist on assaulting the house or trying to sneak in will be dealt with severely. Balthazar has a well-trained ten-man security force patrolling his property, and the city guard headquarters are right down the street. Six rounds after combat begins, a six-man patrol of the city guard comes to investigate. The PCs will probably be treated quite harshly.

Balthazar's Guards (10): INT average; AL LG; AC 5; MV 12; HD 3; hp 20; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg 1-8; SZ M; ML 16; scimitar, splint mail.

Town Guard Patrol (5): INT average; AL LG; AC 5; MV 12; HD 4; hp 15; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-8 or 1-6; SZ M; ML 15; scimitar, shortbow, splint mail.

Town Guard Captain: INT above average; AL LG; AC 4; MV 12; HD 4 ; hp 28; THAC0 17 ; #AT 1; Dmg 2-7 or 1-6; SZ M; ML 17; handaxe +1, shortbow, splint mail, shield.

Once the PCs gain entrance to the house, they are introduced to Balthazar, an old, grandfatherly man wearing long, red robes. When he is shown the scroll, he examines it for a few moments. He has been searching for this scroll for a long time. The man that was murdered in the alley, his personal assistant, was sent to find it long ago. Balthazar had feared that something like this may have happened. If the body is not already here, Balthazar demands that the PCs bring it to him. Balthazar then asks the party to tell him everything they know about this situation. When this is done, Balthazar sits the adventurers down and tells them his story.

"Twenty years ago, I encountered a man who came out of the desert babbling deliriously about a temple in the mountains full of unimaginable treasures. Being the adventurous sort that I was back then, I traveled with the man to this mountain temple. All that was left of it was a mound of smoldering rubble and a few blackened relics. I took these relics, gave the man a few gold pieces for his help, and took the artifacts home to examine them.

"I discovered that they were decorated with images of great storms destroying whole nations with thunder and lightning. After extensive research I made a connection between the relics and the Pyrokai, an ancient lightning-worshipping cult of megalomaniacal wizards that supposedly no longer existed. The apparent destruction of a Pyrokai temple and the possibility that the cult still existed intrigued me. I spent years searching for other evidence. I became consumed with a need to find any remnants of the cult. I found none, and in the meantime, my wife had left me. She was unwilling to take second place to my all- consuming quest. I finally gave up. But I still had one problem: one of my servants had never returned from a search for a scroll I had sought. That is, until today. The man who was murdered was that servant. He has ended my search and has given me the information I have sought for so long. It saddens me deeply that he had to pay for it with his life."

Balthazar looks down at the scroll. "This scroll tells the exact location of the last remaining Pyrokai temple and hints at the dangers and treasures that remain within. If you will travel to this temple and retrieve for me any artifacts marked with the emblem of a lightning bolt, I will award you 1000 gold pieces each, in addition to any treasure you find. I will also outfit you with all necessary supplies ."

If the PCs refuse, Balthazar begs them to reconsider. If they will not do it for the money, he asks that they do it for the sake knowledge, or to make his servant's death meaningful, or to heal some of the emotional wounds of a broken-hearted old man. As far as compensation, the price can be negotiated as high as 1500 gp each, but it will take quite a bit of effort, as Balthazar is very stubborn. If the PCs agree to his terms, the next day Balthazar gives them Player Aids 1 and 2, the directions to the temple and the helpful hints for exploring the temple. Both of these were made hastily by Balthazar after studying the scroll. He suggests that the best route to take would be to head straight north until reaching the cliff, and follow the cliff face east until the temple is found. Balthazar also mentions that the seemingly nonsensical advice given by the scroll seems uncharacteristic of the Pyrokai.

When the PCs are finally ready to leave, Balthazar is there to see them off. He seems preoccupied. If asked about what is on his mind, he says he is worried about the killers of his servant. He believes that another group is also after the Pyrokai treasures. He advises the characters to be very careful.

Balthazar: AL NG; AC 10; MV 9; M10; hp 24; THAC0 17 ; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4; S 8, D 11, C 10, I 18, W 17, Ch 15; ML 11; dagger.

Balthazar has no spells memorized. It's too much of a bother and he rarely uses them anyway.

The Shady Characters

Balthazar is right. Someone else is trying to get their hands on the artifacts. Four men, two of whom were seen the night before in the deserted alley, are determined to stop the party from making it to the temple. They want to keep the artifacts for themselves. These men, who call themselves the Foul Four, have been chasing Balthazar's servant since he found the scroll, and have been following the PCs since they met with Balthazar. An informant within Balthazar's household made a copy of the map to the temple for this group. They set out in the middle of the night and plan to make the journey through the desert a bit harder for the party. Their names are Antipholus, Dromio, Aegeon, and Lysander. They are unprincipled shysters who will do anything to reach their goals.

Antipholus is a fighter of dark complexion and a master of combat tactics. He has a short trimmed beard and dresses in dark-colored clothing. He is the leader of the group and tends to intimidate the other members. In combat, he will always attack the toughest opponent, but he is not suicidal. If the battle starts to go against him, he won't hesitate to retreat or even surrender if necessary.

Antipholus: AL CN; AC 2; MV 9; F7; hp 56; THAC0 14; #AT 3/2; Dmg 5-12 or 1- 6; S 18/25, D 13, C 14, I 15, W 11, Ch 10; ML 15.

He wears field plate and carries a shield. He carries a longbow and 20 arrows +1, a long sword +1, a potion of superheroism, 45 gp, 24 cp, and a large golden hoop earring (50 gp).

Dromio is an agile thief with shifty eyes, light complexion, and dusty blond hair. This thief is an expert at traps and ambushes. He is a coward in combat, but is quite intelligent and not easy to fool. Dromio's former employer was an unscrupulous baron in a nearby province who employed him as a spy. He is only tracking the artifacts for the money he can get for selling them.

Dromio: AL CN; AC 4; MV 12; T7; hp 28; THAC0 17 ; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6 or 1-3; SA thief abilities; S 12, D 17, C 9, I 12, W 13, Ch 11; ML 6.

He wears studded leather armor, wields a short sword and has a rope of climbing and four silver throwing knives hidden in various places in his clothing. He carries a small silver coin engraved with magically lit elven runes (worth 50 gp) that he is constantly fiddling with, 105 gp, and 27 sp.

Aegeon is a burly long-bearded cleric with knowledge of the Pyrokai. He has a long scar running from his ear to his chin. This cleric prefers fine silk and expensive garments. He wants the artifacts to attempt to tap into their power, but is not above selling them if necessary to maintain his extravagant lifestyle. Aegeon can be a heartless killer if anything stands between him and his goals.

Aegeon: AL NE; AC 5; MV 12; C7; hp 41; THAC0 16 ; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6; SZ M; SA spells: cause light wounds, cause fear, bless; hold person, spiritual hammer, speak with animals; cause blindness, cause disease; sticks to snakes; S 15, D 12, C 15, I 12, W 16, Ch 9; ML 16.

He wears chainmail and also carries a snake staff, and a mace at his belt. His beard is clasped with a sapphire fastener (145 gp) holding it together. He has two 250 gp pearls in his pouch.

Lysander is a scrawny red-haired wizard who likes to show off his magical powers. He has an annoying, squeaky voice, and only joined the group to improve his image. Lysander could care less about the artifacts. He is very self-conscious, and a bit conservative in battle, but if backed into a corner, he becomes a potent foe.

Lysander: AL CN; AC 7; MV 12; M7; hp 16; THAC0 18 ; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4; SZ M; SA spells: burning hands, detect magic, magic missile, shield; darkness 15' radius, detect invisibility, mirror image; fireball, phantasmal force; polymorph self; S 8, D 15, C 7, I 18, W 15, Ch 10; ML 11 (15 when cornered).

Lysander wears a red cloak with a golden phoenix pattern on it (45 gp), a ring of protection +1, and he also walks with an ornate iron-capped staff. He has a dagger at his belt, two magical scrolls (#1 magic missile, #2 mirror image), and a pouch containing 10 pp and 25 cp.

The Unforgiving Desert

The party travels 30-35 miles per day on their camels (provided by Balthazar). It is approximately 100 miles to the temple, depending on the route taken, which means that it should take the party about 3 days. There are four set encounters that occur at specified locations. In addition, either of the following minor encounters may be added at any point during the journey to the temple or on the return trip:

1. The PCs awake to find themselves surrounded by a tribe of female warriors. They will gladly talk to any females in the group, but are haughty and rude to all males. They are low on water but are too proud to ask for it, so they demand that the party turn over all of theirs. Smooth talking or magical displays on the part of the party will encourage the Amazons to ask only for enough water to make it to the next watering hole, which will leave the party enough for their journey. If the PCs choose to fight, they are in for a tough one.

Amazon Warriors (29): INT average; AL LN; AC 6; MV 12; F1; hp 6; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6; SZ M; ML 18; leather armor, small shield, short sword.

Hippolyta (Amazon Leader): INT above average; AL LN; AC 4; MV 12; F3; hp 19; THAC0 18 ; #AT 1; Dmg 2-8; SZ M; ML 19; chainmail, shield, silver-plated broadsword, riding horse.

2. The party comes across the ruins of a fallen tower. It has long since been looted, but a gelatinous cube still resides there. It will attack anything that comes near it. The treasure found within the cube consists of 9 gp and a ring of mind shielding.

Gelatinous Cube: INT above average; AL N; AC 8; MV 6; HD 4; hp 21; THAC0 17 ; #AT 1; Dmg 2-8; SA paralysis; SD immune to cold and lightning; SZ M; ML 20.

The numbers of the following encounters refer to the numbers on DM Aid 1.

1. This is the first attempt on the PCs' lives.

You are approximately 20 miles north of town when you come across a strange scene. Dozens of camels are huddled together in the middle of this flat, nondescript section of the desert. They seem to be trying to get closer to some unknown object. Camels are not known to behave in this way.

This is an ingenious trap built by Dromio from a natural sinkhole. The camels are drawn to this place by the smell of a special herb, which is positioned over a concealed pit. If the camels are dispersed by the characters, the reduction in weight over the pit pulls a lever which sets the trap. Now, if the characters come within 10' of the herb, the ground will cave in, taking two randomly selected PCs with it. The circular pit is 20' deep and 30' in diameter. The pit bottom is soft and sandy therefore the damage is only 2-8 per PC. It contains two hungry giant scorpions, which immediately attack. To force these beasts into the pit, Dromio had to remove their poison stingers (but the PCs won't know this.) They have no treasure. The herb is of a type unknown to the players, and it will wilt and decay before an expert can examine it. This trap is proof that the party is up against some clever enemies.

Giant Scorpion (2): INT animal; AL N; AC 3; MV 15; HD 5+5; hp 19, 21; THAC0 15; #AT 2 pincers/1 sting; Dmg 1-10/1-10/1-4; SZ M; ML 18.

2. This encounter shows a little sample of how powerful the Pyrokai were at their height.

You have been traveling through this rocky part of the desert for too long. The shadows cast by the looming rocks make the hairs on the backs of your necks stand on end. Every rock looks the same, and you are beginning to feel lost. But now you can see a tall, thin object coming into sight in the distance. As you get closer, you can see that it is an smooth ebony obelisk, inscribed with pictographs of mighty thunderstorms. It seems quite out of place in the middle of a desert.

Any PC who goes around to the other side of the obelisk finds a scorched humanoid body. It seems that he was electrocuted in some way. If speak with the dead is cast, the real story is revealed (if the right questions are asked). When he passed here with the Foul Four (he was a porter), he tried to examine the obelisk and it killed him with a lethal blast of energy. His companions, seeing the PCs in the distance, took his belongings and abandoned him, hurrying to location 3 on DM Aid 1. They are careful to cover their tracks so the party can't follow them. Anyone that touches the obelisk takes 6-36 points of damage (as does anything else within 5' of it) from a blast of brilliant blue lightning. A save vs. death ray will halve the damage.

3. The Foul Four will attempt an ambush here, along with half a dozen nomad archers.

According to your map, the lost temple is less than 20 miles away. You can see the mammoth cliffs looming in the distance. Still, you feel unsettled by the odd shadows cast by the irregular rock formations, and you have a sense that someone is watching you as you pass through a narrow gorge.

The cliffs are 20' high, and there is a 10' gap between them. If the PCs go any farther forward, each person must make a saving throw vs. death ray or be hit by falling rocks for 2-12 points of damage (courtesy of Dromio's trap-building skills).

Antipholus and three archers are on one side of the ravine, and Aegeon, Lysander, and the other three archers are on the other. Combat occurs in this order: While Aegeon cast sticks to snakes on a bundle of sticks the group was carrying for just this purpose, Lysander casts a phantasmal force of a Pyrokai wizard hurling fireballs at the PCs from further along the path.. If this doesn't fool them or scare them off, Antipholus and the archers fire their longbows at random targets and Lysander and Aegeon cast their high level offensive spells. The group tries to avoid melee if possible. It would take three rounds to climb to the top of the 20' cliffs upon which the archers are standing, during which time the PCs would be vulnerable to hostile fire. If the party reaches the top of the cliff, the brigands will make their stand there.

Dromio ran away just before the combat (he devised a better way to get his hands on the artifacts), but the PCs will see him again. If anyone else fails a morale check and decides to flee, their standing plan is to meet up at a predesignated spot in Hedjazi. They will plot to ambush the characters if and when they return from the temple. A search of the bodies turns up all of the items already mentioned and a map similar to the one made by Balthazar. Tied up several yards away are the camels of Aegeon, Antipholus and Lysander; Dromio has already ridden away on his.

Nomad Archers (6): INT average; AL N; AC 7; MV 12; F1; hp 6 each; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6 or 1-8; SZ M; ML 15; leather armor, longbow, scimitar, 2-20 cp.

4. The PCs finally arrive at the temple.

A spectacular sight can be seen in the distance. Towering cliffs loom majestically over this especially sandy part of the desert. At some points the cliffs are hundreds of feet tall. Halfway up the side of the precipice is a smaller cliff, upon which you can see the gleam of gold.

Before the PCs can climb the cliff, they are attacked by an immature purple worm that was hiding under the sand. It attacks a randomly selected character. Four rounds later, another one arrives and joins in. If the PCs enter the worms' tunnels, their treasure can be found: 1750 cp, 1000 sp, 500 ep, a silver dagger studded with emeralds (worth 750 gp), and a small opal (worth 600 gp).

Immature Purple Worm (2): INT non; AL N; AC 7; MV 9; HD 6; hp 33, 31; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg 2-12/1-4; SA swallow target; SZ M; ML 15.

If the PCs try to climb the cliff, they find a narrow trail winding up the cliffside that will lead them to location 1 on DM Aid 2.

The Temple of the Pyrokai

As the PCs explore the temple, Dromio will be following them. He hopes to pick up any treasure the party misses, but will let them face all of the dangers. He is also mapping the temple in case he returns here. There is a 10% chance per turn that someone in the party will notice that someone is following them. If Dromio is discovered, he will feign innocence and pretend to be a lone adventurer. He will ask to join the party, but he will not fight in combat. If threatened, he spills his guts and tells the party everything he knows. Dromio will not follow the party down the pit trap in area 28; instead, he will continue along the passage, eventually becoming trapped in the grab grass in area 41B.

All walls, floors and ceilings are made of large stone blocks and are in need of repair; all ceilings are 10' high unless otherwise specified. There are empty sconces every 20' on both walls. It seems that they were constructed to carry 6" diameter globes (all are empty when found). All traps, once sprung, will automatically reload after 24 hours. All dart and swinging blade traps fire or swing at a height of three feet, unless otherwise stated.

The following optional encounters may be added:

1. The party encounters 1-6 fire rats, a magical creation of the temple's inhabitants. These rats seem to glow and crackle with static electricity. With any successful hit on a rat, the attacking character suffers 1 point of electric shock damage. These rats are hungry and will attack on sight. They were once the wizards' pets and still have tiny sapphire amulets around their necks (value 5 gp each).

Giant Fire Rat (1-6): INT animal; AL N; AC 6; MV 12; HD 1/2; hp 3; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4; SZ S; ML 13. These rats do not carry any diseases.

2. The characters come across a group of eight zombies dressed in tattered blue and yellow robes covered with embroidered lightning bolts. They seem to be moving around in a circle and chanting. If the party waits and watches, the chanting will go on indefinitely. If a cleric tries to turn them, the attempt will be unsuccessful and the zombies notice the party. After one round of combat, one of the zombies casts a spell at a randomly selected character. A bolt of lightning erupts from his hands, narrowly missing the character and ricocheting off the wall to hit a randomly selected zombie, who is immediately incinerated. The zombies stop fighting, look at each other, and run away. These were former Pyrokai that were turned into mindless zombies by wild experiments.

Zombies Mages (8): INT non; AL N; AC 8; MV 6; HD 2; hp 6; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-8; SZ M; ML 20. No spells are memorized (due to their lack of minds).

The following numbered encounters refer to the numbers on DM Aid 2.

1. The Riddle

As you mount the top of the cliff, you are disappointed to discover that the gleam you saw was not gold, but bronze. There are four huge bronze doors set into the side of the cliff, surrounded by stylized bas-relief carvings of thunderstorms. The doors are 25' tall and 10' wide. From left to right, the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 are engraved into the doors. There is also a large brass plaque above the doors with a riddle:

Add up the lifespans of the following three:

An Elf, a Dwarf, a Halfling -- plus me.

Divide the total by Five-Seven-Three

And walk through the door numbered by thee.

The senile wizard who created this riddle thought he was quite clever. Adding the average lifespan of an elf (550 years), a dwarf (350 years), and a halfling (150 years) comes out to be 1050. Adding the age of the wizard (96; this is the meaning of Hint #2 on Player Aid 1) makes the total 1146. Divide it by 573 and your answer is door number 2. (I suggest an experience point bonus for anyone who actually figures this riddle out.) The doors swing open easily, and swing shut behind the party just as easily.

2. The Key

If the party searches for secret doors at the entrance to this chamber, they automatically find a way in.

As you enter this room, it becomes apparent that it has not been used for quite some time. The interior has a musty odor which make it uncomfortable to breathe. The room is bare except for a dusty blue velvet pillow in the middle of the room with an ornate key lying upon it.

Lying on the pillow in the center of the room is a bronze key. The key was used unlock the huge bronze doors in area 1, but the locks no longer work. This chamber was created so the absent-minded wizards would have an extra key to get in, just in case they lost the first one, sort of like keeping one under the doormat.

3. Spider Lair (Door 1)

You have doubts about whether this was indeed the right door. There is no light source except your own, and what is illuminated you do not care for. Layer upon layer of spider webs are visible in this cold room. A strong scent of decay meets your nostrils. You are just starting to ponder what creatures could possibly make webs this large when a black shape drops from the ceiling.

The black shape is a giant spider. It surprises the party on a roll of 1-3 on d6. Its treasure is hidden in a dark corner of the room: 55 cp, 42 gp, and a small marble statuette of a spellcasting wizard (worth 50 gp and weighing 50 cn) in a leather pouch.

Spider, Giant: INT low; AL CE; AC 5; MV 3, 12 in webs; HD 4+4; hp 21; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg 2-8 + special; SA poison; SZ M; ML 15.

4. Trap (Door 3)

The first party member to enter this dark room is flung up to the 20' ceiling and then dropped back to the ground for 4-24 points of damage (thanks to a magical reverse gravity effect). There is a very battered ogre skeleton in one corner of the room. This room was occasionally used by very powerful mages to show their hardiness (any wizard who survived this magical effect was greatly revered by his fellow mages).

5. Trap (Door 4)

This room is a bit dangerous and there is little to gain by entering. The PCs see piles of human bones in moth-eaten clothes on the floor. If the party insists on entering, each character who enters triggers 2 darts traps (THAC0 19, Dmg. 1-3 each) and a swinging blade trap (THAC0 15, Dmg. 1-8). A total of six dart traps and three swinging blade traps are set around this chamber, and they all reset after one hour (which explains the presence of so many corpses. There is a lightning-bolt-shaped blue topaz, worth 350 gp, wrapped in moldy cloth in a pouch at the bottom of the stinking pile of corpses.

6. Entryway

The walls of this corridor are decorated with carvings of huge thunderstorms destroying entire civilizations. There is nothing else here.

7. Meeting Room

This chamber seems to have once been a large meeting room. There is a long oak table in the center surrounded by ten high-backed armchairs. A fallen copper chandelier is lying on top of the table. The tips of each candle still glow with a faint magical light. There is also a large iron chest in the northwest corner. Suddenly, without warning, a large shape overturns the table and lunges at you.

The shape is a magically altered carrion crawler. The Pyrokai somehow gave it the power to breathe lightning, like a blue dragon. It can only do this once a day, and it will be its first attack. The lightning bolt has a range of 10' and does damage equal to the current hit point total of the crawler (save vs. dragon breath for half damage), but only affects one person. The creature fights to the death. The chest contains 200 gp, the remains of the wizards' depleted expense account. The candles are each lit with a continual light spell.

Lightning Crawler: INT non; AL N; AC 3/7; MV 12; HD 3+1; hp 17; THAC0 17; #AT 8 tentacles or 1 breath; Dmg paralysis or special; SA lightning breath, range 10'; SZ M; ML 20.

8. Kitchen

In the center of this wide room there is a fire pit full of ashes over which there is a rusty spit. The tiled floor is coated with a thick layer of grime. There is a small smokehole in the ceiling, but it is blocked by debris, which explains why the walls of this room and the hallway leading to it are coated with soot. In the corner there is a large white metal cabinet. On either side of this there are several other cabinets.

The white cabinet is magically cooled and functions like a modern day freezer. If the party wants to take this as a souvenir, remind them that it weighs over three hundred pounds. There is nothing else of value here, except some rotten meat on the spit, and a old torn cookbook stuffed into the corner of an otherwise empty cabinet. The recipes call for unusual ingredients, most of them very spicy. The other cabinets are empty.

9. Storage

This room seems to be a storage area. There are a dozen large wooden crates here, all stamped with the symbol of a lightning bolt. There is a noise coming from one of the crates, sort of like a rustling sound. The noise stops as you enter.

Behind the first box the PCs open lies a spitting cobra. About half of the boxes are empty. About a third of the boxes contain moldy remains of foodstuffs. The rest of the boxes contain a total of thirty smaller 10" diameter boxes that each contain one glass globe lit with continual light (they will fit in the sconces on the walls of every corridor). If the party goes through the trouble of opening all of them, a hidden door is accidentally found behind the last one.

Spitting Cobra: INT animal; AL N; AC 7; MV 9; HD 1; hp 5; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-3 + poison; SA spit causes blindness; SZ M; ML 12.

10. Secret Treasure

This small chamber contains only a sturdy metal box lying in the center of the room. The rest of the room is totally bare.

The box is locked (-10% chance to open locks roll) and trapped with a weak poison dart (save vs. poison at +4 or die in 5 rounds). It contains a brilliant ruby (worth 3,000 gp). A horribly destructive trap was planned for this room to kill anyone who tried to get the ruby, but the wizards seem to have forgotten about this room's existence, and thus never carried out their plan.

11. A View To A Kill

This room has three eyeholes in the southern wall, each approximately 15' apart, which look out across the desert and give a splendid view of the surrounding terrain. There is a lever next to the hole on the right, adding some variety to the otherwise vacant room.

If the lever is pulled, several bolts of lightning strike in front of door number 2 and screams are heard. If the PCs look out the southernmost eyehole, they see the charred remains of four orcs. These orcs had seen the PCs climbing the cliff and came to investigate. Unfortunately, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. If the lever is not pulled, the orcs fail to solve the riddle and leave. This device was made to discourage unwanted visitors. It does 6-36 points of damage to all in a 20' radius (save vs. spells for half damage), and will function once per turn.

12. Dead End

Just before the corridor turns to the left there is large blue X on the floor. The wizards would often leave small reminders to themselves of the locations of the traps they had set. Usually, they would paint a large blue X on the floor. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to realize that everyone else could see their "reminders" as well.

Anyone who turns the corner here sets off a dart trap (THAC0 19, Dmg. 1-3) that shoots from a small statuette of a phoenix carved into the south wall.

13. The Great Maze

As you step through the tall oak door you see two huge blue-tinted platinum-plated statues of dragons, positioned on either side of this wide corridor. You sheath your weapons after you realize that they are not attacking. This corridor breaks off to the right and the left, thirty feet ahead from where you are standing.

As the party passes the dragons the door behind them disappears and a booming voice says, "Welcome to the Great Maze!" The door cannot be found now by any means. This maze is magically confusing. Each time a door is opened, roll 1d4 to determine which direction the party thinks they are facing: 1 - West, 2 - North, 3 - East, 4 - South. This effect ends once the party reaches the stairs. Above every door in the maze is a flashing red-and-white "Exit" sign. If the party wants to take the statues back with them they are each worth 100 pp, but they each weigh 900 coins.

14. Danger!

At this point in the hallway, the word DANGER! is scrawled in brown on the floor with an arrow pointing to the descending stairs. As you look closer, you realize that it is dried human blood.

15. An Ominous Message

As you reach the bottom of the stairs you find yourselves knee-deep in eerie purple water. This color is probably caused by the purple moss growing all over the stairs. Next to the stairs, a leather pouch is dangling from a hook. Across from the base of the stairs is a huge bronze plaque, about 10' long by 5' high. Engraved on it are the words, "Here Dwells the Leviathan." An arrow points to the left.

The PCs can go no further from this point without going underwater. This passageway and areas 16-18 are submerged. The purple tint of the water was caused by an experimental purple moss that was planted in this area. The moss was meant to dissolve human flesh, but the result is much different. It allows any character who rubs it on his or her skin to breath water for 3-6 turns. The PCs can gather up to 10 doses of this moss. A side effect of the moss is that it turns the recipient of its magic a deep shade of purple (It fades after 1-10 hours). The pouch contains a small sheet of vellum which says "Rub the moss on yourself to breathe water."

16. The Leviathan

This room contains a creature the PCs cannot possibly defeat: a marine leviathan, an extremely rare creature that only inhabits the deepest oceans. The Pyrokai brought him here at a very young age to be trained as a weapon of war. Fortunately, this leviathan is quite friendly, and even a little scared. He hasn't seen anyone in a long time and is getting lonely. He is only able to survive in this room because small tunnels connect it to a huge underground lake which is full of plankton-like creatures.

As you reach the end of the passageway, you can see that you are at the entrance to an immense chamber lit by globes of magical light. It must be over one thousand feet long and hundreds of feet in width and depth. But its most striking feature by far is the huge worm living in its depths. This beast is nearly as long as the room itself, and you are buffeted by shock waves as this monster brushes against the wall. Strangely, it seems to be shying away from you, almost as if it is scared...

If the PCs don't immediately swim away, the creature gradually inches its way toward them. It is quite playful, and it swims around, trying to entertain its tiny audience. It will not attack unless provoked, and even then it only attacks out of fear. Otherwise, this behemoth is as docile as a small puppy. The PCs can even pet the beast, if they are brave enough. After they have befriended the beast, the PCs can swim to the other passageways.

Marine Leviathan: INT animal; AL N; AC 4; MV 30; HD 70; hp 385; THAC0 1; #AT 1; Dmg 4-40 + special; SA swallow; SD immune to poison, half damage from all weapons and spells, immune to non-damage causing spells; SZ H; ML 16.

The full description of this creature can be found in AC 9, Creature Catalogue.

17. Little Monsters

In this small chamber there are five leviathan eggs. The Pyrokai had plans to breed these creatures to use against their enemies. Unfortunately, the wizards had two problems that they didn't anticipate: how to get the fully-grown creatures out of the temple, and the simple fact that the nearest ocean was hundreds of miles away. The project was abandoned, but the leviathan and the eggs still remain. The leviathan will not allow the eggs to leave this chamber. If they are taken, he will attack the party. Leviathan eggs would be worth several thousand gold pieces on the open market.

18. Air Pocket

At this point, the stairs lead up to a pocket of air in room 19.

19. Hidden Room

This room was intended to be used for some special purpose: the walls are delicately carved with various thunder-and-lightning-related scenes. Apparently, the wizards simply forgot about it, and so it remains unused.

20. A Belated Warning

In the center of this corridor, there is a large imprint in the floor in the shape of a 7' long humanoid footprint. It is filled with murky water.

It is a mystery as to why this footprint is here. Under the surface of the puddle is a young water beetle that was trapped here during a recent flooding of the hallway. A small platinum scroll case, worth 10 gp, hangs from the beetle's neck. Inside it there is a vellum scroll, upon which are the words "BEWARE OF THE WATER BEETLE !!!"

Beetle, Water (Young): INT non; AL N; AC 5; MV 3, 12 swimming; HD 2; hp 13; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 2-12; SZ M; ML 13.

21. Another Trap

A large blue X is painted on the top step of each elaborate staircase. When the party reaches the bottom of either staircase, a trap is triggered which turns both staircases into very smooth slides. Read the following before the staircases turn into slides.

Once you reach the bottom of the staircase, a loud screech resounds in your ears. Suddenly the staircases in front of you and behind you turn into long slides and small holes open up at the top and bottom of each staircase. Water starts gushing from the holes at the top and pouring down each of the smooth slides into the holes at the bottom. A single door is set into the west wall of this corridor. Its large door-knocker is shaped like a boar's head. The eyes of the boar are a swirling mass of ruby mist. Its golden nose-ring is the knocker. The rest of the corridor is bare.

Each time a PC attempts to climb a staircase, there is a 75% chance that he will slide right back to the bottom. A thief can use his Climb Walls percentage to attempt the climb. The room behind the door is empty, but if someone uses the knocker to knock on the door, the stairs return to their original shape. The 6" diameter golden nose-ring knocker is worth 150 gp if removed. The boar's eyes are nothing but a nifty enchantment.

22. Another Fine Mess...

There are two area 22s. Read this when the characters slide down the east mudslide.

After sliding down a stream of hot mud for about 20' you find yourself in a squalid 30 foot square room, the most notable feature being the pool of mud that you are sitting in. Seated on the floor and leaning up against the opposite wall is a two-headed giant dressed in ragged animal furs. He is resting his head on a large wooden club, and appears to be asleep.

The giant is an ettin named Gid who was hired to guard the private stash of one of the Pyrokai. Gid hasn't been paid and hasn't even seen the wizard in a long time, but since he has nowhere to go, he just sits in the mud and sulks. He won't attack unless he is attacked first; since he is no longer being paid, he no longer feels obligated to defend anything. Part of the wizards' treasure is hidden under the mud in a locked metal box: 600 pp and two spell scrolls (each with a fireball spell). It is impossible to climb back up the mud slide.

Read this if the characters slide down the west mudslide.

Hmmm. This room seems just like the last one you found yourself in after falling down a mudslide. There is even another two-headed giant sitting here doing nothing. This one, however, is crying.

This ettin is named Gar, and he is Gid's younger brother. He is crying because he misses his brother and doesn't know where he is. If the PCs can give him directions to the other mudslide room somehow, he will be overjoyed and will rush to get there. He will tell them about the treasure hidden under the mud before he leaves: a small locked box containing six small rubies (150 gp each) and three potions of fire resistance.

23. Art Gallery

This long hall is filled with tapestries depicting great cities being struck by lightning. Each one looks reasonably valuable. The room is lit by some unknown magical light. As you enter the room, it seems as if you are being carried along the floor, very slowly, by some powerful magical force.

The magical force which is conveying the characters will take them to the opposite doorway at a rate of 10' per round. If they do not step off into the next room within 1 round after they reach the opposite end, they will be carried back to their starting point. If detect magic is cast, the floor glows with a faint magical light. The lazy wizards used this to view the tapestries without putting forth much effort. There are eight tapestries. Each is worth 50 gp and weighs 250 cn. Taking down the tapestries will reveal the hidden doors behind them.

24. Again, A Trap

Opening the hidden door behind this tapestry (which is covered by a pattern of blue Xs) sets off a dart trap (THAC0 19, Dmg. 1-3) that is set into a small hole in the wall. Each character must roll under his Intelligence on d20 to realize the significance of the pattern. These traps always seem to pop up where they don't belong. It serves the PCs right for poking their noses into other peoples' property.

25. Useless Guardians

As you enter this chamber, you can see that it is totally bare, with the exception of two stone statues resembling Pyrokai wizards, one at each end of the room. Their eyes seem to follow your every move.

These figures are two rock living statues. These guardians are a bit useless. They don't attack unless they are attacked first, and they don't leave the room. Also, there is nothing of value in this room. Just another mistake of the bumbling Pyrokai wizards.

Statue, Living Rock (2): INT non; AL N; AC 4; MV 6; HD 5; hp 23, 22; THAC0 16; #AT 2; Dmg 2-12/2-12; SZ M; ML 19; SA hot magma.

26. Darkness

As you enter this room, you see... nothing. This room is completely dark. Your light source doesn't even penetrate this darkness.

A powerful continual darkness spell obscures this room. Only a wish can dispel it. If the characters simply walk straight through the room, they will come out safely on the other side. The rough stone walls are very cool to the touch. There is nothing else in this room.

27. Private Rooms

Each of these rooms was privately used by the Pyrokai. Read this description as the party enters room A.

This small room's walls are covered with old maps. The dominant piece of furniture is a large pine desk cluttered with papers. A short sword in its scabbard is hanging from the plush chair that is near the desk. There is a small hammock tied between the south and west walls.

This was Padiwak's (see area 43) office and sleeping area. The maps on the walls are doodles that his young nephew drew when he came to visit. If the player characters take them, they will believe them to be authentic and might try to find some of these make-believe places. The papers on the desk pertain to the upkeep of the temple. The sword is a short sword +2 of defending. In the desk drawer there is a ring of keys that will unlock doors B-F. There is nothing else of value in this room.

Read this description when the characters enter room B.

As you open this door you are surprised at the room's elegance. A canopy bed with silk sheets and finery takes up most of the floor space, while long shelves filled with various chemicals and oddities line the walls. On a small shelf overlooking the bed is a flickering candle. A large oak chest sits at the end of the bed with a large padlock on it. You realize that the bed is the only thing in the room that is not covered by a thick layer of dust.

This was Knac's (see area 43) private bed chamber. When not planning world domination, he could be found here. Knac was a little paranoid about assassination attempts so he installed a few traps in his bedroom. The bed and the candle are magical (this is why the bed has no dust on it). If for some reason the character blows out or touches the magical candle without first saying the command word (known only by Knac), they must save vs. spells or be overcome with an urge to fall asleep on the bed. Once they collapse on the bed they will immediately fall asleep. One round after that occurs, four magical appendages that resemble the arms of an ogre emerge from the bed. Two of these arms grab the character and other two start attacking the victim. Once the rest of the party destroys two of the four arms they can tear the character away from the other two. This effect will take place every time the candle is touched. New arms will grow back within 24 hours if they are severed. The spell components on the shelves can be taken and used to cut the cost of enchanting a magical item in half or by 5000 gp, whichever is less (these shelves contain beholder eyestalks, griffin claws and the like). The chest at the end of the bed is locked with a rusty padlock (so rusty, in fact, that any Open Locks roll will automatically succeed), and contains wizards robes and other elegant clothing. The silk bedsheets will be damaged if there was a skirmish with the bed; otherwise, they are worth 500 gp total. There is a wand of enemy detection (10 charges), under the mattress of the bed.

Magical Ogre Arms (4): INT non; AL N; AC 5; MV 0; HD 2; hp 11; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 2-5; SZ M; ML 20.

Read this description as the party enters room C.

This room seems to be lit by actual sunlight. You realize the rays of sun are coming in from a small smokehole in the northwest corner of the room. The walls of this room are covered with moldy rugs that seem to have been hung to cover up the rough stone walls. A small statuette carved out of ivory sits on an altar at the western end of this room. The statuette is of an obese man sitting crosslegged in meditation. Its small emerald eyes sparkle in the sunlight. There are two beds, each on one side of the altar. There are blue and yellow blankets at the end of each bed, emblazoned with the symbol of a lightning bolt.

This was Nik's (see area 43) bedchamber. He shared it with his young apprentice, Nervuron. This room was their private prayer room, but they also used area 43. The statuette on the altar is magical. If the characters try to remove the eyes they will accidentally push them in, opening a hidden compartment in its belly. This statue acts exactly like a bag of holding, except that the statue weighs 150 cn. The statue was made by Knac and at one time hid an emergency fund (which was embezzled by Nervuron just before he left the cult) The blankets are marked with the open flame and should be taken to Balthazar.

Rooms D-F were the bedchambers of other members of the cult. Each room contains a simple bed, a plush armchair and an empty cabinet. Besides what is mentioned above there is nothing else of value in any of the rooms.

28. Trap (what a surprise)

A well-concealed pit trap is set here, and there is no blue X to mark it. Any dwarves in the party have only a 1 in 12 chance to discover it, and this is only if they are specifically searching for traps. When the entire party is over the trap, the floor collapses, sending them down the east mud slide to area 22. These magical mud slides were created to continually spew forth mud. If the party comes back here, they can move around the open pit by walking on the 6-inch wide ledge that remains on either side of the pit.

29. Wanna Pet My... Dragon?

As the party rounds the corner, they can see a small door, about 2' by 2', and hinged at the top (in short, a doggy door). The first character to enter comes face to face with what seems to be a 5' long blue dragon. It stares curiously at the character and seems to be wagging its tail. This creature is merely an illusion, albeit a convincing one. It was created by the wizards to be a fierce guardian, but somehow its personality became less like that of a pitbull and more that of a cocker spaniel. The high master grew fond of it, keeping it as a pet and building this room for it. It will act like a happy, energetic dog in every way, following the party everywhere but disappearing immediately if attacked.

30. A Very Bad Play On Words

To get around this corner, PCs must travel single file. These corners were built so narrowly by the miserly mages to lower construction costs. In effect, they "cut corners."

31. A Dangerous Enticement (at least it's not a trap.)

Yet another blue X, and yet another tedious dart trap (the Pyrokai were not very ingenious folks) (THAC0 19, Dmg. 1-3). It will be triggered when a character steps around the corner, and will fire from a hole in the east wall. It is covered up by a crude depiction of humans being slaughtered by orcs which has been etched into the wall. This "work of art" was created by one of the orc warriors in area 32.

32. The Tired, Poor, Huddled Masses

You can hear the sounds of yelling and cheering behind this door. In addition, many strange rasping noises can be heard, after which the yelling gets louder. The voices do not seem to be human.

The language being spoken is Orcish. The orcs in this chamber are having a belching contest, and the spectators are rooting for their favorite belcher.

The room contains 45 orcs with swords, but 2 of the orcs have to share a sword. As long as the characters are in this room, these orcs will be fighting over the sword, each of them wanting to be the first to kill a human. The DM may wish to use these two as comic relief, constantly chasing the PCs around, neither of them able to get control of the sword. Keep in mind the PCs should not do away with these two until their purpose is served (to amuse the PCs). The rest of the orcs will immediately surround the party and demand their surrender. If the party surrenders, the orcs seem surprised, but the PCs are disarmed and taken to area 33. A rotting chest in the southeast corner contains 50 sp, the tribe's entire fortune. The only reason that this tribe could survive for so long after their ancestors became lost in the temple is in a niche in the north wall. There lies the Bucket O' Slop (This item is detailed at the end of this adventure).

Orcs (45): INT average; AL LE; AC 6; MV 9; HD 1; hp 1-8; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6; SZ M; ML 13 or 9.

33. The Inebriated Despot

The orc sitting on the makeshift throne in this chamber is a fat, drunken slob. The three orcs which seem to be his bodyguards are fast asleep. The orc on the throne abruptly falls off of it when you enter, getting up after cursing to himself. This thoroughly disgusting creature actually seems to be the orcs' leader.

The king is a pathetic ruler. He has no idea what to do with a captive, or what to do if threatened, or even how to stand up straight. Whatever happens, he will crawl into a corner and hide, crying for his "mommy". His bodyguards will not wake up for any reason. After an embarrassed silence, the orcs timidly tell the PCs to go away and leave them alone. Their equipment will be found unguarded in area 32.

King Three-Sheets-To-The-Wind: INT not; AL I (inebriated); AC can always be hit; MV not in a straight line; HD 2; hp 3 (on a good day); THAC0 not a chance; #AT none; Dmg none; SZ M; ML 1-20 (roll once per round).

34. The Talking Trees

NOTE: In the hallway outside of rooms 34-36 there is an odd chemical smell in the air as well as an increase in static electricity and an almost imperceptible buzzing. This is the area in which many of the wizards' experiments were performed, most of which went a bit haywire. For example, this room:

You would swear that you just entered a forest. This room is entirely covered in moss and weeds, including what appears to be the remains of a wizard's laboratory. There are even two trees standing in the center of the room.

If the characters come near the trees, a slow, low-pitched voice asks them what they want. These trees are actually treants who just want to be left alone. They will answer only yes or no questions (in unison) about the temple. The extent of their knowledge is up to the DM. The treants are unfriendly at first, but eventually they could become tolerant of the PCs, maybe even friendly. This chamber was the site of an attempt to create a spell which would overrun any entire city with plants. It merely overran the room and created the treants. The skeleton of the wizard who attempted this can be found underneath the weeds. He carries nothing of value.

Treants (Horatio and Mercutio): INT very; AL CG; AC 0; MV 12; HD 9; hp 44, 46; THAC0 12; #AT 2; Dmg 3-18/3-18; SZ L; ML 15; SA animate trees.

35. The Singing Sword

This room is a ruined wizard's laboratory. All of the equipment and furniture are smashed to pieces. The only thing that stands out is the sword floating two feet off the ground in the center of the room.

If a party member says anything in this room, the sword starts to sing and comes toward him. The sword will now follow the PC wherever he goes, singing loudly and negating any chance of surprise. To fully take advantage of this annoyance, the DM should hum the same tune over and over until the party solves their dilemma. The only way to get rid of the sword is to tell it to be quiet. It will then return sadly to this room. The sword will not follow anyone out of the temple. This is another failed experiment in which a potentially powerful enchantment ended up becoming harmless.

36. A Medieval Lava Lamp?

An odd sight meets your eyes in this room. There are several yellow globes floating around in here between the blue walls, floor, and ceiling. As you enter the room the globes start to blend together with each other, and then split apart, changing colors at the same time, from yellow to blue and back again. The walls change color as well, in the same fashion. There is some old laboratory equipment in a pile in the northwest corner.

The color changes are mildly disorienting. Each character must make a save vs. spells at +4 or suffer a -2 penalty to hit rolls and a +2 penalty to armor class for 2-12 rounds. One can only imagine what the intention of this experiment was.

37. Trap (40 is a trap, too.)

The three giant garter snakes in this room attack as soon as someone enters. The snakes do not attack with their bites like ordinary snakes, but grasp morning stars with their tails. No one knows how they acquired this talent, but we could only imagine that the wacky wizards had something to do with it (a new special assault force?). There is nothing else in the room except for a huge curlicued blue X painted on the floor.

Snake, Giant Garter (3): INT animal; AL N; AC 5; MV 12; HD 2; hp 6, 8, 10; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 2-8; SZ M; ML 20.

38. Abandoned Room

As the PCs enter this room, tell them that they all feel a chilling presence within. There is no reason for this, because the room is completely empty except for a single copper piece in the corner.

39. To Boldly Go...

This passageway ends in a 20' by 20' room. There is a raised dais covering the entire western half of the room. There are ten circular metallic plates set into the floor on top of the dais. Etched into the wall are the words, "Praise be to Skahti!"

Any individual who stands on one of the plates will be teleported back to a point one foot above the pit trap in area 28. Once there, they immediately fall down the west mud slide (they will feel so disoriented from the magical effect that they will not be able to react quickly enough to avoid it). The teleportation takes place with a bright flash of multicolored light and an eerie humming noise. The plates cannot be removed from the floor.

40. Trap (I told you so.)

The now familiar lightning bolt pattern is engraved in a small stone step that leads you down into this sunken room. Moss and ivy grow in abundance in the moist chamber. They seem to feed off the magical globe of light set into the ceiling. But what really catches your eye as you enter this room is the huge, faded blue-and-yellow checkerboard pattern on the floor. The statues of sorcerers imbedded in the walls on either side of the room also deserve note.

The statues themselves are relatively harmless. If examined closely, a faint blue X is found on each of the statues' foreheads. Stepping on a blue tile triggers yet another dart trap (THAC0 18, Dmg. 1-4) that comes from the mouth of the nearest statue. The yellow tiles are safe. There is nothing of value on the statues or in the rest of the room.

41. Flora and Fauna

A garden seems to have gone untended in this area in the temple. Exotic plants and huge mushrooms make up a large portion of this passageway. Some of the lichens in this corridor have phosphorescent properties and so the chamber is not completely dark. The undergrowth, such as grasses and weeds, has sprung up all over the broken garden. The path down this corridor is covered with lichen and moss, making travel treacherous.

Each letter A-D represents a shrieker hidden in a five foot square patch of grab grass. These creatures are barely distinguishable from the other various forms of plant life that grow all along the passageway from area 40 to area 42. This area was the personal garden of the high priest, watered by an underground spring. It has gone untended for quite a while, leading to its present dismal condition. If the party searches the garden they will find Dromio (if he is not already with the party) caught in a small patch of grab grass. When the party fell down the pit in area 28, Dromio kept on exploring.

There are no wandering monsters for the shriekers to attract, unless the DM wishes to run Optional Encounter 1.

Shrieker (4): INT non; AL N; AC 7; MV 1; HD 3; hp 12, 15, 17, 18; THAC0 19; #AT 0; Dmg nil; SZ S; ML 20; SA shriek.

Grab Grass (4): INT non; AL N; AC 9; MV 0; HD 1; hp 4, 4, 5, 6; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg special; SZ M; ML 20; SA successful hit roll traps victim, 5% chance per round per strength point over 12 to break free. This monster appears in AC 9, Creature Catalogue.

42. Small Things Come In Good Packages

At the end of this corridor, a huge yellow metallic humanoid figure stands imposingly in front of a pile of rubble blocking the passage. It doesn't make a sound as it turns its head towards you and glares menacingly.

The DM should lead the party to believe that this is a bronze golem, and there will be no evidence to the contrary until combat begins. Every time the creature moves, there is a loud rattling from within its body. This construct is actually a copper golem, a less expensive variant of the bronze. It also doubled as a secret 'piggy bank' for the wizards. When the creature is reduced to zero hit points, it will collapse, releasing its treasure: 9465 cp, 256 sp, 3 shiny rocks and a bag of peanuts. A large coin slot can be found on the top of its head.

Copper Golem: INT non; AL N; AC 2; MV 12; HD 6; hp 33; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg 1-10; SZ L; ML 20.

Once the golem is defeated, it will take one man-hour to clear away the rubble behind him. Thus, it would take one person one hour to clear it away, or six people ten minutes.

43. Little Bo Peep Lost Her... CHIMERA?

A huge stairway leads up to a majestic stone altar upon which the symbol of the lightning bolt is painted in vivid blue and yellow. The room is decorated with blue and yellow tapestries and banners, and on the altar there are several relics made of precious metals. There is a large, magically lit brazier on either side of the staircase. Everything is engraved with the symbol of the lightning bolt.

 

Between the you and the altar, however, lies a fearsome creature. This monstrosity has three heads: those of a goat, a dragon and a lion. It rises slowly, beating its leathery, blue-and-yellow wings against the cold stone floor, and all three heads gaze at you menacingly. Now you can see a large hellhound chained to the southern wall. You also notice a shattered human skeleton lying on the stairs, tightly grasping an old cane.

 

The goat head speaks. "I am Nik!" it snorts.

The dragon speaks. "I am Knac!" it roars.

"And I'm Padiwak," the lion whimpers. "Please leave me alone."

The dragon glares at the lion. "Padiwak! We must present a united front against the enemy! Stop whining!"

"But I don't wanna fight anybody," the lion whines.

"Forget about him!" says the goat. "Defend the altar!" And with that, the creature moves toward you.

This chimera is actually a combination of three of the more powerful residents of the temple. A powerful wizard once visited this temple, and he was so disgusted by what he saw that he killed all of the Pyrokai but three: Nik, the highest ranking cleric of the temple; Knac, the high master and most powerful wizard; and Padiwak, the high master's bodyguard. He chose an even worse fate for them: he magically blended the three of them together and polymorphed them, creating the schizophrenic chimera that now guards the altar.

During combat, only the goat and dragon heads will attack. The lion head will merely whimper and shy away from attacks. Embedded in the chimera's underbelly is a magical item, the Two-Handed Dagger (detailed at the end of the adventure). The hellhound chained to the wall is very old, and really doesn't care about fighting anymore. This particular hellhound was magically altered by the Pyrokai to breathe lightning instead of fire. Despite his lack of interest in battle, in the first round of combat, and every three rounds after that, he will slowly lift his head, breathe lightning at a random PC, and then rest for another three rounds. The only way to subdue this beast besides killing him would be to give him a bone, possibly from the old skeleton. If this happens, he will gnaw contentedly as long as the PCs remain in the temple. (The PCs will probably only do this if they remember the old song: "Nick-Nack-Paddy-Whack, give the dog a bone," or its medieval equivalent: "Nik-Knac-Padiwak, give the hellhound a bone.") The corpse on the stairs is that of a wandering cleric who traveled the world healing the sick. The cleric's cane is the only thing of value on his body. This ornate wooden cane will allow its wielder to gain the Healing and Veterinary Healing skills at +5 to the skill roll, but this ability can only be granted to one individual at a time. Once the player gives the Healing Cane to someone else he immediately loses the skills gained.

In any case, one round after combat begins the magical braziers start to glow more brightly and two immature lightning elementals come forth to aid the chimera. These creatures should be treated just like fire elementals, but appear as humanoid-shaped thunderclouds who attack with bolts of lightning. These beasts were the original guardians of this room.

Nik-Knac-Padiwak (Chimera): INT above average; AL CE; AC 6/5/2; MV 9, 18 flying; HD 9; hp 58; THAC0 12; #AT 6; Dmg 1-3/1-3/1-4/1-4/2-8/3-12 + special; SA breath; SZ L; ML 15.

Hellhound: INT low; AL LE; AC 4; MV 12; HD 4; hp 19; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg 1-10; SA breath, detect invisible; SZ M; ML 15.

Immature Lightning Elementals (2): INT low; AL N; AC 4; MV 36; HD 3; hp 16, 19; THAC0 18; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4; SZ S; ML 15.

The artifacts on the altar should be given to Balthazar, as they are clearly marked with the lightning bolt symbol. They are worth a total of 15,000 gp and weigh about 750 cn. If the PCs keep these relics and don't return to Hedjazi, Balthazar sends another party to find out what happened to them. Since the PCs bodies were never found, he would presume that they took the items and ran. He would track the party down and get his treasures from them, using all of his formidable resources. It is not a good idea to cross a powerful man like Balthazar.

If the PCs look behind the altar, they find a trap door in the floor leading to a king's ransom: 15,000 sp, 10,000 ep, 6,000 gp, 25 small topazes (average value 150 gp), an amethyst-studded hourglass (700 gp), a pair of beautiful carved emerald bracelets (1,500 gp), a case of rare foreign wine (900 gp), a crystal quill with an ebony inkwell (300 gp), a large ivory tube containing various flawed sapphires (tube: 500 gp, sapphires: 1,000 gp total), a leather vest with ten gold bars in its large pockets (75 gp each), two emerald dodecahedrons (twelve-sided gems, worth 2,000 gp each), part of a blue dragon's hide (worth 500 gp), a scroll of protection from elementals, a small glass vial sculpted to resemble a dragon, containing a blue liquid (potion of lightning breath), a short scepter fashioned from a gnarled oak branch (wand of lightning bolts (15 charges)), and a book with a leather cover inscribed with a flame symbol, written in an unknown language (Knac's diary).

Concluding the Adventure

The trip back through the desert is uneventful, unless any of the Foul Four are still alive, in which case they will ambush the party somewhere in the rocky desert. They will bring six new nomad archers to aid them. If Dromio is still with the party, he will turn on the PCs and aid his allies.

Balthazar is quite pleased with his trinkets, and happily pays the characters their reward. He also tells them, after examining the diary that the PCs recovered, the full story behind the Pyrokai. It is true that they were once powerful, but over the past few centuries their power has declined greatly. This temple was the last remaining Pyrokai center. Ten years ago, the chief cleric's assistant Nervuron stole a large portion of the treasury and several important magical items. After that the sect went into a steep decline. Most of the best wizards left, leaving a handful of neurotic and disturbed "mad scientists" who conducted bizarre and dangerous experiments. The later entries discuss a powerful wizard who Knac was courting as a new member, and the final entry was written the morning he was to arrive.

The temple is now cleared of monsters but still contains many traps to destroy intruders. This structure could serve as a headquarters for the adventurers. There are many oddities that could prove useful or interesting in later adventures. Organizing the band of orcs to follow the PCs instead of King Three-Sheets-To-The-Wind is a possibility. They could even try to liberate the leviathan and his kids (a very serious undertaking).

The PCs have also made a powerful ally in Balthazar. If they ever come back to Hedjazi again, they will receive a warm welcome from him.

NOTE: Another adventure is being written that involves what happened to Nervuron after he left the cult and what he did with the money. The DM may wish to include a clue which points towards his whereabouts.

New Magic

Bucket O'Slop

The Bucket O' Slop is a sacred artifact of the orcish tribes, made by the legendary orc chief and shaman Horid Neferyus. This orc and his tribe lived in the nearby mountains hundreds of years ago. It is a bucket about three feet tall filled with a disgusting array of food scraps and barely edible material. Anyone other than an orc that smells or for some reason tastes this mess must make a saving throw vs. death ray or be nauseous and unable to do anything for 1-6 rounds. This bucket provides enough slop to feed fifty hungry orcs each day.

Two-handed Dagger

This small weapon was created by the wizards to give them a more powerful punch. This dagger functions in all ways as a dagger except where damage is concerned. When used in melee, this weapon inflicts the damage of a two-handed sword (1d10). The blade is made of especially strong copper that is only found in small mines around these northern cliffs.

Player Aid 2

1. The towering cenotaph brings nothing but doom.

2. His age is 96.

3. Nothing lurks in the darkness.

4. There is little to gain by ignoring signs of danger, but it might be fun.

5. Befriend the high masters' pets.

6. Opportunity doesn't knock; make your own opportunities.

7. Skahti is the Pyrokai god of transportation.

8. The bronze behemoth guards more than just rubble.

9. The sum of the squares of the lengths of two sides of a right triangle is equal to the square of the length of the third side.

10. When all else fails, remember your nursery rhymes.