Chapter 10 Into the Desert
10.1 Overview
Entirely optional portion. PCs get the option to contact a devil for more information about a banishment ritual. Benoit left instructions on how to conjure the devil. Devil can offer information on where to find the secrets of banishment in exchange for recovering an artifact (a lich’s phylactery (a canopic jar with a snake head)–the soul was promised but the sorcerer-priest became a lich to avoid her fate). The devil knows of Andromalion and how he feeds on souls. He offered the sorcerer-priest a magical mirror plus knowledge on how to beat Andromalion but the sorcerer was not willing to make the necessary sacrifice. The city was destroyed and the sorcerer-priest became a lich to avoid their soul being sucked to hell. Devil wants the phylactery, makes PCs sign an elaborate contract.
Mirror + sacrifice to protect against charm (secret for each pc), glass shards need to be plunged into Andromalion’s skin
10.2 A Deal With the Devil
Players make a deal with the devil Paimoraxxas (a Paeliryon, Dragonix II): information about Andromalion in exchange for the recovery of an artifact–a lich’s phylactery (a canopic jar with a snake head). Excursion to an old city that was destroyed by Andromalion 2,000 years ago. Learn about the summoning and banishment. In the city they have to battle a Lich.
Paimoraxxas, The Lord-Glutton of the Fetid Feast, Curatorio of the Endless Gallery, and Third Un-Cardinal of the Church of Mammon, Count of Minauros the Third Layer of Hell. Fat, floating, bald, wears silken robes that are too small, heavy, be-jeweled rings, his legs are tiny and atrophied (think: Baron Harkonnen).
Summoning ritual:
Rotting corpse of a two-headed goat
Expensive spoiled wine (250 GP at least)
Circle of summoning, silver dust (1000 GP), Arcana check DC-15 (determines the safety of the circle)
Infernal chant, provided by Benoit’s notes.
PCs need to bring a goblet of turned goat’s milk, fill it with blood of a living creature (total of 400 HP from the PCs, other humans or animals).
7 summoners are needed, they all drink from the cup and then begin the chant. Performance, Arcana, or Religion skill checks DC-15, count successes. The more successes, the better the ritual works.
The ritual summons him for 1 hour, the circle protects the PCs from Paimoraxxas. Circle is broken if the PCs attack the devil. The ritual confers to no power over the devil, the PCs still need to strike a bargain.
Bargain:
- Paimoraxxas promises them how to acquire the banishment ritual in exchange for the phylactery (including the soul) of the Sorcerer-Priestess Akutl’ah. They have to sign an infernal contract. He can tell them the ritual has three parts: looking into a magical mirror to protect oneself from Andromalion’s charm, a blessing of the shards to weaken Andromalion. Then you have to force Andromalion to reveal its true form–at the moment of death, activate the shards with the banishment word. He will share the magical banishment word after they hand over the phylactery. Can also provide a bit of background on Andromalion.
The contract specifies the exchange of the lich’ soul for the banishment ritual. There is no time-limit (PCs may choose to never complete the bargain). Paimoraxxas is too arrogant to think Akutl’ah may offer her own deal to the PCs. The contract has fine-print on aggressive action against the devil–if they attack him before or 30 days after the deal is concluded, he will come after them and take their souls. If the PCs simply fail to complete the deal, he will get angry and plan is revenge, but will have no contractual power over the PCs.
You can find the mirror and the scroll with the blessing ritual with Sorcerer-Priestess Akutl’ah. Paimoraxxas worked with her to develop the ritual. She failed to complete the banishment, her city was lost. He believes she entombed herself in the temple for protection and turned herself into a lich to avoid surrendering her soul to me. He can give the PCs the rough location of the lost city.
He can point them to the desert oasis Kurun in the Calim Desert.
10.3 The Heat of the Desert
PCs have to travel to Calimshan by ship. Their destination is Kurun, the desert oasis.
Kurun is a remote outpost in the desolate part of the Calim desert. It is run by a group of merchants.
Oasis options:
Citrus orchard.
Merchant guesthouse.
Caravanserei.
Low quality tavern.
Temple of Ilmater (Martyrdom and suffering).
Waterhole.
Hirelings are available: caravan guards, guides.
Rumors in Kurun. Test DC-14 Persuasion to receive a rumor (once per day). Spending 20 gp gives Advantage.
| D8 | Rumor |
|---|---|
| [1] | A dragon has started to nest in the area, some of the desert tribes have spotted it (T). |
| [2] | Beware, someone has been poisoning waterholes in the desert (F). |
| [3] | There are some lost ruins in the Northwestern part of the desert, but they are long-picked over by generations of grave robbers (P). |
| [4] | Gnoll slavers have been active in the area–a group of merchants recently vanished and nobody has heard from them again (T). |
| [5] | There are lost ruins in the Northeast, full of magical treasures, but they are haunted by ghosts (P). |
| [6] | A week ago a group of foreigners came through. They said they were archaeologists looking for some lost ruins. They seemed a bit strange (never blinked). |
| [7] | There is a djinn that lives in the desert that will fulfill a wish (F). |
| [8] | Stay on the trade route, danger lurks in the sands beyond (P). |
10.4 Hexcrawl procedure
4 6-hour watches per day
Each watch, PCs cam move , explore current hex (DC-14 Survival test to find hidden feature), or camp.
Move: Go to an adjacent hex. Travel two hexes on the road. Triggers an encounter roll.
Explore: Automatically reveals obvious sights. Test DC-14 Survivalto find hidden things. Triggers an encounter roll.
Camp: PCs can rest (see below). Encounter roll for every other camp action.
- Resting: In the Oasis, benefits of a normal long rest. In the desert, rest is just a short rest. PCs can camp 3 consecutive days in a camp, to gain the benefits of a long rest in the field. If a hex has a water hole, PCs can gain a normal long rest.
Calim Desert for Players
Calim Desert with Lairs
Hex descriptions:
| HEX | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| 0101 | Empty. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7–9 1d10 giant hyenas, 10 1d3 purple worms. |
| 0102 | The Lost City of Tzaa’a |
| 0103 | Obvious sight: watering hole. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7 1d10 giant hyenas, 8 1d8+1 giant vultures, 9 2 Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu + 2d6 gnolls, 10 1 roc. |
| 0104 | Obvious sight: Trade route. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7–9 merchant caravan/travelers, 10 1 bandit captain, 1d3 berserkers, 3d6 bandits. |
| 0201 | Obvious sight: a dead lake. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7 2 Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu + 2d6 gnolls, 8 guardian naga, 9 1d6+2 thri-kreen, 10 sandstorm. |
| 0202 | Hidden sight: sand hole (Passive perception \(>\) 15 then advantage on the save, DEX ST DC-18 or be sucked in, PCs can find treasure of dead people). Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7 1d10 giant hyenas, 8 2 Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu \(+\) 2d6 gnolls, 9 1d4 giant scorpions, 10 sandstorm. |
| 0203 | Hidden sight: small ruins (empty). Mad grave robber, can reveal that the entrance to the pyramid is magically sealed. Dead Yuan-Ti trueblood, murdered by the madman. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7–8 1d4 giant scorpions, 9–10 sandstorm (CON ST DC-15 1 level of exhaustion on a failure, survival check DC-15 to not get moved randomly to an adjacent hex.). |
| 0204 | Obvious sight: Trade route. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7–9 merchant caravan/travelers, 10 1 bandit captain, 1d3 berserkers, 3d6 bandits. |
| 0301 | Obvious sight: watering hole. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7 1d10 giant hyenas, 8 1d8+1 giant vultures, 9 2 Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu +4 2d6 gnolls, 10 1 roc. |
| 0302 | Trade route. Obvious sight: watering hole. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7–9 merchant caravan/travelers, 10 1 bandit captain, 1d3 berserkers, 3d6 bandits. |
| 0303 | Hidden sight: Former camp of the Yuan-Ti. Some shedded skin. Encounter roll: 1–7 uneventful day, 8–9 2d4 gnoll fangs of Yeenoghu , 10 sandstorm. |
| 0304 | Obvious sight: Trade route. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7–9 merchant caravan/travelers, 10 1 bandit captain, 1d3 berserkers, 3d6 bandits. |
| 0401 | Obvious sight: Trade route. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7–9 merchant caravan/travelers, 10 1 bandit captain, 1d3 berserkers, 3d6 bandits. |
| 0402 | Obvious sight: the dead caravan. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7 friendly goblin scorpion hunters, 8 1d8+1 giant vultures, 9 1d4 giant scorpions, 10 1 purple worm. |
| 0403 | Obvious sight: Trade route. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7–9 merchant caravan/travelers, 10 1 bandit captain, 1d3 berserkers, 3d6 bandits. |
| 0404 | Kurun. |
| 0501 | Hidden sight: remains of a dragon attack (dead camels). Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7–8 friendly goblin scorpion hunters, 9:dragon flies in the distance, 10: 1d3 purple worms. |
| 0502 | Hidden sight: Weird black sand, arranged in patterns. Encounter roll: 1–7 uneventful day, 8 1 huge fire elemental and 1 huge air elemental (Monster Manual Expanded, 9: 1 efreeti, 10: 1d3 purple worms. |
| 0503 | Hidden sight: The camp of Orastenes, a Cyclopean Star Druid. Can offer tea and information in exchange for the location of the stone circle. Knows about the dragon and the gnolls. Knows the dragon is proud and arrogant, perceives himself to have dominion over the area. Dislikes the gnolls. No encounters. |
| 0504 | Obvious sight: Trade route. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7–9 merchant caravan/travelers, 10 1 bandit captain, 1d3 berserkers, 3d6 bandits. |
| 0601 | Hidden sight: celestial stone circle (Orastenes is looking for this). Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7–10 1d3 purple worms. |
| 0602 | Hidden sight: Entrance to sand kobold warrens (rockier terrain). Evidence of a larger kobold tribe, may indicate proximity to a dragon’s lair. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7 1 Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu + 2d4 gnolls (scouting), 8 1d8+1 giant vultures, 9 sighting of the dragon, 10 1d3 purple worm. |
| 0603 | Hidden sight: remains of a dragon attack (charred gnolls). Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7 1d10 giant hyenas, 8 1d8+1 giant vultures, 9 sighting of the dragon, 10 1d3 purple worm. |
| 0604 | Obvious sight: watering hole. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7 1d10 giant hyenas, 8 friendly goblin scorpion hunters, 9 1d4 giant scorpions, 10 1 roc. |
| 0701 | Hidden sight: Entrance to sand kobold warrens (rockier terrain). Evidence of a larger kobold tribe, may indicate proximity to a dragon’s lair. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7 1 Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu + 2d4 gnolls (scouting), 8 1d8+1 giant vultures, 9 sighting of the dragon, 10 1d3 purple worm. |
| 0702 | The Dragon’s Lair. |
| 0703 | Hidden sight: Entrance to sand kobold warrens (rockier terrain). Evidence of a larger kobold tribe, may indicate proximity to a dragon’s lair. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7 1 Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu + 2d4 gnolls (scouting), 8 1d8+1 giant vultures, 9 sighting of the dragon, 10 1d3 purple worm. |
| 0704 | Empty. Encounter roll: 1–6 uneventful day, 7 1 Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu + 2d4 gnolls (scouting), 8 1d8+1 giant vultures, 9 sighting of the dragon, 10 1d3 purple worm. |
Special Encounter If bounty hunters are after one of the PCs, replace one of the rolled random encounters with an ambush by the Berrybottom Gang.
The sisters are a hard-nosed gang of female Halfling bounty hunters. Use an Assassin, Champion, Evoker, and Warpriest.
10.5 Sand Dragon Lair
The dragon Rizurrg is arrogant, brash, but can be appeased with treasure/gold. They could be convinced to attack the Gnolls. Their lair houses a tribe of 40+ sand kobolds (led by a speaker, Tobi-kai). The sand kobolds are part of the Desert Claw tribe, they have a strict code of honor and value discipline (think mini-Fremen). They have domesticated Bearded Dragons and use them as mounts.
A1 Entrance to the cave. Guarded by 4 sand kobolds.
A2 Sloping downward cave, smells of moisture. Many kobold tracks. Leads to an underground water reservoir.
A3 Carved sone pillars, covered on Kobold inscriptions, praising the dragon. 6 sand kobolds with crossbows.
A4 Hallway carved into sandstone. Small storage room behind a flap of leather (contains water jugs).
A5 Toki-Kai’s room. Walls full of inscriptions, telling the tale of Rizurrg.
A6 Hidden room behind wall tapestry. Random treasure.
A7 Dragon lair. Chamber is open to the air, but illusion magic makes it look like bieng covered with sand from above. 3-6 chance the dragon is sleeping here.
A8 Dragon’s hoard. Roll for a large random treasure hoard.
A9-A11 Sand kobold guards’ sleeping quarters. 12 additional sand kobolds sleep here and pass the time playing dice games.
A12 Accessed via A11. Cool tunnels used for food storage.
Dragon Lair
The dragon’s hoard:
A total of 572,872 gp worth of coins, art objects, and/or gems, as follows:
531,142 gp in coinage:
32,000 pp
210,000 gp
11,000 sp
4,200 cp
10 gp gemstones (×3; worth 30 gp total):
Azurite (opaque mottled deep blue)
Lapis lazuli (opaque light and dark blue with yellow flecks)
Malachite (opaque striated light and dark green)
50 gp gemstones (×5; worth 250 gp total):
Carnelian (opaque orange to red-brown)
Jasper (opaque blue, black, or brown)
Quartz (transparent white, smoky gray, or yellow), ×2
Chalcedony (opaque white)
100 gp gemstones (×4; worth 400 gp total):
Jade (translucent light green, deep green, or white), ×2
Coral (opaque crimson)
Spinel (transparent red, red-brown, or deep green)
500 gp gemstones (×4; worth 2,000 gp total):
Alexandrite (transparent dark green)
Blue spinel (transparent deep blue)
Aquamarine (transparent pale blue-green), ×2
1000 gp gemstones (×8; worth 8,000 gp total):
Emerald (transparent deep bright green)
Blue sapphire (transparent blue-white to medium blue), ×3
Star sapphire (translucent blue sapphire with white star-shaped center)
Black opal (translucent dark green with black mottling and golden flecks)
Yellow sapphire (transparent fiery yellow or yellow-green)
Fire opal (translucent fiery red)
5000 gp gemstones (×3; worth 15,000 gp total):
Jacinth (transparent fiery orange), ×3
25 gp art objects (×2; worth 50 gp total):
Copper chalice with silver filigree
Carved bone statuette
250 gp art objects (×4; worth 1,000 gp total):
Bronze crown
Silk robe with gold embroidery, ×2
Gold bird cage with electrum filigree
2500 gp art objects (×6; worth 15,000 gp total):
Embroidered silk and velvet mantle set with numerous moonstones
Gold circlet set with four aquamarines
Embroidered glove set with jewel chips, ×2
Platinum bracelet set with a sapphire, ×2
9 mundane items:
A hogshead (large cask) containing 65 gallons of clean drinking water
A painting by an artist long forgotten by everyone except the dragon
A set of seven candlesticks bearing a god’s holy symbol
A spinning wheel
A drum for use in religious rites, with a foreboding echo to its beat
A treatise on alchemy etched on steel cylinders
A jar with a dead illithid tadpole floating in preserving chemicals
A map showing the dragon’s lair in relation to villages and other long-gone landmarks
A spinning wheel
Magic Items (Table G)
Bowl of Commanding Water Elementals
Wand of Lightning Bolts
Wand of Binding
Helm of Teleportation
Cape of the Mountebank
Belt of Dwarvenkind
Use stats for an Ancient Sand Dragon from Tome of Beasts 3. The dragon is also an innate spellcaster. Rizzurg can cast up to 7th level spells, spell attack is +12, spell DC is 20. Spells:
Symbol 1/day
Reverse Gravity 1/day
Forcecage 1/day
Prismatic Spray 1/day
In the dragon’s absence, the hoard is secured by the kobold tribe. Additional security:
The three piles of treasure are warded by Alarm spells.
Several Symbol spells are inscribed on the floor and trigger when treasure is removed (10 ft diameter area). Death, Pain, Sleep, Stun, Insanity, Fear.
Possibly, some of the better magic items are secured by Drawmij’s Instant Summons.
Possible quest: re-cover an Orb of Dragonkind from a Ogre Mage/Oni. Oni Magi (Dragonix), a imprisoned purple worm, and several low level ogres.
10.6 The Lost City of Tzz’a
10.6.1 The Gnoll Camp
A horde of Gnolls has camped among the ruins. They have been drawn in by the dark magic sealed in the temple. They are using the ruins as a staging ground for attacks and slaving activity.
A1 Northwestern Pyramid: opened and empty, no guards.
A2 Empty ruin.
A3 More slave pens with 4 Gnoll Slavers (Creature Codex p.189).
A4 Southwestern Pyramid: The Temple. Gnoll guards: 4 Gnoll Skirmishers (MMEII, p.149), 1 Gnoll Berserker (MMEII, p.150)
A5 Northeastern Pyramid: partially covered by a sand dune. Fully sealed. Gnoll guards: 4 Gnoll Skirmishers (MMEII, p.149), 1 Gnoll Berserker (MMEII, p.150))
A6 Eastern middle buildings: make-shift slave pens with guards: 4 Gnoll Slavers (Creature Codex p.189).
A7 Southeastern Building: HQ of the Gnolls: Gnoll Flind Queen (MMEII, p.153), 1 Gnoll Shaman of Yeenoghu (MME I, p.128), 1 Gnoll Sharpshooter (MME II, p.150), 1 Gnoll Huntmaster (MME I, p.127), 10 regular Gnolls.
2 Gnoll patrols are roaming the area at all times. Each patrol consists of 1 Gnoll Champion of Yeenoghu (MMEII, p.150), 3 Gnoll Skirmishers (MMEII, 150), 2 Gnoll Berserkers (MMEII, p.149)
Gnolls: MMI: Gnoll Huntsmaster (CR3), Gnoll Shaman of Yeenoghu (CR4), Gnoll Matriarch (CR5), MMII: Flind Captain (CR11), Flind Queen (CR14), Gnoll Berserker (CR2), Gnoll Champion of Yeenoghu (CR6), Gnoll Sharpshooter (CR3), Tome of Beasts: Gnoll Havoc Runner (CR3), UB: Gnoll Plains Warrior (CR3)
Gnoll Camp
10.6.2 The Temple
Pyramid Level 1
Level 1
A1 Entrance: Sealed by a version of Mordenkainen’s Sanctum. No teleportation in and out of the temple. Entrance door can be opened via Knock upcast to 5th level. Massive violence can also open it. Otherwise there is a puzzle: A locked metal door blocks the entrance. Show the players Handout A when they approach it. The metallic frame surrounding the door bears twelve 6” square plates, each one etched with an elongated serpent. Four tiles are placed in the lintel and four are on either side of the door. Inspection of the tiles reveals they can be spun, allowing the serpent on each to face either towards the door, away from it, looking up or looking down. Spinning the tiles to orient the serpents’ facing produces different effects as in- dicated on the table on page 6. Lacking a keyhole, the door cannot be picked.
The whole level is dark, smells stale.
A2 First room: Dead Yuan-Ti on the floor, 4 Yuan-Ti statues in the corners, with ruby eyes. No visible signs of violence. Poisoned Tempest trap. If someone pries the gems from the statues, stone doors seal the room and the trap begins.
- A3 If someone leaves the entrance room and steps into the hallway the next trap is triggered, similar to The Path of Blades: 3 parts and the final rune. Part 1: Spears attack when someone passes through, first entrance + every turn in the area a PC gets targeted with 2 attacks at +10, 3d10 piercing + DC-15 CON ST or the PC’s movement is reduced to 5 ft. A4 Part 2: Crushing stones, wall, ceiling and floor stones move up and down, crushing PCs, DC-15 DEX ST or 3d10 bludgeoning damage and knocked prone. A5 Part 3: fiery blast, DC-15 DEX ST or 7d6 fire damage and a Rune of Fear above the hole in the ground. DC-15 WIS ST or the PC has to use their reaction and move back away from the rune, can use another action later and try to repeat the saving throw.
Pyramid Level 2
Level 2
B1 Entrance area. Hear noises coming from B3
B3 Yuan-Ti guards at entrance: appear first in human form and talk with the PCs (illusion via the Seeming spell), pretend that one is injured and needs help, try to draw them to the others, they give their names as Anne de Griis (human, red hair) and Gereon de Griis (blackbearded man), explorers from Amn. They say they were part of an exploration party, were injured by traps but found something amazing but their third brother Michel de is severely injured further down. Ask the PCs for help. If pressed about the Yuan-Ti, they will say that they were hired by the others (gave the names of Ilfan Ormaz), they were weird and abanonded the siblings when the trap sprung. In truth, they are 1 Yuan-Ti Pitmaster, 1 Yuan-Ti Malison.
Yuan-Ti Exploration party: 1 Yuan-Ti Anathema, 1 Yuan-Ti Mind Whisperer, 1 Yuan-Ti Abomination, 1 Yuan-Ti Malison.
B8 Central room: likely ambush by the exploration party. Room contains a large snake Iron Maiden. Used to perform the transformation ritual. If a PC is locked into the statue, the spike start the blood draining that feeds the ritual. Each round, the draining causes 2d6 piercing and 2d6 necrotic damage. A PC inside the apparatus can try to escape with a STR DC-20 check or a DC-15 lock-picking check. Roll a D100: 1-20 mindless broodguard, 21–90 Pureblood (stats shift, abilities, neutral evil alignment), 91–95 Yuan-Ti Abomination, 96-100 death but resurrection returns you in one of the other forms. After 1 hour DC-12 CON ST or the transformation becomes permanent. Yuan-Ti will try to grapple someone into the statue.
B5, B6, B7, B9, B10, B11, B12. Burial nooks: sarcophagi of old Serpentfolk priests, each contains jewels worth 1000 GP, old robes (worth 500 GP), and 1 snake key each.
B4 Southwestern, square room: Dozens of canopic jars, filled with snake guts. If a PC digs through them, a horrid smell comes out and causes 1 level of exhaustion, but they can find an Amulet of Health
B2 Room right to the south, depicts the rule of the serpent priests and their human sacrifices + transformation of human into snake abominations. Secret Exit, magic covers the door: DC-20 perception check to notice the door. Magically sealed. 7 hidden key slits, and an indention for a hand and a little prong to draw blood, only serpent-blooded can actually open the door: force a living Yuan-Ti, transform into a snake (Druid wildshape), have a PC become a Yuan-Ti Pureblood / Abomination in the snakewell.
Pyramid Level 3
Level 3
1d10: 1-3 Akuthla is in the library awake. 4–6 Akuthla is in the library sleeping, rest she is roaming around.
C1 Entrance, stone door.
C6, C6 Warrior sarcophagi: 8 Wight Champions (MME I, p.282) and 8 Wights buried. Once the phylactery is touched, they rise and attack any living creature. Wights can pursue through walls. An unending supply of simple skeleton warriors also appears.
C12, C13, C19, C20 Treasure vaults are in the corners: 4 in each room.
Rod of the Pactkeeper +2
Flametongue
Belt of Frost Giant Strength
Cloak of the Bat
Mantle of Spell Resistance
Winged Boots
Staff of Healing
Wand of Lightning Bolts
Dragon Scale Mail / Scorpion scale mail
Cloak of Displacement
Ring of Telekinesis
Arrow of Slaying (Human)
Absorbing Tattoo
Ghost Step Tattoo
Dragonhide Belt (+2)
+1 Dragon Wing Bow (randomize damage type).
C2 Central room: 50k Gold pieces (hard to transport)
C3 Room has hieroglyphs of the Serpent people’s history
C15 Northeastern room has a Yuan-Ti warrior statue and a secret door to the Phylactery Room (C16) (DC 22 perception check). Can also be found by killing Akuthla and seeing a silvery strand of magic flow to the room. Inside the room: The canopic jar, protected by a magical trap: Wall of Force + Cloudkill-6, hidden by Nystul’s aura. Detect Magic + Perception or Arcana check DC-22.
C17 Northwestern room: Snake statue of a priest that is holding the magical mirror.
C18 Secret passage in the Northwest: hidden, architects have been killed and shoved in here. DC-18 to find evidence of the mortar seal, one of the skeletons has a map that shows the extra room.
C4 Northern well: this is an altar to Sseth. PCs can regenerate all lost spell slots in exchange for sacrificing a human life (no resurrection): Depiction of a priest gaining an aura for human sacrifice.
C7 Main Library (South Room): A library of serpentfolk literature.
C8 Spell librayr. Powerful spell scrolls, written on human flesh. Determine randomly, 5 1st level, 5 2nd level, 4 3rd level, 3 4th level, 2 5th level, 1 6th level, Roll D100: 1–89: nothing, 90-95 1 7th level, 96–99 1 8th level, 100 1 9th level. Also contains the banishment ritual scroll. C9 Secret room, DC-22 Perception check to discover opening mechanism. Contains 1 level 9 spell scroll (determine randomly).
C10 Resting/sleeping quarters for Akuthla.
C11 A room with a beetle bath. Akuthla can lie down in a bed of beetles and they will crawl over her and seal cracks in her undead skin with beetle slime.
C14 Empty.
Meeting the Lich:
PCs can negotiate with the sorcerer-priest-lich for information about the ritual of banishment and the mirror but lich will protect the Phylactery. The lich is interested in outside visitors and, at times, also confused and insane. May think of the PCs as a tool to escape the temple. Lich also knows the word of banishment, but failing to deliver the phylactery draws the ire of Paimoraxxas. The lich developed the banishment ritual with the help of Paimoraxxas, but her plan was foiled by traitors. She was trapped inside the temple. To avoid her soul being surrendered, she turned herself into a lich. The lich would like to leave and for that an enchantment on the pyramids top has to be broken (the top of the pyramid is made from a dark metal). Lich can offer the Word of Banishment and + the magical treasure from the vault. PCs can either try to steal the phylactery and escape before the Lich kills them or make a deal with the Lich, but that will bring the wrath of Paimoraxxas.
Lich only speaks Yuan-Ti and Infernal.
Akuthla is a LevelUp Lich.