Billhook Blog

The Catacomb of the Blighted Skull

Background:

• 300 years ago Queen Nura conquered the small kingdom of Rularn, taking the bear as her symbol and swearing fealty to Penna, a minor goddess of the region's largest river (often associated with protection, ferocity, and bears). [Common knowledge]
• Eventually one of the dragons of the region, Ixamir, a full grown Red, took notice of Rularn as it became prosperous. As tribute to Ixamir Nura ambushed and slew a smaller rival Garundan (a Green). The two formed a pact that regular tribute would be paid to Ixamir each generation. [Common Knowledge]
• Ixamir carved the terms of the pact into the skull of Garundan after burning the flesh from the severed head with his black fire. The skull must be presented during the tribute payments to prove that the human ruler has inherited the responsibilities and privileges of Queen Nura. [Rare Knowledge]
• 3 years ago a band of goblins ambushed King Josel during a hunt and slew him along with his only heir. Marjorie, the head of a cadet branch of the family was crowned Queen. [Common Knowledge]
• Several family secrets were lost including the location of Queen Nura's final resting place, and the Skull of Garundan The Catacomb of the Blighted Skull. [Secret Knowledge]
• The goblin ambush was arranged by Cyrtossel, Captain of the Russet Guard. Cyrtossel has been suffering from a gradually worsening degenerative neurological illness for a century and snapped at a perceived insult by King Josel. He now wants to see Rularn burned down to stubble. Cyrtossel knows the location of the catacomb. [Secret Knowledge]
• Cyrtossel was friends with Queen Nura and has served as Captain of the Russet Guard since it's inception. [Common Knowledge]
• In mere months it will be time for Marjorie to pay tribute to Ixamir. There have been reports of the old Red prowling in the foothills of the nearby Dogtooth Mountains. [Common Knowledge]
• Maron Iisk, the dwarf who architected The Catacomb and directed it's construction still lives in the town of Penncross. Maron has long ago given up the working of stone and lives as a simple carpenter. [Secret Knowledge]

The party has come to the town of Penncross in search of employment, and found it. They are in the home of a dwarven carpenter Maron Iisk consulting with their new employer Hesta Morn, seneschal to Marjorie, Queen Designate of Rularn. The task at hand? Sneak into the Keep at Penncross, make their way to the chapel (K16) where they will find a secret trap door behind the altar, descend to the Catacomb of the Blighted Skull and find The Skull of Garundan then deliver it to Marjorie so that the dragon pact may be honored and tribute paid to Dread Ixamir the Red. Cyrtossel, Captain of the Russet Guard cannot be trusted, but there is no evidence of treachery therefore he and his men must be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately Maron Iisk is very old and his memory is failing, he's said that many a danger awaits in the Catacomb and that the stone of the place is wrong, but he cannot say more.

If Statistics for Cyrtossel or members of The Russet Guard are necessary use Knight (p. 232) and Soldier (p. 256) respectively.

The halls below the keep are worked into the rock of the hillside the keep sits atop. The walls are smooth, the floors are set with large flagstones, the doors are of heavy oak bound with iron strips, the place has not seen the light of a torch or lantern for nearly 20 years but the walls have iron torch sconces with unburnt torches at regular intervals ~1 per 15ft^2.

1. The spiral staircase descends 30', straightens out, and opens into a wide room, there are two closed doors.

2. At the far end of this room is a squat stone table topped with a bowl of sand and a roll of leather. Behind the table is tapestry depicting a regal woman in chainmail who bears a black hafted spear.

   • the roll of leather contains sandalwood incense (20gp)
   • The tapestry conceals a secret door leading to room 4.

3. Narrow hall extends 20' then opens into a chamber with double doors to the right.

   • A pressure plate the width of the chamber extends 5' from the wall with the doors. Depressing the plate releases a burst of spores from small holes in the ceiling. Characters within near of the door become anosmic (lose their sense of smell) and save Con DC 12 or lose 1d3 Con and 1d3 Wis, after 1 day save again or anosmia lasts 1 month.

4. This room is too large to be lit by a single torch from the doorway. Immediately visible are entrances to rooms 5 and 12. At the edge of the torchlight is a large stone chest in the middle of the room. Upon opening the door there is an immediate strong acrid smell. The floor of this room has narrow vents placed between the flagstones intermittently throughout.

   • The large stone chest is set into the floor. It is locked with a complex tumbler lock (DC 18 to pick). Contains 6 bags of 50 ancient silver coins (value 300gp total), Gold censer decorated with hooded, skeletal figures (70 gp), the censer contains one use of alchemical incense (100gp) that if burned will ward against noxious fumes for 1 hour (treat as a new torch).
   • The floor vents lead down into the earth and have filled the room with heavy alkaline vapors. Any character ending their movement in the room must save Con DC 12 or take 1d6 damage, the smell of the gas makes the danger obvious to any who can smell.
   • Any door leading into the room if left open will allow the adjoining room to fill with the vapors. After 3 crawling rounds that room will also require saves to avoid damage, DC 9 or take 1d6 damage. After 5 crawling rounds the DC becomes 12.

5. This room contains numerous small niches each with a bust of a former monarch of Rularn. The Ghost (p. 221) of King Josel occupies this room. He is mad with grief at his betrayal and the death of his daughter Nura and attempts to possess the first living person he sees and use their body to kill Cyrtossel. If the party manages to reason with him he can tell them the passphrase to enter room 9 safely. He may also be willing to reveal the location of the Iron Key in room 7 especially if the party promise to kill Cyrtossel. Josel will not knowingly allow any of Queen Nura I's possessions to be removed from the Catacomb.

6. Aside from dust this room is empty. There are two sconces on the wall opposite the door 10' apart. The sconce on the left can be pulled to open the trapdoor and pushed to close it.

   • 5x5 trap door, a character that stands on it must save Dex DC 15 or fall down the 30' shaft taking 3d6 damage. The shaft has a ladder leading down to the bottom and at the bottom is a door to room 7.

7. Empty except for a wooden table atop which is a Heavy Iron Key (opens the chest in room 4) and a wooden ring carved with knot pattern.

   • Ring of the Dryads, 1/day step into a tree and out through another of the same kind familiar to you within 10 miles.

8. Aside from dust this room is empty, set into the middle of the floor by manner of expertly cut stone are the words "Pay the Tribute. Uphold the Pact".

9. Against the far wall of this room is a wide stone pedestal flanked by pennants hanging from the wall. Atop the pedestal rests The Skull of Gurandan. A Black Pudding (p. 203) hangs suspended from the ceiling in this room, set here to defend the skull by a long dead court wizard. If the phrase "I come to pay tribute and uphold the pact" is spoken before entering the room the Black Pudding will not attack.

10. Mummified bear crouches in this room head up facing the door. Stats as Brown Bear p. 198. Add to the bear statistics: always succeeds morale, Desiccated and Necrosis traits from Mummy p. 236. Doesn't need to breathe.

11. The walls of this room are adorned with mosaics depicting scenes of a warrior-queen. If examined, even from the doorway, it is apparent that there is a 1cm diameter hole at each point where 3 or more mosaic chips meet.

    a. leading warriors on horseback across a field b. directing the construction of a keep c. slaying a huge bear with a heavy spear d. kneeling to a huge figure haloed woman crowned with a bear head (Penna, local goddess of protection, ferocity, the river bears her name) e. standing astride the corpse of a Green Dragon, hand on the spear protruding from it's neck f. standing in front of a large Red Dragon. The head of the Green Dragon at their feet along with several bags, one open and spilling coins.

    Stepping on the rooms flagstones triggers dart traps hidden in the walls. Each flagstone depressed results in 1d4+1 dart attacks (+2 to hit, 1d4 damage). Darts fire from either side of the room at each trigger, the flagstones near the bier will fire darts from the wall on the same side of the bier.

    There is a bier in the center of the room with the mummified remains of Queen Nura. She wears a suit of Dwarf-forged Mithral chain mail (240 gp) and a bear claw suspended from a gold chain (50gp) and is clutching the spear Heart-Taker across her breast. Bear spear, blackened ash handle, pattern welded blade with long lugs. +2 weapon, d8 dmg die, can't be thrown, can be set against a charge, if a hit is made against a charging opponent they stop just out of normal weapon reach.

12. The portal has no door, but holes line the top, the room is full of vapors from [4]. This room is unadorned except for a shield (silver inlay, blue pearls 80gp) and two painted spears mounted on the back wall. Lifting the shield from the wall causes a heavy portcullis to drop across the portal, DC 18 strength to lift, if two people attempt gain advantage. Retry each round, impossible to hold breath while lifting.

If the Skull of Gurandan is secured Queen Designate Marjorie is incredibly grateful and pays the PCs 50gp each as well as the value of any art objects secured from the Catacomb. She does not knowingly allow the party to keep Heart-taker or any of Queen Nura's other grave goods. Cyrtossel is questioned pointedly as to why he did not reveal the location of the skull. Not having a good answer he will attempt to flee, 3 in 6 chance he's able to jump out a window and swear vengeance unless the party stops him.