Page 16 - Tales from the Yawning Portal
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walls of the pit are rough, and they offer handholds to
climbers. Area 12 begins on its far side.
Creature. A quasit named Jot was bound in the
southwestern alcove an age ago to guard the contents
of the sarcophagus in area 12. It was in suspended
animation until a few decades ago, and it now waits on
the other side of the arch just out of sight in area 12. Jot
is alerted by any light source the characters have, so it
can prepare for them. (If the characters have no light
source and are stealthy,Jot might not become aware
of them.) The quasit darts out of its hiding place and
attacks the first creature that climbs out of the pit on the
western side.
Development. Jot doesn't fight to the death. If it takes
any damage, or if more than one character attacks it,
Jot laughs and says, "You broke the binding. My watch
over the dragonpriest is over!" It uses its next action to
become invisible. It then turns into a bat and flies along
the 10-foot-high ceiling across the pit.
If Jot escapes, the characters might see it again. It
knows that death on the Material Plane means a return
to the Abyss, so it prefers to harass the characters while
they are otherwise engaged, laughing and mocking as
it does so.
Secret Door. Finding the door on the southern wall
requires a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception)
check. The door opens with a simple push inward.
11. SECRET ROOM
prevents it from doing so. The door can be opened from
Dust coats the contents of this tiny chamber, obscuring
the western side with a simple push. I I
runes inscribed on the southern wall.
10. HONOR GUARD
Inscription. If the southern wall is cleared of dust,
Dust cloaks the contents of this twenty-foot-wide hall. the runes are revealed to be a message in Draconic.
Six alcoves line the walls, three to the north and three to Someone who can read the language understands it as
"A dragonpriest entombed alive for transgressions of the
the south. Each alcove except the southwest one holds a
Law still retains the honor of his position."
humanoid figure carved of red-veined white marble. The
Secret Door. A secret trapdoor in the floor requires
figures resemble tall elves in plate armor. A stone arch- a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check to find.
way at the west end of the hall opens into a wide room The door opens by pulling it upward. It leads to a 3-foot-
from which greenish light glows. A dark pit is situated by-3-foot crawl space that connects to a similar trapdoor
before the archway. in area 12.
12. TOMB OF A FAILED DRAGONPRIEST
Southwest Alcove. A successful DC 10 Wisdom
(Perception) check reveals that the dust in the room
Violet marble tiles cover the floor and walls, though all
is disturbed by tracks that start in the southwest al-
cove, though the tracks are filled in enough that the are cracked or broken, revealing rough-hewn stone be-
disturbance must have occurred dozens of years ago. neath. Sconces are attached to the walls at each corner.
A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check enables a One holds a torch that burns with greenish fire. A marble
character to determine that the tracks were made by tiny sarcophagus, easily nine feet long, lies in the room's
humanoid feet with claw-like nails. They begin in the
center. The coffin is carved with dragon imagery, and
center of the alcove, move west toward the pit, and then
the head of the sarcophagus resembles a dragon's head.
disappear into the pit. A character who enters the pit to
follow the tracks must make another successful DC 10 Rusting iron clasps firmly lock down the lid.
Wisdom (Survival) check to pick up the trail again.
Spiked Pit. The pit is 10 feet deep, and its bottom is
Torch. The greenish fire is a continual flame spell.
filled with spikes that deal 11 (2d10) piercing damage
Sarcophagus. Six rusted iron latches hold down
to a creature that falls in, as well as falling damage. The
the sarcophagus lid. Opening a single latch requires a
CHAPTER I I THE SUNLESS CITADEL
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