Page 81 - Tales from the Yawning Portal

32. THE PORTAL TO DEATH releasing any victims to plummet into the 15-foot-deep
pie. A fall into the pit deals 11 (2d10) bludgeoning dam-
age. The spikes are hard rubber wrapped around balsa
Behind the concealed entrance is a narrow tunnel that wood. placed for artistic effect.
slants down and away. The passage is barely four feet in Southern Door. The image on the southern door is
diameter, and the walls are carved with a profusion of the infinity symbol, representing the dual-god, the su-
preme god of creation. The door isn't latched, but it is
ancient and weird glyphs. The floor of the tunnel is slick
stuck shut. A detect magic spell cast on it reveals that
with a molten, glassy glaze.
an aura of conjuration magic emanates from beyond the
door. It takes a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics)
These nonmagical glyphs are of two types. Some are 01- check to bash the door open. If a creature does so, the
man curses cautioning and cursing trespassers; others door gives way suddenly, dumping the gate-crasher into
are arcane symbols of abjuration, which is apparent to a narrow space ahead. Any creature that enters this
anyone who has proficiency in the Arcana skill. space is teleported to the west end of area 15, just out-
side the painted mural on the wall.
Double Doors. The message on the seal, written in
The tunnel opens out two feet above the floor of a corri- Olman, reads, "Beware! Beyond this door is death!"
dor running north and south. Three exits are visible, one Once the seal is broken by opening the doors, it may
at either end of the hallway and a set of double doors on not be used to reseal the doors. The gold in the seal is
worth 250 gp.
the midpoint of the western wall.
The door is trapped, but the only evidence of this fact
The door to the north is barred, though it seems to
is concealed within the door frame and under the stucco
have no latch. The image of a bear holding a disk of ob- on the ceiling, completely hidden. When the doors are
sidian is set in its face. The lintel of the door is carved in pushed open, five heavy crossbows, set in the ceiling of
the form of entwined serpents. the room beyond, fire. Two are aimed toward each door,
and the last is aimed down the center of the two doors.
The southern door is plated in bronze. Etched on it is
The crossbows have a +6 bonus to hit, and each deals 5
a symbol of two circles joined. The path leading up to it
(ldlO) piercing damage.
has a depression in the stone floor, as though it has been
worn smooth by the passage of countless feet. 33. THE TOMB OF TLACAELEL
The floor in front of the central doorway is sunken and (Tlah-kah-AYL-ayl)
glazed. Affixed across the double doors is a golden seal
one foot in diameter with ancient glyphs scribed into it.
Beyond the door is a pillared porch overlooking a cham-
To open this door, it appears that the golden seal must
ber that contains a model of a city. Arrayed on the porch
be broken. Ancient glyphs are scribed on the seal. To
are numerous clay statues of guards holding bronze-
either side on the lintel of the door are barely discernible
headed spears. The face of each statue is different, as if
scratches, and brown stains stipple the wall and floor.
they were modeled from different subjects. Next to each
statue is a small, glazed clay pot. The walls are decorated
Northern Door. Even after the bar is removed, the with brightly colored frescoes depicting a royal court in
false door will not open. It appears to open outward, but ceremonial garb and a king arrayed with his armies.
when a character pushes against it, three arms spring
There is a chill in the chamber beyond, like that of a
out from the lintel and surround the character. Spotting
brisk winter morning. In the center of the room is an
these arms among the entwined serpents in the lintel re-
quires a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check. enormous, tarnished copper raft, crafted to resemble a
The arms are treated as a pressure plate (see "The dragon, bearing a copper coffin. The raft is afloat on a
Ruins: General Features" at the beginning of the adven- sea of silvery-white, flowing metal, fed by several rivers
ture) if a character attempts to jam them in place to keep that trail along the floor of the room. The flowing liquid
them from moving.
appears to be cool.
A character caught in the trap can wriggle free only
Between the waterways, stepped pyramid-temples rise
with a successful DC 20 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
Otherwise, unconfined characters can attempt to free skyward in mute paean to the gods of ancient Olman.
a victim. The combined effort of two characters with a Three of the pyramids appear to have tops that can be
total Strength of 30 or higher is needed to pry back each removed. In the rest of the area, a royal complex sprawls
arm, taking 1 round to move each one.
across verdant fields, and courtyards and ringed market-
After a victim has been trapped for 5 rounds, the cover
places dot the miniature countryside. There is a blight on
to a 5-foot-square pit starts to drop open. The pit is
lined with spikes. The cover fully opens in 2 rounds, at this spectacle, however, for several of the models have
which point the arms swiftly spring back into the lintel, been smashed and melted.

CHAPTER 3 I THE HIDDEN SHRINE OF TAMOACHAN
80