Page 145 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

Two of the five books are blank. The others include • Any creature that steps through the mirror is tele-
Matrons of the Sunless Depths (a treatise on the im- ported, along with all its worn and carried items, to
portance of the drow matriarchy, written in Elvish by the top of the 60-foot shaft in area 22a, whereupon the
Vlonwelv Auvryndar), The Poison Chalice (a fictional creature falls and takes 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage
tale of political intrigue in the city of Menzoberranzan, on impact.
written in Elvish by an unknown author), and Demonic • The first creature to fall for the trap triggers a magic
Infestations (a collection of stories about demonic pos- mouth spell in area 22a. Halaster's mouth appears
session, written in Common). None of the books are on a wall and says, in Common, "You fell for it! Get it?
especially valuable. Fell for it?! Ha ha ha ha!"
14D. MIRROR GATE TO LEVEL 7 17. THE DARK SELDARINE
Bed. A zurkhwood bed draped by a spider silk canopy
These temples are dedicated to the Dark Seldarine,
stands against the north wall. a pantheon of drow gods under Lolth. Each room has
Mirror. A tall, rectangular mirror is mounted on the walls that rise lS feet, then angle inward to a central
east wall. The mirror is one of Halaster's magic gates point 30 feet above the middle of the floor.
(see "Gates," page 12).
17A. TEMPLE OF GHAUNADAUR
Etched into the bottom of the mirror's stone frame are
Ghaunadaur, a god of subterranean horrors, is re-
the letters T-U-0-Y-A-W (a reflection of W-A-Y-0-U-T).
spected and feared by many Underdark races, including
This gate's rules are as follows:
drow. This temple contains the following features:
• If a creature speaks the words "Way out!" while point-
Green Slime. Each 10-foot-wide, lS-foot-high section of
ing at the mirror, the gate opens for 1 minute.
• Characters must be 9th level or higher to pass through vertical wall is covered with six S-foot-square patches
this gate (see "Jhesiyra Kestellharp," page 10). The of green slime (see "Dungeon Hazards" in chapter S of
the Dungeon Master's Guide).
first creature to pass through the gate triggers an el-
Secret Door. The slime obscures a secret door. Ability
der rune (see "Elder Runes," page 12).
checks made to search the walls for secret doors are
• A creature that passes through the gate appears in
area 41 on level 7, in the closest unoccupied space made with disadvantage until the slime is scraped off
the section of wall in which the secret door is hidden.
next to the identical gate located there.
Altar. What appears at first viewing to be a glistening
15. SCREAMING SKULLS altar of variegated gray stone is, in fact, a hollow glass
altar with three psychic gray oozes sealed inside it.
Collapse. The eastern branch of this hallway has col-
lapsed. A search of the rubble yields nothing of value. The glass altar is a Large object with AC 11, SS hit
Skulls. The western branch contains six large piles of points, immunity to damage from nonmagical weapons
drow skulls (each marked with an X on map 10). that aren't adamantine, and immunity to acid, poison,
and psychic damage.
Muiral collected the skulls long ago, and the drow
The gray oozes attack all creatures that enter the
have chosen not to disturb them. A creature that ap- room using their Psychic Crush action option (see the
proaches within S feet of a pile can hear faint, dying "Variant: Psychic Gray Oozes" sidebar in the "Oozes"
screams emanating from the skulls. A skull removed entry in the Monster Manual). While contained in the al-
from a pile falls silent.
tar, the oozes have total cover, their speed is 0 feet, and
they can't attack with their pseudopods.
16. FALSE MIRROR GATE
Mirror. Mounted to the north wall above a rectangular 17B. TEMPLE OF KIARANSALEE
dais is a 6-foot-tall oval mirror set in a stone frame This temple of Kiaransalee, drow god of undeath, reeks
carved to look like Halaster's yawning face, the mirror of decay and contains the following:
forming his wide-open mouth. Altar. An altar made of humanoid skulls and bones
Dais. Etched on the floor of the dais are the words "Flat- rests near the south wall.
tery will get you everywhere." Decor and Secret Door. Embedded in the walls are
Statues. Flanking the dais are two petrified hook drow skeletons posed as if dancing. One skeleton
horrors that look like carved statues. (The hook hor- along the south wall is missing its head (behind it is a
rors pose no danger in their current state. Casting a secret door that won't budge).
greater restoration spell or similar magic on one re-
Only an undead creature or a creature possessed by
stores it to flesh and blood, whereupon it attacks.)
one can open this secret door without the aid of a knock
The mirror looks like one of Halaster's magic gates spell or similar magic.
and functions similarly (see "Gates," page 12). Its If a character kneels before the altar and offers a
rules are as follows: prayer to Kiaransalee, or leaves a respectful offering on
If a creature stands atop the dais and says something the altar, the room grows markedly colder as the silent
flattering about Halaster, the mirror vanishes, reveal- ghost of a drow priestess materializes next to the altar
ing a dusty corridor beyond that leads off into dark- and tries to possess the nearest humanoid creature. If it
ness. This corridor is an illusion. succeeds, the ghost uses its host to open the secret door,

l-EVEL 10 I MUIRAL"S GAUNTLET