Page 153 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

EXPLORING THIS LEVEL characters the secret door that leads to area 2d and
allow them to take the treasure that's there. If the char-
All location descriptions for this level are keyed acters are unintentional participants in the troglodytes'
to map 11. escape, the troglodytes offer up the treasure only if they
are subsequently threatened.
1. AUVRYNDAR WATCH POST
2B. ARCH GATE TO LEVEL 6
Ceiling. The concave ceiling of this cavern rises to a
height of 20 feet. A stone arch is embedded in the west wall of this
Sentries. A female drow elite warrior named Ventrid 10-foot-high cave, just around the corner from the en-
Xil'talan leads six drow (two females and four males). trance tunnel. The arch is one of Halaster's gates (see
"Gates," page 12). Carved into the arch's keystone is a
The drow, loyal to House Auvryndar, are tasked with hand-shaped indentation with a sigil representing magic
guarding the tunnel that leads up to level 10. They am-
scribed into the palm. Its rules are as follows:
bush and kill any non-drow coming from that direction.
• Casting the mage hand cantrip and pressing its spec-
TREASURE tral fingers into the keystone's indentation opens the
Ventrid wears an obsidian scarab engraved with the in- gate for 1 minute.
signia of House Auvryndar (25 gp) and a spider-shaped Characters must be 9th level or higher to pass through
crystal ring set with a black pearl (750 gp). this gate (see "Jhesiyra Kestellharp," page 10). The
first creature to pass through the gate triggers an el-
2. CAPTURED TROGLODYTES der rune (see "Elder Runes," page 12).
• A creature that passes through the gate appears in
The cracked bones and skulls of small creatures hunted
by the troglodytes litter the tunnels leading to this area, area 40 on level 6, in the closest unoccupied space
next to the identical gate located there.
marking the borders of territory that once belonged to
their clans. The invading drow from levels 10 and 12
2c. AMORAL DILEMMA
have enslaved the troglodytes that once dwelled here
Monsters. At the north end of the cave, five male drow
and have traded occupation of this area more than once.
The drow of House Auvryndar are currently in control. elite warriors are holding eleven troglodyte young
(Small noncombatants) at sword point. A male drow
2A. TROGLODYTE CHAIN GANG mage named Tsabdrar Do'ett is contemplating what to
The air in this cavern is heavy with the stench of twen- do with the troglodyte young.
ty-two adult troglodytes. They wear iron shackles on Crates. Zurkhwood crates half filled with iron chains
their ankles and are chained together while awaiting and shackles stand in the south end of the cave.
relocation to Muiral's Gauntlet (level 10). Secret Door. A seam in the rock wall reveals a secret
A shackled troglodyte's speed is halved, and it can't swivel door covered with oily troglodyte secretions.
move more than 5 feet away from the other troglodytes Anything that touches the oily door carries the mildly
it is chained to. The drow mage in area 2c has the keys revolting stench of troglodytes for 1 hour or until the
to the shackles. A character can pick the lock on a set of item is washed. The stench is not as potent as a troglo-
shackles with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using dyte's Stench trait and imposes no conditions on those
thieves' tools. who catch a whiff of it.
Even if they are freed, the troglodytes won't flee this The drow mage is deciding whether to kill the troglo-
area while the drow are holding their young (see area dyte young, because they are too small to be shackled.
2c). Although initially fearful, the troglodytes engage His inclination is to do so, and only the characters'
with the characters in an attempt to turn them against interference stays his hand. Tsabdrar carries keys that
the drow. They promise treasure in exchange for freeing
unlock the shackles stored in this room as well as the
them and their young. Characters who don't speak Trog- shackles on the troglodytes in area 2a.
lodyte and don't have access to a tongues spell or similar The drow investigate any commotion in area 2a and
magic can use gestures, pictures, or other crude meth- attack intruders who appear to be aiding or influenc-
ods to communicate with the troglodytes on a rudimen- ing the troglodytes. If the characters aren't doing so
tary level. Getting a message across in this way requires (or if they are able to negotiate an end to any initial
a successful DC 15 Charisma (Performance) check. hostilities), the drow are willing to bargain with them.
If the characters show no interest in aiding them, the They explain that a behir has been rampaging through
troglodytes begin to bow down and chant loudly, as if this level, killing all the creatures it encounters. If the
worshiping the characters. They try to catch the atten- characters defeat the behir- and eliminate any drow of
tion of the drow in area 2c, hoping this display will an- House Freth they encounter along the way-Tsabdrar
ger the drow and prompt them to attack the characters. promises that House Auvryndar will let them keep the
The troglodytes enter any fight against the drow, un- behir's hoard. He also promises to spare the troglodyte
der the limitations of their shackles. If they can, they children. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check
focus their attacks on Tsabdrar Do'ett (see area 2c), hop- confirms that both assurances are false.
ing to acquire the key to the shackles. Any freed troglo- Treasure. Each drow wears an obsidian scarab en-
dyte tears into the drow with a vengeance. graved with the insignia of House Auvryndar (25 gp).
If the characters help to liberate the troglodytes and Tsabdrar also carries a thin, leather-bound spellbook
their young from the drow, the troglodytes show the containing the spells he has prepared.

LEVEL 11 I TROGLODYTE WARRENS