Page 170 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

Mateen and Tendra have come from Shadowdusk Both prisoners have been strung up to face the wall,
Hold (level 22) on the orders of Halaster Blackcloak. Un- their bare backs covered in blood from the cuts inflicted
der the guise of seeking an alliance between Shadow- by Erelal Freth's scourge.
dusk Hold and House Freth, they have extended an offer One of the prisoners is Hatchrin Alet'taz, consort of
to Drivvin Freth to become the Mad Mage's newest ap- Erelal Freth and the father of her unborn eleventh child.
prentice. Drivvin has told the two that he needs time to He is unarmed and unarmored, and has 3 hit points re-
make his decision, and now the emissaries have grown maining. Erelal is torturing him because she received a
anxious waiting for his answer. report that someone close to her was planning to poison
Both emissaries show evidence of their (false) interest her child after its birth, then found a vial of poison on
in currying favor with House Freth by coming to its de- his person. (The false report and the planting of the poi-
fense if Spiderwatch Keep is attacked, but they flee the son are both the work of Drivvin Freth, who wants to get
fortress if Erelal and Drivvin both fall in battle. Hatchrin out of his sister's life.) Hatchrin promises any
service to characters who can help him regain Erelal's
19G. KITCHEN AND PANTRY trust and thus enable him to see the birth of his child.
The main room of this area is a kitchen, with counters The other drow prisoner is a House Auvryndar spy
and cupboards lining the outer wall. Two unarmed named Varrn Telenna. He is unarmed and unarmored,
and unarmored male drow named Elendar and Farril and has 6 hit points remaining. Erelal has finished in-
prepare meals here for the residents of the keep. Geas terrogating him, and Varrn is beyond caring whether
spells regularly cast by Drivvin prevent the two cooks he lives or dies. If he is set free, Varrn thanks the
from poisoning the food or drink. characters, praises Lolth for sparing his life, and plots
The smaller room east of the kitchen is a well- his escape.
stocked pantry. Treasure. The cradle is dressed in spider silk blan-
kets. Six tiny jeweled spiders (250 gp each) hang from
19H. BATH the cradle's canopy by silver threads.
An iron tub stands in this area, with an iron pump The black casket is a false offering of fealty brought
nearby. The pump draws water from an underground by the Shadowdusk emissaries. It is set with mother-of-
hot spring beneath the fortress to fill the tub. pearl and emblazoned with a painted gold emblem of the
Shadowdusk family: a lit torch with three trailing em-
191. DRIVVIN'S STUDY
bers, turned upside down. The casket weighs 15 pounds
Cape. A long black cape with silver, web-like embroidery and is worth 250 gp as an art object. Its purple velvet
and a silver spider clasp hangs from a peg by the door. lining holds a gold music box worth 2,500 gp.
Furnishings. An ornate zurkhwood lectern stands bare
in the middle of the room. At the foot of the lectern sits 19K. MOTHER AND BROTHER
an adamantine chest with spider-shaped handles. As the characters approach any of the doors to this area,
they hear a female voice shouting in Elvish, followed by
Treasure. The cape hanging by the door is a splendid
garment worth 250 gp. a male voice's muted responses. Erelal Freth is chastis-
The chest has an arcane lock spell cast on it that ing her brother Drivvin for his repeated failures to bring
only Drivvin can ignore. A knock spell or similar magic the minotaurs of the southern caves under drow control.
opens the chest, which is otherwise impregnable. The The western door has an arcane lock spell cast on it
chest's interior is divided into compartments and con- that only drow wearing the obsidian scarab insignia of
tains a pair of black leather boots, an empty water skin, House Freth can ignore. The room's occupants and con-
a petrified basilisk egg, spider silk sack containing 175 tents are as follows:
pp, a potion of vitality, and two thick spell books. Drow. Erelal Freth, a pregnant drow priestess ofLolth,
The spellbooks contain all the spells Drivvin Freth reclines on a cushioned crystal divan of web-like de-
has prepared, plus animate dead, animate objects, anti- sign in the middle of the room. Two male drow are at-
magic field, arcane lock, fabricate, finger of death, fire- tending Erelal while Drivvin Freth, a drow archmage,
ball, geas, globe of invulnerability, ray of enfeeblement, paces angrily around the room.
spider climb, and stone shape. Cabinet. A glass-fronted cabinet against the north wall
contains a crystal decanter of mushroom wine and
19J. ERELAL'S SANCTUM several varnished zurkhwood goblets.
Erelal uses this area to engage in numerous dark plea- Shrine. Against the east wall stands an impressive sil-
sures. The room contains the following: ver shrine to Lolth (see "Shrine of Lolth" below).
Prisoners. Two male drow hang suspended from man- Erelal wears a flowing black and silver gown instead
acled iron chains anchored to the curved outer wall. of armor, giving her AC 12, but is still armed with her
Two other sets of manacles hang empty. scourge. The male drow with her are Chaszantar and
Cradle. Against the south wall, between the two doors, Ulgreth, two sycophants vying to become her new con-
is an ornate cradle carved with spiders and fitted with sort. They both wear spider silk togas instead of armor,
a protective web-like canopy. giving them AC 12.
Table. On a small table next to the cradle sits a small Erelal is a mere thirty days away from giving birth
black casket. The table has a lower shelf with a ring of to her eleventh child, but she refuses to let her preg-
iron keys resting on it. (The keys unlock the manacles nancy interfere with her work: the destruction of House
in this room.)

LEVEL 12 I MAZE LEVEL