Page 193 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

39c. CRYSTALIGHT BOUDOIR Under certain conditions, it transforms into a nalfesh-
nee (see area 40c). The pedestal also transforms if it
Chandeliers. Four crystal chandeliers hang from the takes damage. With Halaster's help, Arcturia pressed
ceiling, bathing the chamber in magical light. the demon into service. Its primary task is to guard the
Harpsichord. A living unseen servant (see appendix A)
plays a harpsichord in the southeast corner. Because lich's phylactery. While in pedestal form, the demon
the unseen servant is invisible, the harpsichord seems is unaffected by the weapon of mass disintegration
to be playing by itself. in area 37.
Treasure. When the proper command word is spoken
Dancers. Waltzing about the room are a resplendently ("palimpsest"), tall stone bookshelves magically pro-
dressed man and woman. The man wears a gold ruf· trude from the north wall. The shelves are inaccessible
fled shirt and blue trousers, while the woman wears a otherwise. Packed into these shelves are dozens of spell-
ruffled blue ball gown and a gold tiara.
books that Arcturia has accumulated over the years.
The living unseen servant plays the harpsichord tire- They contain most of the wizard spells in the Player's
lessly and fights only in self-defense. Handbook, plus any others of your choosing.
A detect magic spell reveals auras of transmutation All the 8th-level and 9th-level spells that can be found
magic around the dancers who, in truth, are a mated are contained in Arcturia's personal spellbook, which
pair of young blue dragons. The dragons are Arcturia's magically changes its appearance each dawn. When
guests, and their names are Nystalancer and Venasorrn. first discovered, it has black crystal covers and gold-leaf
With the help of Arcturia's magic, they are experiencing pages engraved with arcane runes and phrases. The
what it's like to be human and pay no attention to new book is titled Arcturia's Arcane Esoterica: Vol. IX, and it
arrivals. If the music stops or either of them is touched contains the following spells: antimagic field, astral pro-
or harmed by another creature, the dragons revert to jection, dominate monster, feeblemind, gate, incendiary
their true forms simultaneously and attack. Their cloth- cloud, power word kill, power word stun, shapechange,
ing and jewelry merge into their new forms. Arcturia- telepathy, true polymorph, and wish.
doom is not their lair, and they keep no treasure here.
40C. ARCTURIA'S PHYLACTERY
1
40. ARCTURIA S CHAMBERS A niche in the north wall holds a small box made of
purple crystal- Arcturia's phylactery. The phylactery
Arcturia has cleared out an old dwarven crypt and
turned it into her private sanctum. does not detect as magical. If the characters remove the
phylactery from this room, the demonic pedestal in area
40A. SENTINEL STATUE 40b transforms into a nalfeshnee and attacks them.
Destroying this phylactery leaves Arcturia with no
Statue. Standing in the middle of this 30-foot-high room means to rejuvenate once her physical form is destroyed.
is a life-size statue of a dwarf in plate armor, wearing The object can be destroyed only after being digested
a bucket helm and standing at attention atop a block of in the stomach of a mimic for three days. A legend Jore
stone that measures 3 feet on a side.
Secret Door. Set into the north wall is a secret door that spell or similar magic reveals the exact method of the
phylactery's destruction.
swings open into area 40b.
The dwarf statue is inseparable from its base, and its 41. WATCHFUL PILLARS
base is inseparable from the floor. If anyone other than Two stone pillars, each carved with dozens of lidless
Arcturia opens the secret door, the statue transforms eyes facing in all directions, flank a double door.
into a 6-inch-thick wall of stone that bisects the room The doors swing inward, revealing a 10-foot-wide
from east to west, creating separate chambers to the landing at the top of a staircase that descends hundreds
north and south. The wall is permanent. Each 10-foot-
square section of it has AC 15, 180 hit points, and immu- of feet to level 15, area 1.
nity to poison and psychic damage.
AFTERMATH
40B. ARCTURIA'S LIBRARY Arcturia returns to her home periodically to peruse her
Pedestal. A 5-foot-tall stone pedestal carved in the spellbooks, place new polymorph traps throughout the
likeness of a nalfeshnee demon stands near the level, and alter the conditions that trigger existing ones,
southern wall. as needed. If intruders have laid waste to her defenses,
Secret Door and Trap. A secret door in the east wall she might forge an alliance with the mind flayers on
opens into area 40c. The 10-foot-square space in front level 17, intending to secure an illithid security force to
of the secret door contains a polymorph trap (see further strengthen her hold on this level. If the dragons
"Polymorph Traps," page 180). in area 39c are still alive, Arcturia bribes them into
guarding the tunnels leading to levels 13 and 15.
A detect magic spell reveals auras of transmutation Defeating Emberosa and her giants stalls the prog-
magic around the pedestal and rectangular sections ress on Mecha-Halaster, but only until Halaster finds
of the north wall where hidden bookshelves magically new metalsmiths (perhaps a band of azers) to continue
emerge (see "Treasure" below). the work. The Mad Mage considers the hobgoblins
The pedestal is a Small object with AC 15, 20 hit
points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. expendable.

LEVEL 14' I ARCTURIADOOM