Page 206 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

30A. NETHERSKULL'S BIOGRAPHER • Netherskull's primary goals are to destroy Halaster
and take over Undermountain.
Arch. A stone arch decorated with gold-inlaid images
of soaring dragons is embedded in the middle of the Arch Gate to Level 18. The arch in the north wall is
north wall, atop a 3-foot-high red marble dais. Carved one of Halaster's magic gates (see "Gates," page 12).
into the wall above the arch are the following words in The arch's gold inlay can't be removed. The rules of this
Draconic: "Only a dragon can unlock this gate." gate are as follows:
Gong. A 3-foot-diameter bronze gong hangs from a • The gate opens for 1 minute when a real or illusory
sturdy wooden frame anchored to the floor near the dragon touches the arch. An artistic rendering of a
west wall. The gong is embossed with carvings of ears dragon, such as a dragon-shaped figurine or a drawing
of corn. A padded wooden mallet dangles from a hook of a dragon, also opens the gate.
on one of the support posts. • Characters must be at least 15th level or higher to
Monsters. Sitting on the steps of the dais, scribbling pass through this gate (see ''.Jhesiyra Kestellharp,"
madly in a journal with a quill pen, is a wretchedly page 10). The first creature to pass through the gate
pale man in a dusty black robe. He is watched over by triggers an elder rune (see "Elder Runes," page 12).
two invisible nycaloths. • A creature that passes through the gate appears in
To flatter Netherskull, Halaster assigned a would-be area 16 on level 18, in the closest unoccupied space
apprentice to chronicle the death tyrant's history in a next to the identical gate located there.
series of journals. This biographer is a skittish, ill-bred, Gong. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of conju-
and unkempt male human in his thirties named Kavil ration magic around the gong. If the gong is struck with
Mereshanter. Kavil is a mage, with these changes: the mallet, three items appear on the floor before it: a
• Kavil is neutral evil. small clay bowl filled with bland, edible food (hunks of
• He speaks Dwarvish, Common, Giant, and bread and cheese, strips of meat, and dried nuts); an
Undercommon. empty tin cup; and a glass carafe containing 1 gallon
of water. The items disappear after 1 hour. Removing
Kavil was denied admittance to Dweomercore {level any of these items from the room also causes them to
9), and Halaster robbed him of his spellbook. The Mad vanish. Once it is used to summon food and water, the
Mage has promised to return the book once Kavil com- gong can't do so again until the next dawn. If the gong is
pletes his work. (In fact, Halaster has misplaced the taken from this room, it loses its magical property.
spellbook, though Kavil is unaware of this.)
As Netherskull's appointed biographer, Kavil is ex- 30B. PLAY- BY- PLAY GENERATOR
pected to earn the death tyrant's trust, but Netherskull This dusty room has a 10-foot-high ceiling. A 3-foot cube
trusts no wizard, and has been reluctant to grant inter- composed of equal parts adamantine and flesh sits atop
views. Kavil has instead filled one journal after another a 3-foot-tall hexagonal plinth of carved stone. The sur-
with his own narrative concoctions and self-pitying face of the cube facing the secret door bears Halaster's
asides. The biography is a mostly fictionalized, some- fleshy, grimacing visage.
what sensationalized version of Netherskull's life, death, Disturbing the cube causes it to sprout spindly arms,
and undeath. Kavil knows that anyone who reads this legs, and wings. It then fights until destroyed. It has the
drivel won't be fooled, but he's hoping the deluge of statistics of a quadrone, with these changes:
words will impress Halaster while simultaneously dis-
couraging close examination of the work. • The cube is chaotic evil.
Kavil won't start a fight, but he sides with the • It speaks Common and is the source of Halaster's
nycaloths if a battle erupts, which is likely since the play-by-play (see "Halaster's Play-by-Play," page 194).
fiends have orders to slay intruders. If reduced to 33 hit • Whenever it would normally make a shortbow attack,
points or fewer, Kavil switches sides and offers infor- it instead hurls a magic dart at a target it can see up to
mation in exchange for his life. He knows one random 60 feet away from it. Each dart hits its target automati-
Undermountain secret, determined by drawing a card cally (no attack roll required) for 5 (2d4) force damage.
from the Secrets Deck (see appendix C), as well as a se- As the cube attacks, it continues its play-by-play rou-
cret way into Netherskull's lair (see area 39b). Kavil isn't tine, commentating its battle with the adventurers. De-
aware of the secret door that leads to area 30b. stroying the cube ends the play-by-play throughout the
Characters who spend at least 10 minutes poring over Obstacle Course.
Kavil's journal can piece together bits of Netherskull's Hidden Key. A secret compartment is hidden atop the
history and, with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight} hexagonal plinth. Finding it requires a successful DC
check, separate out Kavil's gibberish to learn the follow- 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. It contains a 6-inch-long
ing truths: key carved from a dragon's finger bone, shaped like an
• The beholder's true name is unknown. It changed its H. This key, which is identical to the one in area 19, un-
name to Netherskull after becoming a death tyrant. locks the doors to area 39c.
• Netherskull has slain countless interlopers, none
more deserving of death than a pompous human pal- 31. HALL OF EMBERS
adin named Fidelio, who wept bitter tears before his Brazier. A 5-foot-tall, 7-foot-diameter stone brazier dom-
disintegration. inates the northwest part of the room. Eight embers
gather and swirl above the empty brazier like fireflies.

LEVEL 15 I OBSTACLE COURSE
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