Page 215 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

STARDOCK Roos 12. DRAGONS' DOMAIN
A Stardock rod is a 1-foot-long black crystal rod that is
needed to open the magic gate in area 11 and its corre- Ashtyrranthor and her six children make their home
sponding gate in area l 2a. A Stardock rod weighs 1 pound, here. Magic keeps the temperature at 120 degrees Fahr-
radiates an aura of conjuration magic under the scrutiny of enheit throughout these chambers, making it perfect for
a detect magic spell, and has no other magical properties. the dragons' comfort. Characters who stay in this area
for more than 1 hour suffer the effects of extreme heat
(see chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide).
magic gate remains open while the rod is in place and
closes 1 minute after the rod is removed from the ped- 12A. ARCH GATE
estal. While the gate is open, creatures in this room can
clearly see into area 12a, and vice versa. Ceiling. This room has a 30-foot-high, domed ceiling.
The pedestal and the archway are impervious to dam- Scales. The floor is littered with red dragon scales.
age, and the red crystals embedded in the arch can't be Gate to the Crystal Labyrinth. A stone arch set with
removed. The first time a creature tries to pry a crystal glowing red crystals is embedded in the back wall of
from the arch, a random elder rune appears above the an alcove.
pedestal, targets a random creature within 60 feet of it, Pedestal. Rising from the floor 10 feet in front of the
then disappears (see "Elder Runes," page 12). Deter- arch is a 3-foot-high pedestal made of red crystal with
mine the elder rune randomly by drawing a card from a small hole in the top.
the Elder Runes Deck (see appendix B). Inserting a Stardock rod (see the "Stardock Rods,"
sidebar) into the hole in the pedestal creates an open
STARDOCK doorway inside the arch that leads to area 11. The
pedestal and archway are otherwise identical to those
All area descriptions for this location are keyed
to map 16. in area 11.
Originally carved by dragons, the asteroid known as Any character who examines the scales and succeeds
Stardock orbits the planet Toril- one of hundreds that on a DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check realizes that the
form the asteroid belt known as the Tears of Seh1ne. scales came from multiple owners. Most were shed by
Over ages, illithids, undead mages, and spacefaring an adult red dragon, while a few were cast off by one or
pirates have fought over and expanded Stardock's halls, more young red dragons.
but the asteroid was long abandoned by the time the
12B. TlAMAT SHRINE
githyanki and their red dragon allies moved in. The as-
teroid's features are as follows: Tapestries. Two beautiful tapestries hang on the walls.
Carving. Carved into the floor is a stylized, IS-foot-di-
• The restrictions on magic in Undermountain don't ap- ameter disk-shaped engraving of Tiamat, her five chro-
ply here, since Stardock is outside the dungeon. matic dragon heads spewing their breath weapons.
• Interior areas are brightly lit by continual flame spells
c~st on crumbling stone wall sconces. One tapestry depicts Tiamat combating twelve storm
• Tunnels have 20-foot-high arched ceilings, and rooms giants. The other shows Tiamat battling a bearded and
bloodied old man in wizard robes with seven golden
have flat 25-foot-high ceilings, unless otherwise noted.
Staircases are carved out of solid rock and are 30 feet canaries circling his head. A character who succeeds
high and 30 feet long. Walls and ceilings are roughly on a DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes the
hewn, and floors are smooth. old man as a representation of Bahamut, the god of good
• The asteroid magically generates breathable air that dragons, in human form, and the seven canaries as his
fills Stardock's interior and extends out 120 feet from polymorphed gold dragon advisors.
the asteroid. Beyond this range is the airless void of Treasure. Each tapestry is 20 feet on a side, weighs
25 pounds, and is worth 750 gp intact.
space. A creature can survive in space for a number of
rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum 1 12c. FALSE HATCHERY
round) before it dies.
• The temperature inside the asteroid's air envelope is Lava Curtain. A 30-foot-wide curtain of lava along one
70 degrees Fahrenheit unless otherwise noted. wall drains into a pool 1 foot deep, 30 feet long, and
• An invisible gravity plane cuts through the asteroid 10 feet wide. A secret door stands behind the lava cur-
along its equator, as illustrated in the Side View of the tain, opening into area 12d. The characters can't open
asteroid on map 16. Creatures and objects inside the or pass through the secret door without coming into
asteroid's air envelope fall toward this gravity plane. contact with the lava.
Creatures and objects inside the asteroid fall toward Eggs. Six red-speckled dragon eggs sit in the lava pool.
the floor, as normal. The lava curtain is created magically but is not itself
• There are no cardinal directions (north, south, east, magical. A creature that enters the lava for the first
or west) in Stardock or in space, and compasses don't time on a turn or starts its turn there takes 55 (lOdlO)
function here. fire damage.
Creatures can propel themselves through space Each egg is 4 feet tall, hollow, and 500 pounds. A
using magic such as Ry spells, but wings and other character who inspects the eggs closely and succeeds on
nonmagical means of propulsion are useless in the fric- a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check realizes that
tionless void. they are fakes made of polished stone.

LEVEL 16 I CRYSTAL LABYRINTH