Page 294 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

similar gem is meant to be placed. The three missing offers to fight alongside the party until such time as it
gems can be found in area 17. can leave this level and complete its mission, provided
When all eight yellow sapphires are placed in their the characters aren't predominantly evil. If the charac-
pillars, they glow brightly as the pillars' magic activates. ters help Aryx defeat Fazrian later on, the deva shows its
Any creature that enters the area inside the pillars or gratitude by bestowing upon them the blessing of health.
starts its turn there is teleported to a similar location in
area 7, along with anything it is wearing or carrying. 10. ARCANE DISPLAY
The sapphires can be pried from their fixtures, but These areas have 20-foot-high, arched ceilings.
removing even one of them deactivates the pillars.
lOA. ZIGZAGGING GALLERY
TREASURE Characters who make a loud racket in this hall attract
The yellow sapphires are worth 1,000 gp each. the seven ftameskulls in area lOb. The features of this
hall are as follows:
9. VAULTS
Chandeliers. Radiant crystal chandeliers levitate near
These chambers have 15-foot-high, fiat ceilings.
the ceiling.
Paintings. Paintings line the walls. They come in many
9A. HALL OF STAFFS
sizes and have gilded frames.
Mosaics. Tiled mosaics depicting a variety of magic
staffs cover the walls. (Hidden behind a mosaic depict- The hall contains three chandeliers, their locations
ing a staff of thunder and lightning is a secret door.) marked on map 23. Each chandelier magically sheds
Dead End. Part of the eastern wall has been obliterated, bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an addi-
tional 20 feet. A chandelier can bear up to 150 pounds of
leaving behind a jagged dead-end tunnel.
additional weight before falling. Casting dispel magic on
The mosaic of the staff of thunder and lightning, un- a chandelier causes it to go dark and fall to the floor with
like the others, is cracked and scorched. If this section a loud crash.
of wall is targeted by any effect that deals lightning or The paintings are stuck to the walls with sovereign
thunder damage, the secret door hidden behind the mo- glue and require universal solvent to remove without
saic swings opens into area 9b. Knock spells and simi- destroying them. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of
lar magic have no effect on the secret door, but a disinte- illusion magic around each painting, of which there are
grate spell destroys it. No amount of physical force can hundreds. Half of them are portraits of Halaster, looking
open the secret door from this side, but the door opens as demented as ever io his robe of eyes. About a quarter
easily from area 9b. of them are portraits of other wizards (former appren-
tices). The remainder are paintings of unknown people
9B. DIABOLICAL SHIELD with the heads of small beasts (badgers, mice, rabbits,
Hanging on the west wall of this otherwise empty birds, fish, and so forth). The paintings' eyes (including
15-foot-high room is a steel shield cast in the form of a the eyes on Halaster's robes) seem to follow visitors as
scowling devil's face wreathed by bronze flames. they move through the hall-a minor magical illusion.
A detect magic spell reveals an aura of abjuration
magic around the otherwise ordinary shield, inside lOB. SHIELD TRAP
which is trapped a deva named Aryx. While trapped
in the shield, Aryx can't communicate with anyone. Flameskulls. Unless they were drawn to area lOa,
seven ftameskulls float here, their green flames the
Any ability that detects the presence of celestials, such only sources of light in this room.
as a paladin's Divine Sense class feature, reveals the Decor. More paintings like the ones in area lOa line
presence of such a creature bound within the shield. the walls. A golden shield encrusted with gemstones
If a dispel evil or good spell is cast on the shield, or if hangs on the south wall among the paintings.
the shield comes within 10 feet of a fiend, the deva is
released, appearing within 5 feet of the shield or in the Halaster made the flameskulls from the skulls of
nearest unoccupied space. Once freed, the deva uses its wizards who tried and failed to become his apprentices.
detect evil and good spell to determine if there are any They attack intruders on sight, bombarding them with
evil creatures in its presence. If so, Aryx attacks them, fireball spells in the first round of combat. The ftame-
targeting fiends above all others. skulls pursue intruders that flee, using their mage hand
Aryx was sent by Tyr, the god of justice, to talk some spells to open doors if needed.
sense into Fazrian, the fallen planetar on level 21. Be- Hanging on a stone peg that juts from the wall, the
fore Aryx could approach Fazrian, however, Halaster gold-plated shield is etched with arcane runes . A detect
trapped the deva in the shield. Aryx must complete its magic spell reveals an aura of necromancy magic ra-
mission before it can return to Tyr's heavenly realm. If diating from the shield. A character who examines the
the characters claim to have killed Fazrian or helped the runes and succeeds on a DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana)
planetar achieve atonement, the deva uses a commune check can ascertain that the runes give the shield the
spell to verify as much. If the characters speak the truth, magical ability to trap creatures inside it.
Aryx shows its gratitude by granting each party member Any creature that touches the shield must succeed on
a blessing of health (see "Supernatural Gifts" in chapter a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become trapped inside
7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). If the characters have it, along with everything the creature is wearing or car-
not yet dealt with the fallen planetar on level 21, Aryx rying. The shield displays a faint image of the trapped

U:VEI. 23 I MAD WIZARD'S I.AIR