Page 7 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

DUNGEON HISTORY A KNOT IN THE W EAVE
Where Waterdeep stands today, there once stood Aelin-
More than one thousand years ago, the wizard Halaster
thaldaar, the capital city of the ancient elven kingdom of
Blackcloak (see appendix A) journeyed from a distant
lllefarn. When the elves left, they used a powerful spell
land to the base of Mount Waterdeep, perhaps acceding to erase all traces of their capital. This spell had the un-
to the whispered summons of providence. Some believe intended side effect of creating a permanent knot in the
he hailed from the nearly forgotten empire known as Weave, the fabric through which all magic is channeled.
the Cradlelands. In ages past, humanity spread from This knot lies deep underground and isn't something that
the Cradlelands across FaerOn, originating from what can be seen, felt, or undone, but it can cause madness
is now the Plains of Purple Dust, a wasteland birthed to bloom in the minds of mortal beings who dwell near
it for too long. The knot permeates Undermountain, and
out of a conflict with the gods. Others give Halaster less
the madness it causes typically manifests as an obsession
ancient origins, placing him among the early wizards
with the dungeon itself. Those affected by the knot in the
of Netheril, or asserting that he came from a southern
Weave exhibit a subconscious desire to remain in or near
nation long since buried by sand and time. Whatever
the dungeon. Halaster and several of his apprentices fell
his origin, scholars have recorded that Halaster brought prey to this obsession, as did many Melairkyn dwarves
with him seven apprentices to Mount Waterdeep. and Durnan, the proprietor of the Yawning Portal. Not all
With the Seven guarding his back, Halaster tapped creatures that dwell in Undermountain succumb to its
into his immense power to summon beings from other madness, and those who do aren't even aware that the
planes of existence to help him build a wizard's tower to dungeon has them in its clutches.
dwarf all other wizard's towers. But as the seasons wore
on, the Seven saw less and less of their enigmatic mas- came to surround the ruins of Halaster's home. Under-
ter. Halaster continued to use fell creatures from distant mountain was known to those early settlers, and they
planes for tunneling and other construction beneath his often sent criminals into its endless depths as punish-
tower, and the wizard kept the nature of most of his un- ment. So it was for many years, until an intrepid adven-
derground dealings a secret from the Seven. Eventually, turer named Durnan delved into the labyrinth beneath
Halaster's exploration broke into the Underhalls, a com- the tower and returned alive, laden with riches and
plex of tunnels and rooms built by the dwarves around a countless harrowing tales. Durnan used his new fortune
mithral mine beneath Mount Waterdeep. The architects to demolish the remnants of Halaster's tower and built
of the Underhalls, the Melairkyn clan, had long ago been an inn over the well he had used to descend into Under-
killed or dispersed, and warring duergar and drow had mountain, and call it the Yawning Portal. Durnan owns
settled in the ruins. Halaster began a crusade against and operates the inn and tavern to this day, serving pa-
both the drow and the duergar, participating in wild trons and inviting the brave and foolish alike to test their
hunts with extraplanar allies through the tunnels. The mettle in the Dungeon of the Mad Mage.
stubborn duergar dug in until the mithral was largely
mined out; then they abandoned the Underhalls, leav- THE YAWNING PORTAL
ing the drow to fight Halaster and his minions alone.
The Yawning Portal, a famous inn and tavern located
The Mad Mage rounded up the remaining dark elves,
near the eastern slope of Mount Waterdeep, derives its
trapping some of their souls for use in his dark magic,
name from a 40-foot-diameter well that descends into
while twisting the bodies and enslaving the minds of
the first level ofUndermountain. Located in the center
others. Once he had wrung the drow of their usefulness,
of the taproom, the well was once the outer shell of
Halaster Blackcloak tunneled on, ever downward, in-
Halaster's mighty tower, which was demolished long
dulging his inexplicable compulsion for delving deeper
ago. Its sheer walls are made of old mortared stones.
and deeper into the mountain.
Next to this gaping orifice hangs a winch with a simple
Using his underground complex as a base of oper-
rope-and-pulley mechanism that Durnan, the proprietor,
ations, Halaster traveled to other planes and distant
uses to lower adventurers down the shaft and (some-
lands, collecting strange and dangerous creatures to
times) pull them up again. Durnan controls the winch
live as prisoners, servants, or guardians in Undermoun-
himself and will transport only one adventurer at a time.
tain. Populating and defending the dungeon became an
The trip takes 10 rounds, down and up. The rope is
obsession. Over time, the mage's preoccupation with
stained with old blood and long enough to reach all the
Undermountain electrified his eccentricities and infused
way to the floor of the dark room at the bottom of the
him with an air of unconcealable madness.
140-foot shaft (level l, area 1).
Halaster's apprentices came and went. Some left only
Durnan charges adventurers 1 gp each to descend
to return- inexplicably drawn down into Undermoun-
into the well, whether they opt to use the rope or not.
tain's depths. Others remained by his side. As they
The return trip also costs a piece of gold, sent up in a
began dedicating more attention to their private obses-
bucket in advance. He also readily accepts coin from pa-
sions, madness settled into their souls as well.
trons who want to place grisly bets on adventurers who
During the years Halaster quested on other planes
dare explore Undermountain, and their odds of return-
and sequestered himself in his tunnels, his magnificent
ing alive. "Five gold dragons says they're back before
tower and its surrounding walls fell into ruin. In time,
a tenday, minus the fighter, the wizard, and the cleric!"
the city now known as Waterdeep developed in the
is the flavor of commentary often heard amid gales of
shadow of Mount Waterdeep and spread down to the
drunken laughter.
harbor. As the city sprawled outward over the years, it
UNDERM OUNTAIN O VERVIEW