Page 169 - Tomb of Annihilation

56. GRANDFATHER CLOCK The torch burns wlth a continual flame spell, illuminat-
ing the humanoid corpses that fill the room to a depth
Any character approaching this room hears a rhythmic
of 6 feet and make the area difficult terrain. As needed,
ticking sound from within.
Acererak's magic draws new corpses here from grave-
yards across the world, all in various states of decay.
This room contains a wooden cabinet with a numbered An otyugh feeds on the corpses and is presently bur-
ied under the heap in the southwest corner. Any char-
dial at its top set with two ornate metal spokes. Beneath
acter who succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception)
the dial, a pendulum swings inside an open compart·
check spots the creature's eyestalk poking up above the
ment. An egg·shaped stone adorns the pendulum's tip.
reeking mass. The otyugh eagerly attacks a lone char-
acter but avoids confrontations with multiple enemies.
Once killed, the otyugh is not replaced.
This long-case clock radiates an aura of transmutation
magic to a detect maa;c spell or similar effect.
GREEN DEVIL FACE
ADVICE FROM T HE SPIRITS The 8-foot-high devil face protrudes from the north wall.
Any characters inhabited by the spirits ofUnkh or Any close inspection reveals that its nostrils contain hol-
low cavities, each one containing a stone lever. A pulled
Wongo receive advice when entering this area:
lever locks into place and can't be moved until it resets.
• Indecisive Unkh is scruck by the technological wonder
Pulling the lever in the left nostril causes the mouth of
of the clock and wants to stay and marvel at its beauty.
the devil face to open wide, revealing a gullet filled with
• Deranged Won go finds the ticking of the clock oddly
impenetrable darkness that pulls in everything in the
soothing and urges his host to stay for a while.
room. Initiative shoulo be rolled for all creatures in the
area. Any creature that starts its turn in the room and
CLOCK
isn't secured in some fashion musl succeed on a DC 11
Bronze chimes within the clock ring at the top of each
Dexterity saving throw or be pulled into the gullet and
hour. Any creature within 30 feet of the clock when it
destroyed. If a character fails the saving throw, another
strikes the top of the hour must succeed on a DC 17
character within reach, or any character bound to the
Constitution saving throw or age by ten years. The
first character by a rope, can use his or her reaction
effect can be reversed by a greater restoration spell,
to grab on and grant the first character a reroll. After
but only within 24 hours of it occurring. When charac-
1 minute, the lever resets with an audible clunk. The
ters first arrive, assume the time is 5d10 + 5 minutes
gullet remains open until the lever resets. Magic has no
past the hour.
effect on the gullet or the darkness within.
An invisible locked metal door shields the compart-
Pulling the lever in the right nostril causes the devil's
ment containing the clock's pendulum. The invisibility
eyes to glow red as all living creatures in the room
effect on the door can't be dispelled, but the keyhole can
(including the otyugh, if it's still alive) are teleported in
be located by touch. The invisible key from the treasure
front of the devil face at area SB, along with whatever
chest in area 54A opens the lock. as does a knock spell.
they are wearing or carrying. The lever then resets.
To pick the lock, a character must succeed on a DC 20
If the characters return to this room at a latertime,
Dexterity check made using thieves' tools. If the char-
the effects of the levers are reversed.
acter thinks to blow powdered chalk, dust, or a similar
substance into the lock to highlight its gears. the check
LEVEL 5: GEARS OF HATE
is made with advantage.
Map 5.5 shows this level of the dungeon. The Soulmon-
ThEASURE
ger draws power from the machinery on thls level. The
The egg-shaped jewel fixed to the tip of the pendulum rumbling of that machinery echoes throughout all areas
is the fabled Navel of the Moon. The fist-sized stone here, setting up tremors in the riveted metal panels that
is worth 2,500 gp but can fetch up to three times that clad many of the walls, floors, and ceilings. The malign
value if sold at auction in any major city. For more infor- influence of an aboleth also pollutes this level.
mation on this item, see "Fabled Treasures," page 127.
If the egg is removed from the pendulum, the clock A.BOLETH SLIME
loses its magical properties and stops working. Puddles of viscid gray slime cover the floor in some
areas, as marked on map S.S. These areas are difficult
57. OUBLIETTE terrain, and any creature that starts its turn in a puddle
of slime or comes into contact with it for the first time
Any creature that tries to magically transport itself out
of the tomb arrives here instead. on a turn takes 5 (ld10) psychic damage. A slime puddle
is destroyed if it takes any cold, radiant, or necrotic dam-
age. It is immune lo all other types of damage.
You arrive in a room half-filled with rotting corpses.
GREAT STONE G EARS
Protruding from one wall is a large green devil's face,
Areas 58, 59, and 60 are constructed within giant stone
its flared nostrils set just above the putrescent mass. A
gears. When the characters arrive on this level for the
sconce above the face holds a flickering torch.
first time, the gear rooms are configured as shown on
map 5.5. Thereafter, the rooms can be rotated using
CHAPTER. 5 I T0\18 OJITH£ Nll>:F. GODS
168