Page 188 - Tomb of Annihilation

Gaze. If the characters unshackle them, the nothics
You step out of the mist into an underground chapel loiter io the chapel and leave the party alone. They also
with blade basalt pillars and a polished obsidian altar. provide the following helpful information if their libera-
Resting on the altar is a leather bag the size and shape tors Question them:
of a human body, and which appears to have been sewn • If the characters are searching for an exit to the tomb,
shut. Beyond the altar, a heavy black drape hangs from one nothic hops over to the black curtain, pulls it
an archway. aside, points down the tunnel to the north (area 79),
and shouts (in Undercommon), "Mind the bones!"
Eight emaciated, green-skinned creatures are shackled
• If the characters are searching for treasure, another
to the walls of the chapel, each one gazing toward you
nothic performs the same actions as above, except it
with a single baleful eye. The monsters begin to gibber shouts, "Follow the purple trail!"
and drool as they shake their manacles, eager to be
79. H ALL OF F I NALITY
set free.

Once the atropal has fed on enough souls, Acererak Behind the curtain is a ten-foot-wide, forty-five-foot-long
plans to baptize it in the blood of a worthy sacrifice. This hallway set with four decorative archways that have blank
chapel was built for that dark ceremony. The Sewn Sis-
walls within them. Three paths marked out in red, gold,
ters obtained an appropriate sacrifice and have stitched
and purple tile snake along the floor, each leading to one
it inside the leather body bag that rests on the altar.
of three archways. A charred skeleton on the floor points
ADVICE FROM THE SPIRITS to the fourth archway, which has no path leading to it.
Any characters inhabited by the spirits of Moa or Wongo
A single torch burns in a wall sconce at the far end of
receive advice when entering this area:
the hall. Mounted below it is a bronze plaque that bears
• Kind Moa suggests freeing the shackled creatures. a warning in Common: "Behold the fate of those who
• Violent Wongo urges his host to stab the body bag,
defy me!"
making sure that whatever is inside it is dead.
BoovBAG
The torch remains lit and doesn't burn down as long
The leather body bag can be cut open to reveal an un-
as it remains in this corridor. If taken from the hall, it
conscious prisoner, whose identity is yours to decide.
burns down normally.
It might be Artus Cimber, Dragonbait, Volothamp Ged·
darm, or some other NPC the characters never got the ADVICE FROM THE SPIRITS
chance to meet. It could also be an NPC who became Any characters inhabited by the spirits of I'jin or Shag-
separated from the party in the course of the adventure. ambi receive advice when entering this area:
If no suitable NPC springs to mind, use a captured
• Fickle J'jin wants her host to follow the purple-tiled
member of the Order of the Gauntlet named Zalder
pathway to see where it leads. (Purple is l'jin's favorite
Faelrond (LG male Tethyrian human knight of Torm,
color, as least for now.)
with no armor or weapons). Zalder's story is that be
• Wise Shagambi urges her host to not stray from the
was kidnapped by the Sewn Sisters while patrolling the
tiled pathways.
jungle. If set free, be requests an escort back to Camp
V engeance (see chapter 2).
CHARRED SKELETON AND SECRET DOOR
The night bags' magic keeps the prisoner alive and
The charred skeleton points to the arch containing a se·
unconscious. With a successful DC 17 Intelligence (Ar·
cret door that slides open to reveal area 81 beyond.
cana or Religion) check, a character determines that the
Glyph of Warding. Opening the secret door triggers
effect can be ended only by splashing the prisoner with
a glyph of warding spell, which targets all creatures in a
holy water.
20-foot-radius sphere centered on the door. The sphere
spreads around corners. Each creature in the area must
DEVOTEES OF ACERERAK
make a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (Sd8)
The creatures shackled lo the chapel walls are eight
cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage
nothics- former disciples of Acererak who lost their
on a successful one. The triggering glyph is at the bot·
minds trying to learn their master's arcane secrets. The
tom right corner of the door and can be found with a
nothics are restrained by the shackles and can't make
successful DC 24 Intelligence (Investigation) check.
melee attacks until they are set free. They speak Under-
Wall of Fire. When the glyph of warding spell acti·
common and demand to be released.
vates or is dispelled, a magical wall of fire springs up at
The night hag Widow Groat (see area 71) carries the
the south end of the hallway, setting the black curtain
keys to the nothics' shackles, which can also be picked
ablaze if it still bangs there. The wall of fire spans the
with a successful DC 13 Dexterity check made by a
width and height of the ball. Any creature that enters
character using thieves' tools, or sundered with a good,
the wall, starts its turn inside the wall, or starts its turn
hard weapon strike.
within 5 feet of the north side of the wall takes 22 (Sd8)
If the characters ignore the nothics' demands, the
fire damage.
spiteful creatures attack them using their horrid Rotting
CHAPTER 5 I TOMB OP THE NINE GODS t8
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