Place of the Scrivener
RoomDCC 74 · p.14
Open source p.14Area 2-3 – Place of the Scrivener
The walls of the small chamber are decorated with ornate stone carvings depicting fierce demons herding the damned towards a fearsome, leering toad-god. One by one, the carven figures are driven into the toad-god’s gaping maw.
A simple wooden desk sits in the center of the chamber surrounded by stacks of ledgers. A quill pen rests in an inkwell atop a pile of tomes beside a small mortar and pestle.
A moth-eaten, patchwork curtain hangs over a doorway set in the far wall, waving softly in the darkness.
This simple chamber was once home to the scrivener responsible for recording the identities of the dead that passed through the gates of the charnel pits.
Upon entering the chamber, a ghostly scrivener appears before the PCs, hunched over the high desk. The scrivener smiles a toothless grin and welcomes the PCs, asking for the names of the newest corpses. The scrivener records the names given (or the absence of names, “Oh, more J. Bloggs, I see!”), then holds up a tin pail filled with teeth and a pair of bloody pliers. He shakes the pail expectantly and gives the PCs an eager, knowing grin.
The scrivener aims to collect one tooth from each character. He can be duped if the PCs have other teeth to offer. If the PCs
refuse to give up their teeth or try to bypass the scrivener out of ignorance, the phantom makes a growling demand: “Teeth.” If this is ignored, the phantom erupts with fury, transforming into an enormous, gibbering monstrosity armed with a massive pair of brutish pliers and proceeds to take teeth by force.
If the scrivener succeeds in overbearing a target, treat the target as prone the following round. After dealing 10 or more damage to any one PC, the phantom has successfully won its trophy and vanishes from sight.
An open ledger rests atop the desk. The names and occupations in the ledger are recorded in a rust-colored ink; wizards (and thieves, succeeding on a DC 12 Forgery check) readily identify human bone and blood as the ink’s base. Skimming the last hundred entries reveals the entry: PCs tendered their names, their names and occupations are recorded in drying ink in the ledger.
Phantom Scrivener: Init ; Atk great pliers melee (); AC 16; HD ; hp 23; MV fly 40’; Act ; SP un-dead traits, tooth-taker (10+ dmg to one target with pliers results in stolen tooth and retreat); SV Fort , Ref , Will ; AL C.