This mission will work for beginner hosts, but it is more appropriate for a group that has experienced the classic search-and-destroy mission. They will appreciate having to protect a client instead of eliminating them.
The aerie map
Maps (1)
The briefing
Mission briefing & concept p.14
This mission will work for beginner hosts, but it is more appropriate for a group that has experienced the classic search-and-destroy mission. They will appreciate having to protect a client instead of eliminating them.
The Mission - Publicity identified an adventurer who is likely to sing the praises of the Dungeon once back in the Bright Outside, but he unfortunately fell into a pit. The hosts must get him out and bring him to the exit, ideally with his pockets full of riches. Of course, they must not reveal who they are or the existence of Dungeon, Inc.
Concept
This aerie was designed to resemble an evil wizard's laboratory: the Demonist's Laboratory. It is built in two parts, the 'false' lab and the 'real' lab. The Publicity Section has spread the rumor that the demonist has disappeared. The aerie is built of yellow stone and, except in the living quarters, the walls are completely covered in demonic scribblings. Keywords: black, somber, echoes, stuffy, satanic laughter, demonic whispers.
Complications
The designer, Luzart of Goblo, is a little obsessed with trapdoors and fills his aeries with them. He added two trapdoors while Reconditioning was fitting the aerie that never made it onto the maps.
Clients
The only surviving client is Reginald, the adventurer identified by Publicity. He is vain, annoying, cowardly, naive, and chivalrous all at the same time. He acts like a knight in a song would, as long as the gesture doesn't cost him too much.
- Reginald, vain and cowardly bard. HD 2 (9 hp), ARM silvered leather Δ6, ATT rapier , Spells song of courage, charming music, quatrain of evasion
Map notes
- Warning! Troll residents have settled in the guards' quarters.
- Major pentacle summons the demon Grazzalt (bruiser). Minor pentacle summons the demon Grazzalt.
- Demonist's treasury (don't read the cursed book!).
- Animated statues. To turn them off, say: "Peelsotckabog"
- Client entrance (magic portal)
The forgotten gelatinous cube p.15
Wandering monster. Methodically roaming the Circular Hall (C), the Grand Library (D) and the Laboratory (E), always in this order, every ten minutes. When the hosts enter the Circular Hall, roll .
| d6 | Location |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | The gelatinous cube is present |
| 3–4 | It's in the Grand Library |
| 5–6 | It's in the Laboratory |
GELATINOUS CUBE. HD 4 (18 hp), ARM none, ATT , SP suction (the cube absorbs an enemy, inflicting damage per turn until they are free – STR or DEX check with disadvantage – or the cube or the victim dies)
Keyed rooms (14)
A. Stinky cells p.14
Retractable screen under a bunk: provides access from the hub. 4 spartan cells. Obscene graffiti and some last words engraved on the walls. Tilting a torch sconce opens the door to B.
- → Last words. "Still alive and well!"–"I blame Nobboc"–"Benfelt the paladin sold me this treasure map. May he be cursed for 7 generations!"–"Erik woz hear!"–"Dr Dwinaghee brews the best language potions. Mention this dungeon for a free stinking cloud!"
B. Major pentacle Grazzalt p.14
Circular room designed to look like a summoning chamber. Eternal candles and incense lamps give off a musky scent. Pentacle and demonic runes painted on the floor with dried blood.
- → Pentacle. Entering it invokes the demon Grazzalt, a host, who appears in a sulfurous cloud with a wall-shaking laugh.
- → Grazzalt. Huge and muscular red demon. Pig's head with fly's eyes and four large horns pointing forward. Two enormous arms ending in crab claws. Acid dripping from his mouth. Quite happy to chat with colleagues (if they declare themselves as such!).
- Says: He fought a group of adventurers in the minor pentacle room (L) and eliminated them with jets of gastric acid ("It was wicked fun, we had a great time!").
- Doesn't know: How many survived, nor that the room collapsed after the altercation.
C. Circular hall Gelatinous cube p.15
(Read The forgotten gelatinous cube above first.) Austere, high-ceilinged room with black walls covered with even blacker demonic runes. A baleful eye is painted on the ceiling, following the characters' every move. Not the slightest trace of dust on the ground or walls, all that can glitter glitters. Double iron door to the north. The door to the east was dissolved – only the part above six feet remains.
D. Grand library p.15
Walls lined with mostly empty stone shelves. On the top shelves, some books have survived the gelatinous cube.
- → Books. All are written in incomprehensible, unpleasant runes. Roll each time someone tries to read one of them.
| d6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-5 | It's gibberish! Nothing happens. |
| 6 | It's gibberish! Roll . |
On a 6, roll :
| d4 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | It closes violently on the reader's nose (Check DEX or lose 1 HP) |
| 2 | The reader checks WIS or is dazed for the next hour |
| 3 | The reader checks CHA or speaks in back slang for the rest of the session |
| 4 | The book explodes ( damage for everyone in the room) |
E. Dilapidated laboratory p.17
Alchemical equipment mostly destroyed by the gelatinous cube. a few preserved vials on the stone workbench: A huge alembic on the west wall.
- → Vials. Healing (Δ6), acid (Δ8 ongoing damage if thrown at a target), haste (advantage on all physical actions for turns), and poison (CON check. If successful, Δ4 damage per minute, Δ6 if failed.)
- → Alembic. Emptying the huge main boiler uncovers the secret door to N.
F. Demonist's room p.17
Tacky furniture featuring imps in grotesque positions and screaming human heads, and a large four-poster bed with silk sheets.
- → Silk sheets. Clean and recently replaced, because employees of Dungeon, Inc. come here from time to time to fraternize. A chain bracelet with the name Mirzanda can be found in the bed, lost by an employee from Live Resources. (Bringing it back to her may be worth a favor.)
G. Demonist's office p.17
Surprisingly spartan: a chair, a desk, and a notebook
- → Notebook. Contains cabalistic notes in demonic language. Check WIS when reading, or get a headache for one hour.
H. Reginald's pit trap Reginald p.17
9 feet deep. At the bottom: Reginald the bard.
- → Reginald. (see Clients) Singing a melancholy air accompanied by his lute.
- Asks for help
- Enquiry: "Are you m.. m… monsters? Or adventurers?" (Remind any new players that they mustn't betray the Dungeon's greatest secret!)
- When out of the pit: insists on being taken to the treasure room (he has a map from Marketing showing one, in I).
I. Demonist's treasury p.18
Small room full of shelves holding various objects and elaborately engraved tomes. A large lectern supports a giant book.
- → Various objects. Demonic obsidian skulls, wavy daggers, sacks of ancient coins, purses of mysterious powder, stuffed imps, dark glowing gems…
- → Engraved tomes. As the books in D.
- → Giant book. Bound in human skin worked with demonic writing. Cursed: causes depression, misfortune, and misery to those who try to read it.
J. Statues room Animated statue p.18
Four alcoves, each housing a huge statue of a beheaded warrior in archaic plate armor. When someone enters the room, a magic mouth appears on the ceiling and yells "pu-ekaw". That animates the statues immediately.
- → Statue. Beheaded warrior in archaic plate armor. When animated, they surround and beat to death any intelligent creature in the room. If the word Peelsotckabog is pronounced, they return to their place. Too large to exit the room.
STATUE. 7 feet tall, carries a grinning head under one arm and wields a gigantic flail with the other.
HD 3 (18 hp), ARM Δ10, ATT , ML -
K. Minor pentacle p.18
Completely collapsed circular room. Smell of sulfur mixed with something acrid (the demon's acid). Full of debris.
- → Collapsed. Secret passage to J partially open due to the cave-in.
- → Debris. Includes some human remains and pieces of partially melted rock.
Note: The demon Grazzalt (see B) overdid his intervention a little and not only killed most of the adventurers (except Reginald) but destroyed the room…
L. Entrance p.18
Illuminated by the colorful, ever-changing light of the enchanted portal to the south. Three stones in the west wall seem to be more polished than the others
- → Enchanted portal. A wall of bright, moving colors, under an arch of vibrating stone. Leads directly to the Great Outside.
- → Three stones. Open the secret door to N if pushed simultaneously.
M. False bedroom and office p.18
Dusty section, clearly uninhabited. 12 gp in the bedroom dresser drawer.
N. Guards quarters Troll p.18
A dormitory, a room for the guard leader, a kitchen, and a pantry. Wrecked and abandoned since a family of trolls moved in.
- → Trolls. A mother and two infants. Very, very hungry. Don't hesitate to attack edible hosts. Can be appeased with large amounts of meat.
ADULT TROLL. HD 6 (36 hp), ARM tough skin Δ6, ATT , SP regeneration ( per turn except for acid and fire), ML Δ8
Infant Troll. HD 6 (22 hp), ARM Δ4, ATT , SP regeneration hp per turn except for acid and fire, ML Δ6
Note: Reginald, of course, as the good hero that he imagines himself to be, would like to confront the trolls in the loudest manner possible.
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