The Lost Temple of Heytet-Seqat

The Lost Temple of Heytet-Seqat

An underground temple and a god turned prisoner await LEVEL 5 heroes in this arid expedition.

What’s Going On?

The ruins of an ancient temple have been found beneath the sands of the Withering Dunes—but multiple expeditions have failed to return. What started as an exploration project is rapidly turning into a search-and-rescue. Inside the temple, starvation, infighting and madness are just as deadly as the monsters. Below the sands, the dark priests of Heytet-Seqat eagerly prepare to feed more interlopers to their imprisoned god…

Quest Hooks

• The Explorer’s Guild is hiring adventurers for a rescue expedition. They offer any treasures the party discovers in the ruins as compensation–a breach of their contract with The Tower (but only if they find out).
• The Tower seeks capable adventurers for an artifact retrieval. They won’t say what exactly they’re looking for, only providing a tracking runestone that glows in proximity to the desired item. They will pay well for its safe and discreet delivery.
• A villager begs the party to rescue his father, who led the most recent rescue operation. He promised he would be back by now…

Secrets & Rumors

• Heytet-Seqat, the Scorpion Queen, is immortal. Each time she is defeated she returns to life, more powerful.
• The Tower seeks an ancient magical lamp created by a powerful desert mage.
• They do not know that the lamp is what binds Heytet-Seqat to this tomb; removing it will free her.
• Snakemen do their best to trap outsiders in the tomb in hopes that one will free her, or failing that—feed her.

Traveling Encounters

• Sandstorm. Winds begin to whip caustic sand into the air, a sandstorm is coming! Players can shelter in place (taking 2d6 acid damage on a failed STR save), or shelter in a cave that has an eerie sound (cave is safe—winds are causing the caves to echo & moan).
• Golden Pyramid. This massive structure hauntingly shines in the distance. Heroes must make a WIL save or suffer sand madness as they are compelled to ceaselessly stare at its beauty. They have disadvantage on attacks and are unable to take reactions for 3 hours (until the end of the next encounter).
• Ruined Caravan. It sits in a heap of broken axles amidst the sand dunes, merchant bodies lie scattered motionless. An Examination check shows clear signs of sabotage. A Snakeman is playing dead, dressed in women’s clothing.

An Insight check reveals something is off–failing the check, the heroes will be Surprised when a group of Snakemen strike (3/hero).

• Sleepy Oasis. Beautiful palm trees frame a small pristine lake. Slumbering jackals surround the water’s edge. Drinking the water heals HP, but causes drowsiness (1 HP/ gulp; more than 4 gulps: fall asleep for an hour afterward, suffering 1 Wound for sleeping in the heat).

Adventure Locations

Mages’ Camp. Ransacked. Torn cloth and broken poles.

• A massive pitfall trap has been triggered. Snakemen scales and a khopesh (sickle) lie amidst the rubble.
• A severed rope dangles into the pit which descends 50 ft. to the shadowy temple antechamber.
• Snakemen will return and destroy any method of egress (rope, ladder, etc) left by the heroes once they descend.

Temple Antechamber. Half-buried by desert sands accumulated over time.

• A corridor leads left, strong acrid smell. To the right, echoing metallic slicing sound.
• A haphazard tangle of symbols is scratched into the sandstone wall (Thieves Cant: "we went left").

Pillar Room (Left Corridor). A river of acid (20ft. across) interrupts the path ahead.

• The ceiling is partially collapsed, held up by ornately-decorated pillars.
• A pillar has been shoved over creating a makeshift bridge across. It is slowly being dissolved by the acid.
• Anything heavier than a single small creature crossing it will break it. The acid deals 10 damage/round.
• Another pillar is close to the river, but requires a Might check of 20+ to knock over (more than 1 creature can contribute). If pushed over, roll 1d6. 1: All creatures on that side of the room take 3d10 damage from falling debris. 2-4: Creatures pushing take 1d10 damage. 5-6: No cave in!

Trapped Gallery (Right Corridor). Sloped floor covered in thin layer of sand. Sound echoes from below.

• Begin sliding down upon stepping on it. Looks nearly impossible to climb back up.
• A mural carved into the stone of a giant scorpion with ancient inscription (Lore: "THE FURY OF HEYTET- SEQAT" the name of the scorpion held here).
• Leads to a corridor guarded by a series of 3 bladed pendulums, perpetually swinging.
• DC 10 DEX save to slip past one. Suffer 1d8 damage for each failure (Examination/Insight: they follow a predict-

able pattern, gain advantage on save).

• A DC 15 Finesse check can temporarily disable the mechanism, each time it is failed 1d8 damage as your hand is pinched in the mechanism.

Temple Library. Innumerable books & scrolls. At the center, sculptures of the former god-kings.

• An enchantment is cast over the library. Talking above a whisper deals 3d4 lightning damage.
• An insane mage (robes singed), writes frantically in the corner, recording all he can with an obsessive fervor. Any questions are answered with "Ask the first gods. They know all."
• Examination: The sculpture features multiple snakemen fighting a giant scorpion. One lies down, stabbing a spear at its exposed, vulnerable underside.
• Insight: Heroes on one of the sculptures points to an gilded scroll shelved high on a wall: Map to the Golden Pyramid.
• The books contain records of the snakemen’s history with the Scorpion Queen. Once revered as a god, she is now trapped here by some magical artifact.
• 5 starving survivors, all whisper-quarreling. They say:
• SHH! GRATEFUL to see you. Do you have any food?
• The mages won’t even tell us what treasure they’re LOOKING for! It’s not the ruby, don’t even LOOK at it.
• Only way out is past HER (Scorpion Queen).

False Treasure Chamber. A stone chamber lined with sarcophagi. MASSIVE ruby lies on a pedestal.

• The ruby casts the room in red light. All creatures who do not avert their gaze before entering the room must succeed on a DC 14 WIL save or they are compelled to rush forward and grab it.
• Upon touching the ruby, the floor gives way and they fall through to the Scorpion Shrine below (onto soft sands).
• Sarcophagi have a 1 in 4 chance of containing treasure, otherwise each is filled with Scarab Swarms (5 minions/ hero. Size:d4).

Scorpion Shrine. Bones line the path to the altar of the great Scorpion Queen, Heytet-Seqat.

• She slumbers, blocking the narrow staircase out, tail coiled around a clutch of Scorpion Eggs.
• Once defeated, her wounds begin to heal and she will begin to reanimate over the course of the next day.

True Treasure Chamber. Simple room, halfway up the stairs.

• An oil lamp made of brass sits on a wooden altar (if the party has the mage’s runestone, it glows brightly).
• Murals on the walls show the lamp being given to the Scorpion Queen by a powerful desert mage as an offering to placate her wrath. In truth, it is what binds her to this place.

Aftermath

• If the lamp is removed, she will be free to once again roam the dunes and lead the Snakemen in causing havoc in the region.
• If obtained, The Tower intends to use the lamp’s power to consolidate control over the region.

STR++

Scorpion Queen Lvl 5 Solo, Large Scorpion

Trampling Movement. She can move through the space of any creature smaller than her, knocking them Prone.

Vulnerable Underbelly. Hits from Prone melee attackers auto crit on her.

ACTIONS: After each hero’s turn, move 6 then choose 1:

• Claw. 3d6. On damage: Grappled (escape DC 12).
• Venom Stinger. (Reach 3, a creature she has advantage against) 1d6+20.

Bloodied: At 58 HP, she drips acid blood, dealing 1d6 damage to any creature she walks over.