Temple of 1000 Swords

The basin and stream are choked with rusted swords. PCs have a 2-in-6 chance of stepping on a sword (1d4 damage) unless extra caution is taken while wading through the water.

A trap: a sword-spangled pit hidden by the current (Dexterity check, 1d6 damage on failure); falling into the pit causes a seesaw like board counterweighted with bells to swing up and make a racket, alerting the drukks in area T3. Because of all the swords flowing through here, there’s a 3-in-6 chance that the trap won’t actually activate.

A secret door to room T8 is concealed beneath the statue’s legs. 1d4+2 drukks stand guard and pass the time practicing swordplay or singing drukk battle hymns (screaming). A pile of fine swords is placed before the statue as an offering. Two of them glow faintly in the dark (blades 2 and 9 of the nine). An enormous gem (1000 GP) is embedded in the statue’s forehead; it’s a treacherous climb to reach it (Strength check).

Awful duck people

sword (1d8) or Bite (1d4+1),

• THAC0: 19 [0], MV 120’ (40’),

• Drukk battle scream: Drukks scream while fighting. If 5 drukks are present, the volume is enough to deafen anyone within 50’ for 1d6 minutes.
• Leaders: For every 10 in a group, there is a 2HD leader. For every 50, there is a 4HD leader (saves: D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (4)). 10

The floor has been lowered to facilitate a large underwater cave-kelp and oyster garden; a sudden drop-off will catch careless adventurers unaware. A giant octopus labors here harvesting cave-kelp and irritating the oysters to help with pearl production. She is surly and has a sword but generally dislikes combat. A submerged tunnel concealed by darkness, water, and kelp leads to area T6.

tentacle (1d3 + constriction), 1 x sword (1d8), THAC0 12 [+6], MV 90’ (30’),

• Constriction: Tentacles grab and constrict after a hit. Each constricting tentacle inflicts: 1d3 automatic damage per round, plus a –1 penalty to attacks.
• Severing tentacles: Requires a hit with a cutting weapon inflicting 6 or more damage.
• Ink cloud: When escaping, can emit a cloud of black ink (80’ diameter) and jet away at 3 times normal speed.

An (unreliable) mermaid with a conchhorn is posted in the pool to keep watch over anyone entering from the west. There is a 3-in-6 chance that she’s doing her job. The 10’ of space adjacent to the western wall is walkable but immediately drops off into a deep cavern pool. 4d6 merfolk frolic here (only 3d4 of them are warriors). The merfolk may initially seem welcoming but quickly reveal an underlying arrogance. They may tease a PC for not swimming, trying too hard to swim, or just not swimming as beautifully as merfolk (to the guffaws of the gathering crowd). They are insufferable locker room bullies who will socially exploit any visible weaknesses. They typically challenge non-drukk interlopers into a potentially embarrassing physical challenge before resorting to violence.

1 Cavorting quietly underwater 2 Playing water polo with a dismembered drukk head. 3 A party is starting–they’re getting drunk off fermented seaweed and oyster sauce. 4 A party is ending–they’re drunk, angry, and ready for violence (or romance?).

Fish-tailed rascals of the sea

(1d8) THAC0 19 [0], MV 120’ (40’),

• AL Neutral, XP 10 (leader: 20/75), NA 0 (1d20), TT A
• Leaders: For every 10 in a group, there is a 2HD leader. For every 50, there is a 4HD leader (saves: D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (4)).
• Guardians: Use trained sea creatures or monsters to guard their homes.

A tunnel, hidden by the dark water and seaweed, connects to area T4. Lydia, the unhinged queen of the merfolk, dwells here--either on her coral throne or riding around on her water elemental steed. She’s bored and violent and constantly threatens that she’ll marry anyone who bests her in combat. She’s probably joking. Regardless, she challenges any stranger to a one-on-one sword fight. Losers are bullied relentlessly by merfolk but usually not killed. She’s accompanied on her island by her long suffering “color guard,” Hestia and Deema. (Use normal merfolk stat block). They are loyal but weary. Lydia wields blade 3 of the Nine but she’s not really attached to it. A huge coral chest with a living sea urchin “lock” holds 50 perfect pearls worth 20GP each. Lydia’s secret song opens the lock and pacifies the urchin and its sting (save vs death or die). Treat Lydia as a 4HD Merfolk leader.

There are more swords here than in most rooms. The oxidizing iron and murky water give the room’s scent a unique bouquet of blood and mold. A chute behind a fake stone panel connects to room T19. It’s narrow but technically traversable with a Strength check (failure means a scary slide into a pile of swords, 1d6 damage).

Note: don’t roll for random encounters in this safe space.

The key to this room is found on the Hierophant’s corpse in room T14. The fearsome Hierophant lived here until his recent demise. His reputation endures; the dungeon’s denizens will not enter this chamber. The exotic silks in the dresser are worth 300 GP. Blade 4 of the Nine is mounted over the bed. A party of 5 can sleep comfortably on the enormous mattress. A diary on the writing desk comprises a ponderous and minutely detailed account of the priest’s life. 1d4+1 hours spent reading it (or a successful Intelligence check and ten minutes) reveals the following details:

• The Hierophant searched long for a new “Emperor and Empress” of swords but found no one worthy.
• The Hierophant’s bloodlust grew over time. A fondness for chivalrous duels slowly devolved into senseless slaughter. His last “duel” was against a traveling theatre troupe.
• There have been no new entries in the diary for several weeks.
• Apparently, the dungeon’s “sword/ fish” have not been fed in some time. (Room T17) 14

Drukks and merfolk avoid this area.

In its purest expression of purpose, the temple battles itself here in an endless churn of pointless sword violence. 2d4 sand-persons rise and take up blades to attack each other or anyone else who enters the sand. One of the sandpersons wields blade 5 of the Nine. The hidden door from area T3 is easy to spot from this room.

Sword-wielding sand spirits.

(1d8), THAC0 18 [+1], MV 90’ (30’),

• Bound to the sands: Sandpersons cannot leave the arena.
• Effectively immortal: the sandembodied spirits of the temple rise again within 1d3 rounds of being slain.

There’s a hidden door halfway down into area T19. The plaster-covered wood looks just like stone.

The wall can be removed with 10 minutes of noisy work; roll for random encounters. Behind the wall is a shallow 10’x20’ chamber. A pale, shaggy-haired prisoner dressed in white is impaled against the wall by a glowing sword through his heart (blade 8 of the Nine). This honey-tongued prisoner is Remy LeFou, clearly a vampire. He’ll promise to not bite the party if they free him and further bargaining may be possible. He’ll keep his word but he’s hungry and will absolutely cause long-term problems for everyone (killing beloved NPCs, turning the mayor into a vampire, etc.). Remy came to the dungeon four years ago hoping to drink the blood of a god. The Hierophant defeated and imprisoned him in this chamber.

The drukks make their base here-- bedding up in the timbers and defecating on the floor. They hide treasure (1d6 x 10pp) in their fetid mud nests and scream all day long. 2d4+4 drukk warriors reside here at all times and are highly intolerant of trespassers. Should combat break out, a phalanx of drukk warriors hold a line behind their sharpened palings while warriors rain swords down from above. Drukks will parlay but will let no one pass into the tunnels beyond. See the drukk stat block on page 23.

These tunnels either lead nowhere or to an alternate exit on the surface or to the underdark drukk city (referee’s call). The first tunnel on the right however is a waterlogged secret entrance into the throne room (T17).

Check twice for random encounters.

A key around the corpse’s neck opens the doors to T16 and T8. The Hierophant was killed here by Piotr. The body lies undisturbed though its cursed blood incites further violence (roll twice for random encounters). The magic spear grants an extra attack each round against sword-wielding opponents. If the spear is removed: a beat passes before the corpse shudders with a hoary sigh, then rises as a wight, hungry for warm blood.

(energy drain), THAC0 17 [+2],

S16 (3), ML 12, AL Chaotic, XP 50,

• Undead: Immune to poison, mind control, charm, hold, sleep, etc.
• Mundane weapon immunity: Only harmed by silver weapons or magic.
• Energy drain: A successfully hit target permanently loses one experience level (or Hit Die). This incurs a loss of one Hit Die of hp. 16 17

1d2 drukk warriors are posted outside the room on guard duty.

A glowing sword is tangled in the nest (blade 1 of the Nine). A drukk laid an egg here and it won’t stop growing. The drukks believe that a herculean mallard will soon hatch to lead them to victory. If the egg sustains at least

emerges, attacks anything within range, and dies in one minute.

(1d8), primal scream or psychic assault,

• THAC0: 15 [+4], MV 120’ (40’),

• Primal scream: All within earshot save vs breath weapon or take 1d8 damage.
• Psychic assault: As the 4th level magic-user spell “confusion.” d4 What are the drukks doing? 1 All of the drukks are asleep. 2 “Feeding” the egg (rubbing mermaid meat on the egg). 3 Carefully adding swords to the nest. 4 Having an angry, sweaty workout; eager to fight.

A moment after the PCs enter, the tower begins to clink and cascade as 1d4+1 sword/person hybrids crawl out from their sword nests, lustily attacking while begging for death. These sword/person hybrids were sword enthusiasts who laid their own bodies on the Gladio Forge (room T19) becoming half-sword/half-person. It was a terrible idea; they’re in constant pain. At least one sword on the pile is glowing but it’s a tricky climb to get to it (blade 6 of the Nine). Climbers must succeed on a Dexterity test or fall prone into the swords for 1d6 damage.

parts (1d8), THAC0 17 [+2],

S16 (3), ML 11, AL Chaotic, XP 35,

• Absorb metals: Hits with nonmagical, metal weapons cause damage, but the weapon may become stuck in the sword/person (save versus spells). Stuck weapons can be removed if the sword/ person is killed. 18

of the nine). An inscription above

The black sword falls on anyone who sits on the left throne. A hidden switch in its armrest opens a secret door to area T18.

• The puzzle: The black stone in the northern pool has a sword-shaped hole in its top. It’s a reverse “sword-fromthe-stone” situation. Inserting a sword into the hole causes a chest to rise up in the southern pool. The chest holds a scepter (750 GP) and two magical crowns. However, removing the crowns from the chest causes a stone obelisk to rise in front of the door, blocking the room’s only exit. Replacing the crowns lowers the obelisk back into the floor.
• The crowns: denote the “Emperor and Empress” of swords. Any who don them take the roles of Emperor and Empress (gender is irrelevant) and is granted the following benefits when standing within 10 feet of each other:
• Allies’ swords within 30’ increase their damage value by one step (ex. d8 to d10).
• Enemy swords within 30’ decrease their damage value by one step (ex. d8 to d6).
• Can understand the witless, awful, alien language of swords. Invaluable to blacksmiths; maddening to most rational minds. Asking a question to a sword requires a Wisdom check, failure incurs 1d6 psychic damage.
• Sword/person hybrids and Sandpersons will not attack (rooms T16 and T9.) The pools: are 12’ deep and hold 2d4 hungry sword/fish. They haven’t been fed since the Hierophant died and will attack anything that enters the water. Hidden tunnel: The southern pool’s water level is slightly lower as a result of the drukk’s inadvertent tunneling into the pond; a muddy, submerged, and narrow secret tunnel leads from the southern pool to area T13. Sword/Fish Half sword half fish. AC 7 [12], HD 2 (9hp), Att 1 × swordbeak (1d8), THAC0 18 [+1], MV 120’ (40’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1), ML 8, AL Neutral, XP 20, NA 2d4 (0)
• Pack tactics: One sword/fish attempts to drag its prey to the bottom of the pool while the others stab it with their swordbeaks. 19

The Empress, overcome with grief from a life of violence, slew her sleeping husband before falling on her own blade. Her spirit now haunts this chamber.

• The haunt: A moment after all PCs have entered the room, the weeping ghost appears and pleads, “No more…please forgive me…no more.” All swords become extremely heavy (Strength check, -1 for every sword in a PC’s possession). Any character who fails is pinned to the ground by the weight of their own weapons (though they may voluntarily abandon them to move freely). The ghost grows more distraught before “attacking” with cursed, numbing tears. Defeating the ghost in combat temporarily pauses the curse though her spirit reappears after 24 hours. Alternatively, anyone wearing a crown from area T17 or a confident cleric speaking with authority may absolve the ghost of her sins and end the curse. She’ll ask for her bones to be buried away from the gaze of Gladio. Ghost of the Weeping Empress A weeping queen begs for forgiveness. AC 4 [15], HD 6** (27hp), Att 1 × numbing tears (1d8 + sleep (save vs paralysis)), THAC0 14 [+5], MV 150’ (50’) / 300’ (100’) flying, SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (6), ML 11, AL Chaotic, XP 725, NA 1 (0)
• Undead: Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mindaffecting or mind-reading spells (e.g. charm, hold, sleep).
• Mundane damage immunity: Only harmed by silver weapons or magic. Treasure: The skeletons wear emerald rings worth 500 GP each. An additional 2450 GP is piled throughout the chamber but requires a turn to consolidate and collect. The opera glasses: hold a curse of their own; any who gazes through the lenses sees every creature they’ve ever killed staring back at them. Note: ask the player how many creatures they see (ballpark estimate). The PC must save vs wands or permanently lose CON from fright. “A lot” of slain creatures = 1d6 CON, “not many” = 1d3 CON, “none” = no CON lost. Surviving the ordeal grants a permanent 1d3 to WIS. 20 21

Anything placed on the anvil instantly becomes a sword composed of the substance of its original form (e.g. placing a plant on the pedestal transforms it into a sword made out of plants). Note that the law of conservation of mass (mostly) applies: placing a single gold coin on the anvil will make a tiny gold sword. Placing a sword on the anvil turns it into a different kind of sword (longsword, scimitar, falchion, etc.).

here, creating swords and sending them down a chute into area T7. His bloodshot eyes and sunken cheeks stand in sharp contrast to his shining mail. When he runs out of raw materials, he scavenges the dungeon for supplies. Gladio placed a geas on this knight in recompense for his slaying of the Hierophant (area T14). Piotr is forced to create swords until his blood debt is paid.

large and otherworldly; a walking mass of armor and swords. PCs must save vs paralysis or freeze in fear at the sight of the living god.

• Gladio: is an imposing but benevolent entity with a booming laugh and a special affection for adventurers. As the god of swords, Gladio’s sole concern is that people kill each other with swords. As such, he’s quick to assist adventurers towards further acts of destruction. Though Gladio may present himself as a caring and generous patron, he is at his core an evil god; any association with Gladio leads only towards death. Gladio will commend PCs who have collected the Nine of Swords (“A true sword lord indeed!”). He will ask to hear of the PCs' exploits. At some point, he will issue a quest. This may be because:
• The PCs seek a special favor from a god (lost knowledge, a resurrection, etc.).
• The PCs seek to free Piotr.
• A PC has stolen the gem from the statue in area T3.
• The PCs have made “too many” swords using the magical forge.
• Really for any reason at all… th Gladio casts a geas (as the 6 level magic-user spell) on the party: “You must kill 9 people with swords within 9 days or die.” Further notes: Gladio sees this as a “fun challenge.” Swords must be used to injure the victims but are not required to be the “killing blow.” The victims must count as “people” to Gladio: drukks don’t count; merfolk only count as ½ of a person. Pointing a sword at a creature will magically alert a PC if a creature is “worthy.” 22