The Fractured Arena

U-shaped amphitheatre seating (cut rock). Baroque viewing boxes (water-stained). Marble stage (gilded bas-reliefs). Obsidian altar (on the stage, pre-human statues, faded theatre sets). Automated stalls (stone vending machines).

• Examine altar: Ingrained dread (touch: save vs death or beset by spirits of sacrificed innocents, fleeing 2 turns). On the altar a gold-plated statue (1,000gp) impaled with bronze dagger.
• Automated stalls: Promise food, drink, and charms. Cracked, metal glitters within.
• Break stall open: Takes 1d4 turns. 1d100gp, 50% chance of a small treasure (page 7), 2d6 Glab-Glab skeletons following outdated instructions.

Initial Exploration

Pilgrimage Chapels

Grand portal (marble, oversized). Chapels (carved into bedrock). High reliefs (lifelike renderings of fish worship). Emperor’s altar (gilded carvings, giant glowing statue).

• Portal marbles: Frieze of painted marble Glab-Glabs (10,000gp intact).
• Emperor’s altar: Gilded carvings (200gp) and three painted panels (900gp). Glass vitrine: seated glowing 18’ display golem of the eternal emperor (as frost giant) holding a great gilded mace (200gp) inside. A large lever activates the golem, which proceeds to declare how it saved humanity from itself. If the vitrine is damaged, it shimmers into mist and the golem activates in relic protection mode. Beneath the golem: secret passage to imperial dressing room in Hypogeum. Path to Timeworn platforms and pillars lead to the left shore.

Further Exploration

Hypogeum

Dank passages (humid). Hexagonal court (polychrome mosaics). Damaged gladiatorial cells (opulent, stygian, fire damage, half-flooded). Grand sewer (stagnant pools, debris).

• Search cells: 4 cell blocks off hexagonal court. 1 turn per cell block. Roll d6: (1) gold key (see Small Treasures, page 7), (2-3) fine mundane weapon, (4–5) small treasure (page 7), (6) lurking waterwight (page 11).
• Search court: Hidden door to the imperial dressing room.
• Imperial dressing room: Glowing mannikin wearing imperial gladiatorial costume. Recliner with corpse of last emperor of a forgotten empire (choked on a chicken bone). The corpse is perfectly preserved by the life-extending potions they imbibed daily. Large mural of the emperor hides a passage to the emperor’s altar in the Pilgrimage Chapels.
• Grand sewer: 1d6 random cave fish (page 10) drawn by disturbed water. Blocked outlet conceals one-way path of waterfalls, ladders, and chasms to the Needle Gnome Outpost (page 24). Decayed stairs, calcite trays, murmuring streams.

Regional Challenges

6. Pack attack: 4d10 skeletons of diverse species crawl out of the shadows, drawn by the living. 7. Flood: Wait on masonry outcrop (1 watch) or risk crossing violent rapids (DEX check or suffer 1d8 damage). 8. Dangerous illusions: Holographic re-enactment of Glab-Glab rites. Illusions obscure dangerously crumbled infrastructure (1 watch to traverse or all PCs suffer 1d10-2 damage). 9. Deadly spectators: 1d6 waterwights (page 11) sit, watching an empty stage, dispersing after 1 watch.

Collapse

1. Statues topple. Marble dust. Stone chips fly. Random PC must save vs breath or be blinded in one eye. +d6 to collapse checks. 2. Arena settles down into itself. Hypogeum crushed. Stalls break open, scores (2d6 x 20) of Glab-Glab skeletons pour out. +d6 to collapse checks. 3. Obsidian altar erupts in light. Glab-Glab danse macabre swallows the region. Imperial Gladiatorial Costume Glowing red-and-gold suit of chainmail +1. As bright as a dozen candles. No dirt, grease, or paint can ever stick to it or obscure its glow. Halves mundane weapon damage. Worth 650gp as a display piece.