Cursed Scroll 1: Diablerie · p.49
Open source p.49The Hideous Halls of Mugdulblub A 1st-level adventure for Shadowdark RPG “The Dissolution is nigh! All shall become one!" -Gordock Breeg, servant of Mugdulblub Video walkthrough of the adventure at youtube.com/thearcanelibrary
Overview
ROOM KEY
The keyworded descriptions at the start of each location are safe to share with the players. The bulleted details beneath are for the GM.
BACKGROUND
Long ago, a fissure in the caverns below Bittermold Keep bubbled and grew, spewing forth a pool of muttering madness. This primordial ooze, Mugdulblub, drove the Bittermold family who lived in the keep to insanity. Now, the ooze's petitioners zealously feed and protect it, warring with each other for their patron's favor.
FACTIONS
Bittermolds. The Bittermolds' warped descendants haunt the caves beneath the keep, preferring its wet and slimy environs. Their leader, Plogrina Bittermold, has begun a hit-and-run war against the recent halfling "invaders" camping inside the keep's ruins. Howlers. Fervent, barbaric halflings whose warchief, Gordock Breeg, saw visions of Mugdulblub after drinking algae-laced pond water. Gordock knows all must eventually be Dissolved, but he'll ally in the short term to eradicate the sneaky Bittermolds. Vengeful Catfish. Mugdulblub's mutating influence has caused the river catfish to grow legs and dim intelligence. They resent being sacrificed to Mugdulblub when there is nothing better to Dissolve, and they want revenge against the ooze's worshippers. Mugdulblub. Mugdulblub plays its petitioners against each other; the survivors are the ones best suited to protect and feed it.
RUMORS
The wealthy Bittermold family once lived in the keep, but their line suddenly died out and the whole place fell into ruin. A fisher caught a catfish with four legs in a stream behind the keep. It took the hook out of its own mouth and dove back in! The castle's stones are melting like wax from a horrible curse. Woodsmen recently spotted several short, cloaked figures scurrying into the keep. They never came back out again. A hunter heard a ululating cry echoing inside the ruins. The lord of Bittermold Keep had a magic ruby that let him walk through fire unscathed. It was a gift from a demon!
BITTERMOLD KEEP
Dissolving. The ruined keep is slowly collapsing into mush from Mugdulblub's liquefying presence. The stones feel spongy and have a dripping, melted-wax appearance. The crenels fold and sag, and loose rubble has stewed down into pools of globby mortar. Entrances and Exits. The keep itself is a gaping shell upon a hill, but a rusty trapdoor in its floor leads to Area 1. A cold river trickles out of the hill's south face; its cramped, muddy tunnel leads up into Area 23 (3:6 chance of mutant catfish in the river).
ORDER OF BATTLE
Bittermolds. If the Bittermolds fall into audible battle, any of their allies in adjacent rooms arrive in rounds. Fleeing Bittermolds try to lead pursuers into acid quicksand traps or the skeletons in Areas 10 and 11. They retreat toward Area 27. Howlers. The halflings shriek a ululating war cry in battle that summons all allies in that quadrant of the complex in rounds. They fall back to Area 4 if overwhelmed and barricade inside.
Areas 1-33 Danger Level. Unsafe. Check for an encounter every 3 crawling rounds or after the PCs make loud noises (, 1 = encounter). Light. Halflings have lit torches. Otherwise, wet, inky darkness. Totals. 35 Howlers, 30 Bittermolds, and 28 mutant catfish between keyed locations and wanderers. It's possible to wipe a faction out.
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
Details Plogrina Bittermold (Area 29) with Bittermolds looking for something to feed to Mugdulblub that it's never tasted Howlers wrestling a mutant catfish down the hall An ichor ooze slurping toward the nearest source of heat Gordock Breeg (Area 4) leading a band of Howlers in pursuit of wounded Bittermolds Bittermolds stealthily looking for Howlers to capture A new pocket of acid quicksand gives way beneath characters (DC 12 DEX to escape, damage/round) vengeful mutant catfish out for violence (can be distracted with tasty food or sympathy) bandits looking for treasure who are realizing coming here was a bad idea; they refuse to leave empty-handed Bittermolds dragging tied Howlers to Mugdulblub A lone cultist in an algae-induced fever dream looking for Mugdulblub; mutters about how all must be Dissolved roosting tar bats; open flame makes them frenzy A fat glob of sticky slime drips onto a light source, ruining it
Maps (2)
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Rooms (34)
1 Entry Hall p.53
1. ENTRY HALL
Statue in Alcove: Misshapen, waxy lump. Floor: Streaked with mud. Walls: Slushy water oozing from hairline cracks. Air: Humid, sour.
- Statue. Humanlike shape. Worn, copper plate says "Sir Reginald
Bittermold." Pushing the plate opens the secret door to Area 32.
- Floor. Child-sized, bare footprints in dry mud toward Area 2.
- Walls. "Water" is corrosive globs of acid. Sizzles when touches
flesh, DC 12 CON or damage. Enough to collect 3 doses.
- Faint Sounds. Snarling voices from Area 4 if Howlers are there.
2 Memorial Chamber p.53
2. MEMORIAL CHAMBER
Stone Busts: Dozens carved inside deep wall niches. Melting, distorted. Floor: Mud abruptly ends halfway across room.
- Loud Sounds. Barking voices from Area 4 if Howlers are there.
- Busts. Humans. A stone is jammed in the mouth of one. If
removed, he bellows the jaunty Bittermold family anthem (three Howlers from Area 4 investigate in rounds).
- Floor. Muddy prints lead into acid quicksand trap. Floor is very
smooth over the area. DC 12 DEX to escape, damage/round.
- Secret Door. Faint, wobbly crack in north hall. Leads to Area 3.
3 Pipe Organ Vault p.53
3. PIPE ORGAN VAULT
Pipe Organ: Massive, fills east wall. Swollen, cracked wood. Brass tubes crusted with verdigris. Wobbly stool. Ceiling: Soaring, arched.
- Bittermolds. 2:6 chance of Bittermolds crouching in here.
- Ceiling. Hundreds of subtle, pin-sized holes (trap, see below).
- Organ. Carved with imps. 42 ivory keys left (1 gp each). Honks and
wheezes, shakes room. Playing a grave/unholy dirge grants 1 XP and luck token (once per PC). A pleasant/holy ode triggers trap.
▶Trap. Door locks, poison gas fills room. DC 15 CON or /round.
4 Howler Camp p.54
4. HOWLER CAMP
People: Twelve, child-sized, bare feet. Scraggly coyote-pelt cloaks. Jabbering and gnawing raw catfish around campfire. Pillars: Chiseled with spiraling runes. Smell: Wet dog, faint brimstone.
- People. 12 unruly Howlers make squalid camp. Gordock Breeg,
their leader, is addicted to psychedelic algae; it gives him delusional, self-important visions about Mugdulblub's desires.
▶Gordock plans to win Mugdulblub's favor by "Dissolving" the Bittermolds. He'll make temporary alliances to that end.
- Pillars. Minuscule screed in Diabolic covering six pillars.
Examining causes brimstone smell to rise. Reading whole thing: CHA stat and summons hostile hexlings through alcoves.
- West Door. Barricaded from Area 4 side. DC 18 STR to force open.
5 Compass Rose Hall · skeleton p.54
5. COMPASS ROSE HALL
Floor: Swooping compass rose carving. Scattered bones. Body: Splayed out, clutching silvery item. South Door: Warm, wet draft.
- Body. Recently dead Howler, scorched to a crisp. Holding Wrath
Bolt, +1 dagger, deals damage to anyone who tries to take it from previous possessor (dead or alive).
- Bones. Old human skeletons. Scraps of burned armor and gear.
- Compass. When asked a location, flares to indicate the direction.
- South Door. Barricaded from both sides. DC 20 STR to force open.
- skeleton AC 13 HP 11 LV 2 C 1 shortsword +1 (1d6)1 shortbow (far) +0 (1d4)
6 Ashes Chamber · skeleton p.54
6. ASHES CHAMBER
Glass Bowl: Opaque white. On pedestal of lumpy stone. Walls: Draped in shredded, crimson banners. Air: Frigid, can see breath.
- Bowl. Rime plays over surface. Filled with ash. Sifting reveals
dozens of teeth and a blue pearl (40 gp). Removing pearl causes teeth and ash to knit into a skeleton that serves the pearl-holder.
- Banners. Sewn into the hem of one is the fat iron key to Area 12.
- skeleton AC 13 HP 11 LV 2 C 1 shortsword +1 (1d6)1 shortbow (far) +0 (1d4)
7 Burrow Holes p.55
7. BURROW HOLES
East Wall: Pockmarked with jagged holes. Smell: Faint bile stench.
- Holes. 20 at varying heights, as big around as a fist. Connected
warren of tunnels inside. Three ichor oozes nest within.
▶Reaching Inside. Roll . On 1-16, pull out a hostile ichor ooze. On 17-20, pull out a random diabolical treasure (see back cover). Once all ichor oozes pulled out, nest is empty of treasure.
8 Ancient Fountains p.55
8. ANCIENT FOUNTAINS
Fountains in Alcoves: Wide, smooth, burbling water. One is glossy black, one pearly white. North Wall: Bas relief carving covers wall.
- Obsidian Fountain. Sulfurous water, causes violent coughing
when drunk. Pouring a draught of it into Reginald Bittermold's mouth (Area 25) causes corpse to hack up the Cloven Heart gem.
- Pearl Fountain. Dead mutant catfish floats inside. Pink water.
Drinking it heals HP but causes a mutation. : 1. Extra eye, 2. Extra finger, 3. Split tongue, 4. Longer, sharper teeth.
- Bas Relief. Runny and distorted. In it, a many-fingered man atop
Bittermold Keep drops a heart-shaped stone into his mouth.
9 Howler Guards · guard p.55
9. HOWLER GUARDS
People: Group of short, tan-cloaked figures pacing around. Occasionally stop to listen at double doors. Ceiling: High, vaulted.
- People. Four jumpy Howlers on guard against Bittermold
intruders. They believe Bittermolds sneak in through this door to attack their camp (they actually use the secret door in Area 1).
▶Howlers. Clove, Gabby, Merv, Tobin. Territorial and suspicious, but open to parlay. Still not sure why Gordock made the tribe come here. Clove secretly wants to mutiny. Gabby is blindly in love with Gordock. The other two just want hot meals and ale.
- Loose Stone. Base of stairs. Inside, moldy Scroll of Charm Person.
- guard AC 15 HP 4 LV 1 L 1 spear (close/near) +1 (1d6)1 longsword +1 (1d8)
10 North Skeleton Guards · guard,skeleton p.56
10. NORTH SKELETON GUARDS
Skeletons: Crimson glow in eye sockets. Tattered red tabards.
- Arrow Slits. Cleverly hidden. Can't be seen from outside hall
unless specifically looking (shooting through it reveals location).
- Skeletons. Three. They shoot shortbows at non-Bittermolds.
Surprise if shooting through undetected arrow slits.
▶Treasure. A ruby chip in each skeleton's right eye (5 gp each).
11 South Skeleton Guards · guard,skeleton p.56
11. SOUTH SKELETON GUARDS
- As Area 10, but two skeletons instead of three.
12 Meteorite Room p.56
12. METEORITE ROOM
Door: Rusty, thick iron. Gouged and dented. Stamped with runes.
- Door. Hefty keyhole. Locked. Runes in Diabolic say "Betrayal is
Imminent." DC 18 DEX to pick, DC 20 STR to force. Opening with anything but key from Area 6 triggers trap.
▶Trap. Creature closest to the door possessed by a demonic spirit. DC 18 CHA or fly into screaming rage and attack allies. Ends if knocked unconscious or demon exorcised.
- Inside. Vast, hollow room rimed with dust. Stale air. Black marble
dais with weighty, iron chest on it that pulls light into itself.
▶Chest. Starry void on interior lid. 20 iridescent meteorite chunks inside (30 gp each). For each removed, gravity of void increases (cumulative 5% chance of being sucked into void, forever lost).
13 Stalactite Cavern p.56
13. STALACTITE CAVERN
Stalactites: Dangling, crowded, wet. Sound: Splashing water (west).
- Floor. Acid quicksand trap. Ground is very smooth over the area.
DC 12 DEX to escape, damage/round.
- Stalactites. Tiny one carved with an X. Hit for a luck token, AC 15.
- North Tunnel. Wispy coils of steam waft out and dissipate.
14 The Gold Catfish p.57
14. THE GOLD CATFISH
Pool: Crystal clear, glittering water. Gold Catfish: Long beard tendrils, radiant scales. Splashing and darting merrily in water.
- Pool. Piles of sparkling, gold coins glint on bottom (60 gp). Highly
acidic water, damage/round to non-metal objects. 10' deep.
- Gold Catfish. Transcendent mutant catfish (LV 5, attack, x2
damage). Solid gold body (100 gp). Jovial, wise, speaks Common. Answers questions about ruins, 5 gp each (70% chance accurate).
15 Steaming Stalagmites p.57
15. STEAMING STALAGMITES
Stalagmites: Fat, wide clusters. Steaming like tea kettles. Steam: Dense. Fills room and passages. Sound: Soft clacking and rattling.
- Steam. Visibility out to a close distance. Checks to hide are easy.
- Stalagmites. Spitting and bubbling, 1:6 chance per round of
steam gout (DC 12 DEX or damage). Round mineral balls (cave pearls) rattle around in the bowl-like tips of several.
▶Cave Pearls. Five total. When thrown against a hard surface, explode with a loud pop, flash, and puff of sulfur.
- Hum. Echoing from the west passage. Rises and falls.
16 Resonant Cave p.57
16. RESONANT CAVE
Hum: Like air blowing over the lips of glass bottles. Vibrates teeth. Walls: Rough rock with high, craggy ceiling. Turns into paved stone to the south. South Alcoves: Thin, rectangular objects on the walls.
- Tar Bats. Six roosting in niches along north cave wall. Bright light
directly below drives them into a fluttering frenzy.
- Cave Chimneys. Dozens of natural holes in ceiling, big enough
for mice. Air whistles over them, creating fluting reverberations.
- Alcoves. A tarnished, gold-framed painting in each (10 gp per).
The paint runs into a grey slurry. An old parchment scrap is stuck to the back of one. It says: "The door is behind my statue. -R.B."
17 Time Flux Chamber p.58
17. TIME FLUX CHAMBER
Floor: Carpet of tiny, glossy brown mushrooms. Northeastern Wall: Stone churns and froths with bubbles. Sounds: Soft hissing and popping, like a boiling cauldron.
- Mushrooms. Crunch softly if tread upon. Regrow swiftly. Filling,
nutritious, savory. DC 12 CON or neon hallucinations ( rounds).
- Wall. Affected by a time flux. 3' deep. Stone roils between mud
and solid. Bubbles form, burst, and then reverse back inside.
▶Time Flux. Objects/creatures in the mud suffer an effect each round. : 1-2. Age years, 3-4. Become years younger.
- East Passage. A pale statue slowly glides across the floor in a
wide chamber beyond the passage.
- South Door. Locked. DC 18 DEX to pick or DC 15 STR to force. 2:6
chance/round Bittermolds in Area 21 notice attempts to open it.
18 Gelatinous Cube · echo,gelatinous-cube p.58
18. GELATINOUS CUBE
Floating Statue: Alabaster woman, white eyes, gentle expression. Air shimmers around her. Glides silently. Floor: Cracked, free of debris. Ceiling: High, vaulted. Sounds echo loudly.
- Gelatinous Cube. The statue floats upright inside the cube's
translucent body. The cube has grown too large to exit the room. It pursues sources of motion and heat.
▶Statue. Carving on base: "Rosemary Bittermold." Impervious to acid. Hidden compartment: Gold hummingbird charm necklace (30 gp), grants advantage once/day on a DEX check.
- echo
- gelatinous-cube AC 11 HP 24 LV 5 N 1 touch +4 (1d8 + toxin + engulf)
19 Empty Prison Cell p.58
19. EMPTY PRISON CELL
Rusty Cell: In alcove. Iron bars, door hanging open.
- Cell. Wall chains with manacles. Scratched into the mushy stone:
"MGDLBLB WLL DSSLV LL"
- Bittermolds. 2:6 chance Bittermolds in Area 21 hear noises.
20 Jellified Remains · skeleton p.59
20. JELLIFIED REMAINS
Rusty Cell: In alcove. Iron bars, door shut. Lumpy shape inside.
- Floor. Acid quicksand trap. Ground is very smooth over the area.
DC 12 DEX to escape, damage/round.
- Cell. Oxidized, locked bars. Break on DC 12 STR check, pick lock
with DC 15 DEX. Inside: Goopy, rotted skeleton in scraps of purple robes sags in the manacles. Bones have become rubbery.
▶Bones. The willowy, blue spirit of a thin human in robes (Jakku the Polyglot) rises out of the remains if touched. He is chatty, academic, and speaks every language. If impressed by a PC's vocabulary, he tells them of the illusory wall in Area 24.
- Bittermolds. 2:6 chance Bittermolds in Area 21 hear noises.
- skeleton AC 13 HP 11 LV 2 C 1 shortsword +1 (1d6)1 shortbow (far) +0 (1d4)
21 Howler Prisoners p.59
21. HOWLER PRISONERS
People: Hunched, pale humans with lank hair sneer and poke sticks through bars of cells. Rusty Cells: Two, in alcoves. Doors shut.
- People. Four young adult Bittermolds: Vort, Globriella, Murdock,
Rogart. Vort has keys to Area 17 door, cell doors, and manacles. Globriella is Plogrina's cruel and sadistic daughter; the others wish to impress her with false bravado and oneupmanship.
▶Investigating Sounds. Bittermolds stealthily investigate sounds in Areas 19-20. They set up an ambush and try to lead PCs into the quicksand trap in Area 20.
- Cells. Locked bars (break on DC 12 STR check, pick lock with DC
15 DEX). One Howler in manacles inside each, soon to be fed to Mugdulblub in Area 22 (manacles break on DC 18 STR check, pick lock with DC 15 DEX).
▶Howler Prisoners. Ignatius and Bron. Caked in blood and muck, festering wounds, feverish. Bite and snarl at threats. Ask to be taken back to Gordock Breeg (Area 4). If returned safely, Gordock's attitude toward PCs improves one step.
22 Mugdulblub's Hall p.61
22. MUGDULBLUB'S HALL
Starry Pool: Swirls and trembles on floor, purple and sparkling. Room: Cavernous, airy. Damp wind wafts from the east. Walls: Pockmarked, rough. Globs of mortar plop down into sticky puddles.
- Pool. Mugdulblub, a telepathic, primordial ooze of eldritch power.
Goal: It must Dissolve and incorporate all material. The strong will enforce this upon the weak until only Mugdulblub remains.
▶Hungry. Needs a steady diet of material to Dissolve. It bestows favor upon those who bring it the most material of the highest novelty. It's bored of catfish, humanoids, stone, and refuse.
▶Boons. Grants a random boon to those it favors (see pg. 19). Withdraws boons if displeased.
23 River Outflow p.61
23. RIVER OUTFLOW
River: Burbling, murky stream empties into a dark tunnel in floor.
- River. 5' deep. Glittering objects skate by along the bottom each
round (DC 15 DEX to grab). : 1. Irritated mutant catfish. 2-19. Worthless sliver of quartz. 20. Blue pearl (40 gp).
- Tunnel. Cramped, muddy. Exits to south face of hill outside the
keep. 1:3 chance of encountering mutant catfish in tunnel.
24 Illusory Wall p.61
24. ILLUSORY WALL
Cave Walls: Streaked with red and purple minerals. Trickles of water leave white salt trails. River: Turbid, charges past. Small waterfalls. Air: Faint, ruffling breeze.
- River. 5' deep. Fast current: DC 12 DEX check if moving quickly or
slip and be carried a near distance toward Area 23.
- Breeze. Faint, from tunnel to Area 25 behind illusory wall (see
below). Bends flames and carries the smell of dust and decay.
- Illusory Wall. Touching the back wall or looking at it in a reflective
object (mirror, bright shield) reveals the illusory portion.
25 Bittermold Family Tomb · wight p.62
25. BITTERMOLD FAMILY TOMB
Alcoves: Six dusty coffins stand upright gripped by tarnished, brass claws driven into stone.
- Coffins. Dust-covered, green-hued glass. Wiping reveals pale,
sunken corpses floating in preservative. Glass easily shattered.
▶Bodies. Three men, three women. 1:6 chance each rises as a wight if freed from glass. Two wear matching gold necklaces with a ruby-and-gold eye pendant (40 gp each).
▶Reginald Bittermold. Southeast coffin. Seven fingers on each hand. Body is rubbery; cuts instantly slurp shut. Inside stomach is Cloven Heart: heart-shaped, glittering ruby with crack down center. Grants owner immunity to fire, STR, CHA, and the enmity of the dralech, Tzakoru, who wants it back. Water from obsidian fountain (Area 8) makes Reginald cough the ruby up.
- wight AC 14 HP 15 LV 3 C 1 bastard sword +3 (1d10) and 1 life drain +3
26 Tooth Pillar p.62
26. TOOTH PILLAR
Cavern: Drafty, high ceiling, crimson-striated rock. Central Rock Pillar: Flecks of white peppered all around bottom half.
- Rock Pillar. Hundreds of teeth driven into rubbery stone. Thin
fangs, hefty molars, human and animal. Six gold teeth (2 gp each).
- Northeast Tunnel. Distant rush of water, cavernous echoes.
27 Bittermold Hovels p.62
27. BITTERMOLD HOVELS
People: Groups of pale, stooped humans squat on the ground, chewing brown mushrooms and muttering quietly to each other. Shacks: Two dozen rotting, wooden lean-tos against cave walls.
- People. 15 Bittermolds drift about. Praising Mugdulblub makes
them hostile; they detest rivals. They hide hostility, preferring to ambush. Instead, they sweetly offer hallucinogenic mushrooms (see Area 17; Bittermolds are immune) to incapacitate enemies.
▶Zalk. Grey hair, wiry, twitchy. Offers to introduce PCs to their leader, Plogrina (Area 29). If hostile, this is a ruse for ambush.
28 Shrine to Mugdulblub p.63
28. SHRINE TO MUGDULBLUB
Carved Stalagmite: Spiraling mass of tentacles looming 10' high. Runnels of dew. Cauldron: Battered iron, set before carving. Boiling.
- Stalagmite. Shrine to Mugdulblub. Sweats beads of acid (DC 12
CON or damage). Faithful who touch it gain a luck token.
- Cauldron. Boiling teeth and bones inside (some humanoid). Salty
broth. Drinking restores hit points.
29 Plogrina Bittermold's Cave p.63
29. PLOGRINA BITTERMOLD'S CAVE
Person: Pale, human woman meditates on mat of woven hair. Purple, glittering liquid dribbles from her lips. Rock Pillar: 20' high, dull grey, lumpy, scratched. Smell: Burned herbs and tangy iron.
- Person. Plogrina. Cryptic, harsh, and respected. Obsessed with
pleasing Mugdulblub (Area 22) and Dissolving rivals. Fears losing Mugdulblub's favor. Globriella is daughter and protégé (Area 21).
▶Will ally to destroy Howlers (Area 4) and/or mutant catfish (Area 32). Betrays alliance for juicy opportunity to please Mugdulblub.
- Rock Pillar. Highly magnetic lodestone. Metal in close range of it
DC 18 STR check or stick to pillar. DC 18 STR to remove. If hostile, Plogrina lures warriors near the pillar to entrap them.
▶Metal Vial. Stuck to tip of pillar. Potion of Extirpation (Shadowdark RPG) inside.
30 Central Cavern p.63
30. CENTRAL CAVERN
Cavern: Vast, breezy. Sheets of dripping flowstone covering walls and natural pillars. Floor: Cut stone crumbling into gritty, uneven rock. River: Sluggish, murky, winding. Occasional splash.
- River. 5' deep. Lazy current. While in water, 3:6 chance per round
mutant catfish appear and demand a toll (food/gold). Hostile toward Bittermolds (who often sneak through toward Area 1).
- North Door. Barricaded from both sides. DC 20 STR to force open.
31 Contested Cave · horse p.64
31. CONTESTED CAVE
Cave: Smooth rock layered with maroon stripes. River: Cloudy with brown sediment, rushing. Walls: Crude carvings at waist height.
- River. 10' deep. Fast current: DC 12 DEX check if moving quickly or
slip and be carried a near distance toward Area 30.
▶Catfish. 2:6 chance per round mutant catfish from Area 32 investigate noises. Hostile toward Bittermolds (who often sneak through toward Area 1). They demand a crossing toll (food/gold).
- Carvings. Childish, jagged. Depicts four-legged fish as big as
horses eating and rending humanoid stick figures.
- horse AC 11 HP 11 LV 2 N 1 hooves +3 (1d6)
32 Catfish Pool p.64
32. CATFISH POOL
Pool: Deep pool of cloudy water. Colorful shapes dart around inside.
- Pool. 20' deep, spring fed. Nine mutant catfish inside. Hostile
toward Bittermolds (who often sneak through toward Area 1). They demand a crossing toll of food/gold.
▶Wise One. Oldest catfish. Red scales with silver flecks, sagacious, arthritic. Promises "our greatest treasure" (see Rock, Area 33) for Plogrina's head (Area 29). Is trying to ally with the Howlers (Area 4), but so far the halflings only want to eat them.
▶Blue Pearls. Three in the muck on the bottom. 40 gp each.
33 Magical Rock p.64
33. MAGICAL ROCK
Catfish: Several slimy, four-legged catfish stump in a rhythmic circle around a low rock. Rock: Flat, smooth, size of wagon wheel. Piled with gold coins cascading off sides. Walls: Covered in thin carvings.
- Catfish. Six mutant catfish guarding the rock. Bored, hungry.
- Rock. 100 gp stacked on top. This is actually an offering to the
rock, which is magical. STR becomes 20 while standing on it.
- Carvings. Rudimentary scratches of hulking, four-legged fish
rampaging through humanoid stick figures. Join The Dark
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map-key Ruins of Bittermold Keep (Map Key) p.66
Ruins of Bittermold Keep Tar Bats Gelatinous Cube L Bittermolds Mugdulblub Acid quicksand: DC 12 DEX escape, damage/round Skeletons S S Gold Catfish Howlers S
1111
Skeletons S L Illusory Wall 5', Slow In/Out Barricaded B
B Howlers + Gordock (loud) S B Ichor Oozes 5', Fast 5', Slow Bittermolds N In/Out S Mtt. Catfish Mtt. Catfish 10', Fast Plogrina Locked L Secret door: thin cracks in wall if examined S