Delve · p.109 · 3p
Open source p.109The Bloody Sepulcher
LEVEL 4–7 A vault built to guard cursed treasures has been breached by alchemists who now misuse its dark magic for their own purposes. To cleanse the sepulcher, the party must contend with devious traps, deranged gnolls, and an ancient ooze.
The Bloody Sepulcher
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DUNGEON OVERVIEW
Themes Cursed, Gnolls, Oozes Time 2–4 hours
Combat Dangers Puzzles Social
Background
The Sepulcher
The sepulcher was built by clerics of the God of Knowledge, and used to store evil relics and confiscated valuables, so they could be studied safely. Even so, the work became too dangerous when one of the relics, a Xylophone of Bones, spawned a Skullmonger Ooze made of blood and skulls that attacked anyone who entered the vault where the cursed treasures were stored. All the clerics abandoned the sepulcher, except for the High Warden Ariella, who opted to stay behind and protect the vault. When she eventually died of natural causes, her soul remained tethered to the sepulcher, and she became an Arisen Spirit dedicated to warn away would-be tomb robbers from disturbing the evil within.
Hook
Clear the Darkness Pernille the Pious, a cleric of the God of Light, is troubled by the news that toxins and cursed weapons are being peddled in the region.
The Alchemists
A few months ago, a band of opportunistic Gnoll Putrifiers broke into the vault. Disregarding Ariella’s warnings, they made their lair in the sepulcher. They now take turns entering the vault to gather ingredients – accursed blood and profane skulls – from the ooze’s form to use for their dark alchemy. Though it has cost some of them their lives, the gnolls have managed to create several foul toxins and weapons with these ill-gotten ingredients. Unless someone cleanses the sepulcher of its corruption, the gnolls will continue to flood the region with their evil creations – or, just as likely, accidentally release the ancient ooze upon the surrounding lands.
She offers the party 50 gp to go to the ancient sepulcher a day’s travel away, where reliable sources say the evildoers responsible are holed up, and clear the place of its evil taint.
The Sepulcher
The sepulcher lies in a deep jungle or forest a day or so from the nearest town or village. General Features
The sepulcher has these features unless otherwise noted. ► CEILINGS. 20 feet high. ► DANGER LEVEL. Risky. ► JINXED. Characters roll a critical failure on a 1–3. ► ILLUMINATION. Dark, except for areas B1, B5, and B6. Events
The party may experience the following events while within the sepulcher. Event 1 Faint prayers briefly sound from all-around; echoes of the temple’s past. They are loudest near area B3. 2 Bloodlust suffuses the party. DC 12 WIS or must attack the nearest creature for 1 round. 3 Fell energy permeates the party. DC 12 CHA or damage and DISADV on checks for 1 hour. 4 hostile Swarms of Skulls appear.
Outside the Dungeon
A large, stone door is barely visible beneath dense foliage. Faint tracks lead up to the door, which is smeared with dark symbols, seemingly at random.
The gnolls have trapped the door. There’s a secret entrance hidden by foliage a bit further along.
Door Leads to area B1. A wire strung across the ground before the door causes a bucket of acid – functions as an Acid Splash (Tier 1) – hidden in the foliage above to fall down on whoever opens the door. ► EXAMINE. The wire will cause U the bucket to drop if the door is opened (DC 9 DEX to cut the wire or trigger trap).
Foliage A search of the area finds a dirt- U strewn, wooden hatch a short distance further into the brush. It opens easily (to area B4).
B3
Arisen Spirit
S
B6 Gnoll Putrifiers Skull Swarms
Skullmonger Ooze
T
B2
B1
T S B4
B5
Gnoll Putrifiers
B7
No extracted maps for this adventure — the map is in the source book: Open source p.109
Rooms (8)
B1 Entrance Hall p.113
Murals vandalized with red- glowing symbols cover the walls. Ancient pillars hold the ceiling and four doors lead out. One door bears a large red glyph.
Door Inactive Baleful Symbol (Tier 1) covers the door (to area B4). If opened, symbol activates for 1 minute. ► EXAMINE. The symbol is U harmful if activated. It can be dispelled or scratched out (DC 12 DEX or trigger the symbol).
Murals ► EXAMINE. Depicts robed U figures building the sepulcher and carrying treasures within. One mural shows a skull-filled, slimy monster astride the pile of treasure, and hooded figures keeping it at bay with magical light while sealing the chamber.
Symbols Magical. They shed dim red light. Drawn with accursed blood, taken from the ooze in area B7. ► EXAMINE. The symbols U appear to be drawn with blood. The symbols are much newer than the murals they cover.
B2 Bedroom p.113
This damp room holds four beds, a chest, and a wardrobe. It smells like wet dog, blood, and sweat.
The gnolls have taken a cursed chest from the vault to store their treasures in.
Chest Magical, unlocked, smeared with dried blood. If opened without first smearing blood on it, a Dark Dirge (Tier 1) plays for 1 minute. A script on the lid reads, in Common:
“The cost for all who go to war, The price to forge a bond unborn, The rich will drain it from the poor, The living hide, the dead adorn.”
► TREASURE. 2 rubies (25 gp each) and 14 gp.
B3 Study p.114
The air is stale in this small room, which is furnished with a half- rotted chair, a small desk, and a bookcase. A ghostly, robed woman hovers in the air before you.
Robed WOman Arisen Spirit (Ariella). Wary but not hostile. A pacifist in life, the spirit attacks only in self-defense. ► DIPLOMACY. Ariella asks the party their business. If convinced they aren’t here to steal the treasures, she relates the vault’s history and explains that its treasures are cursed. She also shows them the secret passage and gives them the Scroll of Restoration (see Bookcase). She explains that the acolytes meant to use the scroll on the monster in the vault (area B7), but couldn’t get close enough before it slew them. ► COMBAT. Ariella fights until slain or left alone. She can’t leave.
Bookcase Holds ancient, decrepit books. ► EXAMINE. One book is a U lever; pulling it causes the bookcase to swing open and reveal a passage (to area B6). ► TREASURE. Scroll of U Restoration.
B4 Armory p.114
Shelves and racks filled with ancient and rusted armaments line the walls of this small room.
Shelves and Racks ► EXAMINE. The faint outline U of a passage (to the outside) is visible beneath a shelf by the east wall. ► TREASURE. A Skullmonger U Bola (newly forged), an archaic chainmail, and two longswords. The rest of the armaments are too old or damaged to use.
B5 B5 p.114
Kitchen
This torchlit kitchen holds a stove, tables, and a shelf with moldy foodstuffs and dirty cutlery. Dog-faced humanoids with patchy fur and wearing tattered robes are cooking a foul-smelling meal.
Dog-Faced Humanoids Yirk, Yp, and Nûhl (3 Gnoll Putrifiers), attack on sight. ► COMBAT. The frenzied gnolls fight until slain, but may reveal information in their angry shouting.
Shelf ► TREASURE. 2 bottles of U ancient wine (5 gp each).
B6 Laboratory p.115
Tables and shelves filled with flasks, skulls, and dried plants line the walls of this torchlit room. Dog-faced humanoids work by the tables.
The party may surprise the gnolls if they arrive through the secret entrance from area B3.
Dog-Faced Humanoids Berkûl and Rukka (2 Gnoll Putrifiers), attack on sight. ► COMBAT. The skulls on the tables form into 4 Swarms of Skulls and attack the party. The skulls fight until slain. Berkûl may try to surrender if she drops below 5 HP. She is the pack’s leader and can explain what the gnolls are doing here (harvesting foul ingredients from the ooze and using them to craft stuff).
Tables & Shelves The skulls were taken from the evil ooze; they come alive and attack the party if combat breaks out. ► EXAMINE. An urn on the U shelf appears to be bolted on. If turned clockwise, it opens a secret passage (to area B3). ► TREASURE. 2 Widowbloom U Toxin, alchemist’s tools (25 gp).
B7 Vault p.115
The smell of rot suffuses this dark chamber and crimson vines cling to the cracked walls. The ceiling is held aloft by pillars that surround a small pile of coins, chests, and a large instrument crafted from gleaming bone. Two decomposing corpses lie near the treasure. Astride the pile is a roiling mass of blood, tar, and grimy skulls.
A priest realizes that the ooze is spawned from the instrument, which is cursed. Removing the curse may harm the ooze.
Roiling mass Skullmonger Ooze (3 Boss Actions), attacks on sight. ► COMBAT. The ooze fights until slain. Combat alerts gnolls in area B5 and B6. If a Restoration spell is cast on the ooze, it takes damage and is immobilized 1 round.
Crimson Vines 4 sections of Vampiric Vines (Tier 1), they ignore the ooze but grasp at other creatures within near.
Small Pile ► TREASURE. 32 gp in small U coins, a silvered greatsword (25 gp), and a Xylophone of Bones.
Corpses Two gnolls slain by the ooze.
Conclusion The Bloody Sepulcher: Conclusion p.116
Developments
To complete their quest, the party must contend with the chaotic gnolls and cleanse the cursed relic.
Cursed Relic The relics in the vault (area B7) remain cursed until a Restoration spell is cast on the Skullmonger Ooze or the curse has been removed from the Xylophone of Bones by other means. If the curse isn’t removed before the ooze is slain, a new Skullmonger Ooze spawns from the xylophone every days. Only one ooze spawns at a time.
Sepulcher Cleansed If the party manages to evict the gnolls and remove the curse, or just remove the cursed instrument from the vault, Pernille the Pious thanks them for their service and gives them their just reward. The priest then leads an expedition of fellow priests to fully sanctify the sepulcher and, perhaps, use it as a shrine to the God of Light.
Difficulty
The sepulcher is suitable for level 4 adventurers (Total Party Level 15–18). You can adjust its difficulty to higher level parties by making the following cumulative changes.
Level 5 (TPl 19–22)
• 3 Gnoll Putrifiers in B6
• 4 Swarms of Skulls in B7
• Traps and hazards are Tier 2
Level 6 (TPL 23–26)
• 6 Swarms of Skulls in B5 and B7
• Skullmonger Ooze has 35 HP and AC 12
Level 7 (TPL 27–30)
• 4 Gnoll Putrifiers in B5 and B6
• Skullmonger Ooze has 50 HP and AC 14