Raiders of the Hidden Temple

1. Snake Doors. Broken pillars stand beside double doors carved with knotted snakes and a phrase in Reptilian: "A snake shall always find safe passage."

• Door Trap. The doors slap anyone who walks through them on foot rather than belly crawling like a snake (DC 15 DEX or 1d8 damage).

2. Grand Hall. Swooping hall draped in vines that burst though the walls and ceiling. Gurgling pool of dark water dotted with lily pads. Furious screaming echoes from northwest.

• Pool. 10' deep. PCs who look into the water see warped reflections of their own faces with snakelike features. DC 12 CHA or be hypnotized for 1d4 rounds.
• 1:6 chance each PC who looks spots an emerald (120 gp) on the bottom (limit once per PC).
• Disturbing the water causes the next random encounter to be with the vampirodile (Area 13).
• Screaming. Nilo, a starving and furious vampire spawn sealed inside Area 4.

3. Viperians. Two snake-people (viperians) pray on reed mats before the door to Area 5. They beg Shanti to emerge; she has been inside for two months. Banging and howling comes from behind the west door.

• Viperians. Alessa and Tyros. Manipulative, loyal to Shanti.
• They are savvy and see PCs as an opportunity. They lie that an evil wizard (Gorgoroth, Area 11) has cursed them to look like snakes and has placed a sleep spell on their queen. They say the screaming man in Area 4 is one of the wizard's cronies.
• Noise. Nilo (see Area 4). He begs in Reptilian to be released.

4. Destroyed Shrine. Locked door (DC 20 STR or DEX). Shredded reed mats, overturned stone altar, and caved-in bronze sculpture of many-headed snake (40 gp). A furious, gaunt viperian (vampire spawn) flings himself around the room, smashing everything he touches.

• Nilo. Shanti's spurned lover. He screams and pleads to be let out. He has been locked inside for two months and is famished.

5. Shanti's Room. Locked door (DC 20 DEX or STR). Shanti, a stunning viperian, sleeps inside a bronze sarcophagus carved with her likeness. She has refused to emerge since she learned Nilo (Area 4) was telling Gorgoroth (Area 11) her secrets. She wishes them both dead and will get around to it, eventually.

• Secret Door. A wall panel opens into Area 7. Shanti drinks from the Chalice of the Blood Queen stored within to sate her hunger.

6. Skinning Room. Three snake-faced people (viperians) sit and chant hymns in Reptilian while they cut and pluck at objects they hold. A towering anaconda with a human torso (viperian ophid) coils with her arms crossed, watching the hallway.

• Viperians. Mazimar, Vireen, Hestus. They sing of the fallen viperian empire while skinning rare jungle creatures (red monkey, razor-billed toucan, opaline iguana) to try to tempt Shanti out of her chamber with her favorite blood offerings.
• Ophid. Ralassa. Shanti's second-in-command. Severe, practical. She prays her queen will emerge to deal with Gorgoroth (Area 11), who she believes will soon attack Shanti's chambers. She is wiley and tries to use the PCs to her ends with lies or truth.

7. Treasure Room. An illusory wall hides the passage to Area 7 (touch reveals it is insubstantial). Inside is a stone chest with glittering treasures placed on top of it.

• Trap. Pressure plate on floor releases a boulder overhead that moves double near on the GM's turn down the hall toward Area 9. Any creature it passes through takes 2d8 damage (DC 15 DEX to avoid). Boulder poofs out of existence when it reaches Area 9.
• Treasure. Giant emerald set into a thick girdle belt of snakeskin (240 gp). Stone chest filled with 1,000 gp. Chalice of the Blood Queen (see front of adventure).
• Secret Door. A wall panel opens into Area 5.

8. Chapel. High walls reach into darkness with pillars carved as giant anacondas rearing to strike. A wide dais at the rear stands empty (inspection reveals a large, circular object once stood upon it). Restless bats (harmless) flutter in the shadowy heights.

• Secret Compartment. The floor of the dais has a hidden compartment. Inside, an immortal, albino cobra wraps around a suit of Ophidian Armor (Shadowdark RPG pg. 309. +1 leather, wielder ADV vs. poison).

9. Mosaic Hall. Glittering mosaics cover the walls. Some show the brass-domed jungle cities of the viperian empire (long fallen). Others depict a war between white-robed viperians and red-scaled lizardfolk.

• Fortune. PCs who study the mosaics gain a luck token granted by the snake goddess Nathrexis (once per PC).

10. Religious Fanatics. Three viperians dance, beat drums, and shake snake tail rattles. Each has a wooden stake thrust into their belt.

• Viperians. Yaresk, Zulane, Kest. They pray for their goddess, Nathrexis, to bring doom upon the unfaithful vampire Shanti.
• Ritual. If even one completes the dance after 3 rounds, the locked door to Area 5 cracks open with a thunderous boom.

11. Gorgoroth's Chamber. A messy bed chamber strewn with books. A thin, scowling snake-man in red robes (viperian wizard) hunches over a table reading from a tome. He hisses and mumbles to himself.

• Viperian Wizard. Gorgoroth. He has a wooden stake tucked into his sash and reads astrological projections about the best time to attack Shanti. He offers PCs who help him the Chalice of the Blood Queen (if they can find it).

12. Snake God Statue. An oversized statue of a multi-armed snake woman sits on a circular base. It holds out a golden staff with a curved, ruby-eyed cobra head (Staff of the Cobra, Shadowdark RPG pg. 317). Taking the staff causes the statue to animate into a hostile stone golem for 1d4 rounds.

13. Pool Wellspring. A burbling pool of water flows from an alcove into a floor channel. Suspended above it from chains is a stone statue of a lizard man. It slowly drips blood from its mouth into the water.

• Pool. 10' deep. PCs who look into the water see warped reflections of their own faces with snakelike features. DC 12 CHA or be hypnotized for 1d4 rounds.
• Vampirodile. Shanti's pet. It lurks under the water and leaps out to attack creatures at the edge of the pool.
• Statue. Brask, a partially petrified lizardfolk warrior condemned to eternal suffering. Shanti put him here to nourish her vampirodile.