sIII: Lair of the Lord of Slimes
General Summary
Stone Statue
The walls and ceiling of this hallway are coated with slime, and the floor of the passage is covered with a layer of mud. Through this muck a steady stream of water trickles northward. The stucco on the walls is flaking off, and there are glowing silver tracks in the slime crisscrossing the walls and ceiling.
Along the east wall of the passage stands a twelve-foot-tall stone statue of a man outfitted in fine clothing and holding a stone tray in his raised arms. Its eyes appear to be black gemstones; the right one droops out of its socket, balancing on the statue’s cheek. From behind the left shoulder protrudes the hilt of a weapon, most likely a sword. The stone tray, as well as the forehead and the nose of the statue, are chipped and scratched.
Statue
The easiest way to reach the sword or the gems is to climb up on the statue and stand on the tray. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check realizes the statue is top-heavy; proficiency with mason’s tools and a dwarf’s Stonecunning trait apply to this check. If a weight of more than 100 pounds is applied to the tray, or someone pushes on the statue anywhere above the tray and succeeds on a DC 10 Strength check, the statue overbalances and topples into the hall. Anyone on the statue, or under it, must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 ( 2d6 ) bludgeoning damage from the falling statue. Behind the toppled statue is a narrow passage 4 feet above the floor (see area 10).
The eyes of the statue are pieces of polished obsidian worth 10 gp each. The sword is a +1 longsword in fine condition, made of laminated wood, inset with jagged teeth of obsidian. It deals an extra 2d6 damage to any creature of the plant type. The sword comes free easily, if any character pulls it up and out.
The Court of Cemanahuac
(Say-man-AH-wok, place surrounded by water)The doors to this room are made of bronze and are tinted blue from oxidation. Just inside the doorway are two small alcoves. Each space contains an old fountain, cracked and crusted with lime. Around the fountain in the eastern alcove, a heap of rubbish litters the floor. The fountain in the western alcove still holds some green scummy water, in which something moves.
A short hall ending in descending steps leads to the central chamber, which is flooded. A dark, foul pool covers the entire floor. A central hall, flanked by narrow aisles, is defined by two rows of massive square columns. The walls are coated with slime, and there are glowing silver lines etched across them. From what you can see of the chamber’s walls, the stone appears to be crudely worked.
Two corroded bronze braziers stand in the pool. Toward the middle of the room, two broken urns, each apparently once about four feet tall, poke up out of the water. In the darkness on the eastern wall appears to be an enormous growth of an overall greenish hue that gives off the same silvery gleam as the slime trails.
Water
The water in the central area of the floor is 2 feet deep, and the floor is very slippery—moving across this difficult terrain costs 3 feet of speed for every 1 foot traveled). Any sudden actions, including those necessary for combat, might result in the character taking a spill. A character who takes the Dash action or tries to fight while in the room must first succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.
The 10-foot-wide section of floor that runs along the east, west, and north sides of the room is 10 feet lower than in the rest of the room, creating a 12-foot-deep moat. Characters who don’t probe ahead will be unable to detect the drop-off until it is too late.
The walls are heavily coated with lime, which also pollutes the water. If a character stands in this water for more than 30 minutes, the soaked portions of the character’s clothing begin to rot away.
The phosphorescent glow on the eastern wall is actually a giant slug named Tecuziztecatl (see appendix B), the Lord of Snails. Tecuziztecatl (Tay-COO-zeez-tay-COT-el) is highly intelligent and quite the boaster. In ancient lore it was considered to be related to the moon, a fact of which it is quite proud. During combat the slug will detail, in Olman, what it has in store for the characters and how hopeless their situation is.
If it begins to lose the combat, the slug will either “surrender” and after bargaining agree to help the party, or else it will flee and conceal itself in the moat. If the characters allow themselves to be helped, the slug will precede them to the north side of the moat and stretch its body across the gap, making it appear to be solid ground. Those who step on the slug without taking precautions will plunge into the moat.
The slug will lead the party toward the Tomb of Hurakan (area 12) and instruct them to open the door. Once the door is open, Tecuziztecatl will flee from the party and hide in the bottom of the moat.
The eastern fountain has a small amount of concentrated lime solution near the bottom (dealing damage as the lime in area 5). It looks like cloudy water. A small amulet lies near the fountain caked in lime. The amulet (worth 65 gp) is made of brass and chrysoprase, engraved with the words “Lord of Snails.” It is possible to use the amulet as a bargaining tool with the giant slug, which will accept it in return for allowing the characters passage to the Tomb of Hurakan.
The western fountain is filled with algae, and some bullfrogs are raising a brood of tadpoles in the water.
The Tomb of Hurakan
(Ewe-RA-kan, god of the flood)This passageway is slime-covered, and a stream of water trickles away from the door. There is condensation on the walls, door, and ceiling, some of which drips down on you. A quiet sound of dripping and splashing echoes in the corridor. This door is tightly sealed and appears to be warped outward or wedged shut. The door’s hinges are mounted on this side.
Opening the Door
The door requires a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check to pull it open. The difficulty is due to the fact that the room behind the door is entirely filled with water, which has bowed the door and jammed it shut. Those who listen at the door will hear a slight splashing and gurgling, if they hear anything at all.
Opening the door will release a wave of water. Those hit by the water take 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage and must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked down and washed along the passage to the north, then westward. A creature that succeeds on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check while moving around a corner can grab onto the stonework there and halt its movement. When the flood washes to area 11, the water bursts open the doors there (if they weren’t open already), and anyone in the water is dumped into the moat.
A character who is washed down the hall must succeed on DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to keep a hold on anything in hand. Heavy objects sink to the floor in the hall, but lighter ones are washed into the moat.
Tomb, South Entrance
This hall is strewn with mud and flotsam. Water accumulates in the center of the corridor and flows westward to where a stone block in the southern wall has shifted out of place. The corridor turns north, and the flow of water follows it, then goes under a door made of bronze-bound wood. The door has a handle and a keyhole.
Secret Passage
Water beads collect upon the walls of this narrow passage, and the flooring is cold and damp. A low ceiling, only five feet tall, further cramps this dank place.
Southern Entrance
The northern entrance to this passage is a block of stone mounted on a central pivot, which has been wedged partially open by accumulated debris.
The location of the southern entrance appears to be a blank wall when initially viewed from within the passage. The portal can be opened from inside the passage by releasing a concealed catch at the intersection of the wall and the ceiling. Finding the catch requires a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check.
Rewards Granted
Longsword of Plant Slaying, +1 was looted by Colorado.
x2 Onyx Eyes (1,000 gp each) was looted by Essam.
Amulet (worth 65 gp) made of brass and chrysoprase, engraved with the words “Lord of Snails” was looted by Row.
x2 Onyx Eyes (1,000 gp each) was looted by Essam.
Amulet (worth 65 gp) made of brass and chrysoprase, engraved with the words “Lord of Snails” was looted by Row.
Missions/Quests Completed
Successfully tricked by the Tecuziztecatl the Lord of Slugs into opening the flooded Tomb of Hurakan.
Character(s) interacted with
Report Date
06 Feb 2023
Primary Location
Secondary Location
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Related Characters
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