Priest of the Festering Boil
Dretha’s sprawling library has been transformed from a store of necromantic knowledge into a stronghold for a cult of ghouls. The heroes can not only eliminate this vile cult but also uncover significant information about Dretha’s interests and plans.
The third level of the Undercitadel of Szitrag once served
as Dretha's sprawling Library and rooms related to research. The servants and librarians once employed here have become dangerous undead creatures.
The Cult of the Boil is the most widespread faction active in the library. Originally a collection of librarians, caretakers, and scribes, this loyal staff stubbornly kept working after Dretha died, focusing their research on finding a way to restore their leader to life. When food stores ran low, rather than risk alerting the Founders by making potentially public forays to the surface, the researchers turned to cannibalism. There were plenty of other servants to eat, after all, in the conveniently nearby servants’ quarters. The onset of Ghoul Fever tore quickly through their ranks, but the researchers were so obsessed that they barely noticed. The scholars’ research now has a distinctly ghoulish bent: they work to gather enough “cankerous flesh” to fuel Dretha’s full resurrection. The fact that the ghouls’ hunger often compels them to feed on the flesh they are trying to collect has certainly slowed their progress, but it hasn’t slowed their zeal.
Library Features
Dretha’s library is unlit except where otherwise noted. Ceilings are 8 feet high in halls and 10 feet high in rooms, although the largest rooms and halls have vaulted ceilings that rise to 12 feet high. Doors are made of wood and many are marked with signs (described below) to help scholars find their way.The Cult of the Boil is the most widespread faction active in the library. Originally a collection of librarians, caretakers, and scribes, this loyal staff stubbornly kept working after Dretha died, focusing their research on finding a way to restore their leader to life. When food stores ran low, rather than risk alerting the Founders by making potentially public forays to the surface, the researchers turned to cannibalism. There were plenty of other servants to eat, after all, in the conveniently nearby servants’ quarters. The onset of Ghoul Fever tore quickly through their ranks, but the researchers were so obsessed that they barely noticed. The scholars’ research now has a distinctly ghoulish bent: they work to gather enough “cankerous flesh” to fuel Dretha’s full resurrection. The fact that the ghouls’ hunger often compels them to feed on the flesh they are trying to collect has certainly slowed their progress, but it hasn’t slowed their zeal.
Structure
Exposition
Visitor's Reading Room
Trivial 4
This large, cross‑shaped chamber contains several long couches, the leather cushions that once adorned them cracked with age. Dead plants lie slumped in planter boxes along the walls, and a long‑dry fountain depicting a lighthouse stands in the middle of the room.Dretha didn’t allow visitors into her library except in this room and the reading rooms to the north. A librarian would fetch texts for visitors to peruse in comfort. The fountain and plants here have long since dried up.
The stairs beyond the door to the east lead up to the Servants Pantry. Heroes can discover the secret door to the south with a successful DC 27 Perception check. It’s concealed behind a heavy sofa.
Creatures
A unique undead creature dwells here. Graeal is a Morlock ghoul exiled by his living kin among the Fanged Queen Tribe above, just as he is reviled by the ghouls of the Cult of the Boil who occupy this level. As he hasn’t been steeped in the maliciousness or fervor of either group, Graeal is quite calm and collected. When the heroes arrive, he greets them cordially but cautiously.Graeal wants only to dwell within these dungeons, reading and feeding on undead flesh—he has little taste for flesh that was merely once living. He has hazy recollections of how he and the other Fanged Queen Morlocks came up from below and fought the Ghoul, as the ghoul fever he contracted fragmented his memories. He knows the rough layout of The Reading Room, Guard room, Twin Stairwell, Main Library, Gauntlight Reading Room, and Restricted Collection, as his memories of the morlocks’ flight through these rooms are freshest.
Graeal’s initial attitude to the heroes is indifferent, but it becomes friendly if the heroes prove that Graeal’s chief rival among the morlocks, Graulgust, is dead. The heroes can convince Graeal to accompany them as they explore this level with a successful DC 20 Diplomacy check to Request his aid (for 1 day on a success, or 1 week on a critical success) or with a successful DC 20 Intimidation check to Coerce him (for 1 day on a success; he attacks in a rage on a critical failure). He won’t leave this level under any circumstances. Augrael’s propensity to glut himself on ghouls the heroes defeat is both off-putting and macabre. Graeal
Graeal - Familiar 4
UNIQUEBLACK, GRRENMEDIUMGHOULUNDEADDOWNTRODDEN
 | |
| Perception | +11 Darkvision, Light Blindness |
| Languages | Aklo, Common, Necril, Undercommon |
| Skills | Acrobatics +8 , Athletics +10 ( Climb ), Crafting +10 , Occultism +10 , Stealth +10 |
STR +5 , DEX +3 , CON +2 , INT +2 , WIS +3 , CHA +2 | |
| Items | |
| AC | 20 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +10, Ref +14, Will +12 , negative healing |
| HP | 63 - Immunities death effects, disease, paralyze, poison, sleep, unconscious |
| Speed | Speed 30 ft, Burrow 5ft, climb 20ft |
| Melee |  jaws +14 +9 / +4 , Damage piercing plus Ghoul Fever and paralysis claw +14 +10 / +6 ( Agile ), Damage slashing plus paralysis |
| Special Abilities | Combat Climber Consume Flesh(Manipulate Requirements Graeal is adjacent to the corpse of an Undead creature that was destroyed within the last hour; Effect Graeal devours a chunk of the destroyed undead creature and regains Hit Points . He can regain Hit Points from any given corpse only once. Deceptive Worship Swift Leap Graeal jumps up to half his Speed. This movement doesn’t trigger reactions.
Ghoul Fever (disease) Saving Throw DC 20 Fortitude; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effects (1 day )Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day )Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day ) Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day ) Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day ) Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghoul the next midnight.
paralysis (incapacitation, occult, necromancy) Any living, non‑elf creature hit by a ghoul’s attack must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude save or become paralyzed. It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each save.  Sneak Attack Graeal deals an extra precision damage to flat‑footed creatures. |
| Hopelessly Devoted, Adapted From- Pathfinder Bestiary 2 174 and Pathfinder Bestiary 168 | |
XP Award
Award the heroes 30 XP for gaining Graeal as an ally.Tunnel to Subterra
Dretha’s pet Purple Worm dug this long tunnel for visitors coming from the coast who didn’t want to travel overland. The passage leads several hundred feet under the waters of Cursed Fens to intersect with Swampscale Kobolds Warrens beneath Baish (which connect to other Subterran passages). The secret door to the Visitors Reading Room is easier to find from this side—it’s a smooth section of a natural passage. A hero identifies it with a successful DC 16 Perception check.Haunted Reading Room
The cracks around the edge of this door glow faintly with greenish light, like the door to the Haunted Washroom.An ancient, tattered sofa sits against the east wall of this room. The south wall shimmers with strange green light.This private reading room was the second room in which Olman Tavish sought shelter in his desperate final days. As in the washroom, his ghost’s energy lingers here. When the heroes enter this room, the green light forms the message, “Dretha fell to the Founders, but we never knew of these vaults below...”
A moment later, the words slide off the wall and slither away. If the heroes follow, the ribbon creeps back up to the Guard Room and then past the stairs at the twin stairwell. Here, the ribbon hesitantly climbs the northern stair only to turn around and quickly slither further east. The ghostly light enters The Main Library, curls onward to the Restricted Collection, and then though the eastern door and down the stairs before fading. The heroes can pick up the final clue of Otari’s path in the Haunted Stairs. This spectral manifestation can appear once per day
Observation Reading Room
Trivial 4
An ancient sofa with its covering torn open and its stuffing and springs revealed sits against the west wall of this room.This reading room contains much more than meets the eye. Secret doors in the north and south walls (either of which can be found with a successful DC 23 Perception check) open into a hidden hall around the room. A search of the wall above the couch (and another successful DC 23 Perception check) reveals a hidden peephole into this room. If Dretha deemed a visitor too dangerous, her forces would ambush the visitor and bring them through a Teleportation Circle to be imprisoned in area the Torture Chamber.
Hazard
The final victim of this room, a spy from Irhurma whose intelligence had already brought Dretha’s activities to the attention of the Founders, met his end here. When he put up a fight and Dretha tried to subdue him, she accidentally killed him instead. The spirit of the paranoid spy lingers on. Watching Wall
Watching Wall - Hazard 4
RAREBLUE, BLACKLARGECOMPLEXHAZARDHAUNTSPIRIT
| An overwhelming feeling of being watched wells up in the minds of those in the room an instant before an eerie red eye opens in the wall. | |
| Perception | Stealth +12 |
| Skills | DC 22 Deception to appear uninteresting to the watching eye (and thus be ignored by it) or DC 22 Religion to ward against being seen by or affected by the eye |
STR +0 , DEX +0 , CON +0 , INT +0 , WIS +0 , CHA +0 | |
| AC | 21 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +14, Ref +8, Will +8 |
| HP | 0 - Immunities critical hits, object immunities, precision damage - Weaknesses positive 5 - Resistances Hardness 12; HP 50 (BT 25) |
| Special Abilities | Someone is Watching Trigger A living creature remains in the room for at least 1 round; Effect An overwhelming wave of paranoia fills the room. Each creature in the room must attempt a DC 25 Will save, with the following results. An eerie red eye then opens in the center of the western wall, looking about the room, and the haunt rolls initiative.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected. Success The creature becomes Frightened 1 and feels like someone or something is watching them for as long as they remain frightened. Failure The creature becomes frightened 2 and treats no one as an ally as long as they remain frightened. Critical Failure The creature becomes frightened 3 and is Confused as long as they remain frightened. Routine The eye glances about, and those it can see take mental damage (DC 21 basic Will save) as fears of being watched impart ripples of pain. A creature that takes mental damage from this effect doesn’t reduce its frightened value at the end of its next turn.
ResetThe haunt becomes inert at the end of any round in which there are no frightened creatures it can see. It stays dormant for 1 hour, after which point it resets |
| Ruins of Gauntlight | |
Spying Hall
This plain, angled hall has four alcoves. Each western alcove has a silvery circle of runes inlaid on the floor. A peephole in the eastern wall allows observation of the room beyond. In addition to once giving Dretha a place to spy upon visitors in the Solitary reading room, the western alcoves formed a limited teleportation hub independent of the portal chambers. Neither alcove is currently active. The northwestern alcove once teleported anyone entering it to the hidden alcove in the Fen Watchtower, and vice-versa. Since that room was scoured clean of its silver and defaced long ago by a determined treasure-hunter, it can’t be restored. The southwestern alcove once teleported anyone entering it to the silver-lined cage in the Torture Chamber. This was a one-way teleportation used to capture prisoners. This teleportation circle can be reactivated by the awaken portal ritual found in the Secure Collection, so long as that ritual is performed at both ends. Both secret doors are obvious from this side.Guard Room
Low 4
Thick clouds of white mist fill this room entirely, making it difficult to discern any details.The creature dwelling here generates this mist. The secret door in the west wall can be discovered with a successful DC 18 Perception check.
Creatures
Dretha originally bound a trio of eerie, octopean Water Elementals called Mist Stalker into this room to serve as guardians. Olman killed two of them years ago, but one remains. The monster can see through the mist it generates with ease, and as soon as it identifies intruders, it solidifies the mist and then moves to attack, fighting until destroyed. It pursues foes that flee, but it doesn’t leave sight of this room. Scarred Mist Stalker
Scarred Mist Stalker - Familiar 5
UNCOMMONBLUE, BLACKMEDIUMAMPHIBIOUSWATERELEMENTAL
| Perception | +13 Darkvision, Mist Vision |
| Languages | Aquan |
| Skills | Athletics +12 , Stealth +13 |
STR +5 , DEX +5 , CON +3 , INT +2 , WIS +5 , CHA +1 | |
| AC | 20 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +11, Ref +13, Will +12 |
| HP | 73 - Immunities bleed, paralyzed, poison, sleep; - Resistances 4 Fire |
| Speed | 20 feet, climb 20 feet, swim 30 feet |
| Melee | Melee tentacle +15 +11 / +7 (Agile]), Damage bludgeoning Plus Grab |
| Special Abilities | Mist Cloud (Aura, Conjuration, Primal , water) 15 feet. The mist stalker is surrounded by mist. Creatures in the aura are concealed. If wind disperses the aura, it returns automatically at the start of the mist stalker's turn. This cloud is suppressed in water.
Constrict bludgeoning , DC 21
Solidify Mist (primal, Transmutation], water) The mist stalker makes its mist cloud congeal, causing the aura to be difficult terrain until the start of the mist stalker's next turn. In addition, the mist stalker can make the mist even thicker around a single Medium or smaller creature within the cloud. The creature must succeed at a DC 20 Reflex save or become immobilized until it Escapes or it is no longer in the mist cloud's emanation. |
| Hopelessly Devoted, | |
Treasure
The secret alcove to the west once served as an emergency cache of supplies for the guards on this floor. Most of the supplies were raided during the chaos following Dretha’s death, but a few items of use remain, including two Lesser Bravo's Brew , two Healing Potion, a Moderate Skeptic's Elixir, and a Barkskin Potion.Stairs Up
These stairs ascend to Vaidun's MachineLokor's Post
Moderate 4
The walls of this empty room are decorated with hundreds upon hundreds of tiny little hash marks as if someone had been counting days for ages. To the northwest, an iron door with a barred window sits in the wall, a large but open padlock hanging from the door’s latch.
Creatures
: The second of the two devils Dretha stationed on the upper levels of the Inverted Tower stands guard here. The Barbazu Lokor takes his post literally, and without any new orders from Dretha over the past several centuries, he’s remained here patiently under her final command to “wait here and let no one out until I come for you.” She never did.This isn’t the longest posting that Lokor has served, but it’s already starting to grate on his patience. If the heroes enter the room, he stands at attention and in a slightly bored voice informs them that, as intruders, they are under arrest and should hand over their gear before stepping into the adjoining prison. He fights to the death if attacked or if any hero attempts to leave (this gives him an excuse to leave the room).
Lokor
Male BarbazuItems Infernal Glaive
- Perception +13 ; Greater Darkvision
- Languages Celestial, Common , Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 feet
- Skills Acrobatics +12 , Athletics +14 , Deception +12 , Intimidate +11 , Religion +12 , Stealth +12
- Str +5 , Dex +2 , Con +5 , Int -2 , Wis +2 , Cha +2
Melee
- AC 23; Fort +16 , Ref +12 , Will +12
- HP 77; Immunities fire; Resistances physical 5 (except silver), poison 10; Weaknesses White 5
- Speed 35 Feet
Melee
Melee
Divine Innate Spells 1 Focus Point, DC 20, attack +10 ; 5th Dimension Door ; 4th dimension door (at will 1st Diabolic Edict; cantrips (3rd) Produce Flame, Invoke True Name
Avernal Fever (Disease Saving Throw DC 23 Fortitude; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1 day Stage 2 enfeebled 1 (1 day Stage 3 enfeebled 2 (1 day)
Infernal Wound (divine, necromancy) A bearded devil’s glaive Strike also deals 1d6 persistent bleed damage that resists attempts to heal it. The flat check to stop the bleeding starts at DC 20. The DC is reduced to 15 only if the bleeding creature or an ally successfully assists with the recovery.
The DC to Administer First Aid to a creature with an infernal wound is increased by 5. A spellcaster or item attempting to use healing magic on a creature suffering from an infernal wound must succeed at a DC 21 counteract check or the magic fails to heal the creature. Reposition Trigger The devil hits a creature with a glaive Strike. Effect The devil moves the creature 5 feet in any direction. The destination square must be within reach of the devil’s glaive. This movement doesn’t trigger reactions.
Wriggling Beard Frequency once per round. Effect The barbazu makes a beard Strike. This Strike ignores their multiple attack penalty and doesn’t count toward that penalty.
Side Quest
The devil is patient and willing to speak to the heroes for a few minutes if they wish. His initial attitude to the heroes is indifferent, but if they can improve this attitude (most likely with a successful DC 21 Diplomacy check to Make an Impression, but you might decide that other checks—such as a Deception check to Impersonate or to Lie—also appease Lokor), Lokor admits his frustration. He knows Dretha is dead, but without access to his contract, he can’t study it for a loophole. He suggests a trade—he’ll let the heroes go just this once, but the next time they return he will arrest them if they don’t present him with his contract. He isn’t sure where the paper is stored, but suspects it’s hidden somewhere in the library.If the heroes present the contract, Lokor studies it and discovers that his service was meant to end if 99 weeks and 99 days passed without a new order from Dretha. Before he vanishes back to Baator , the thankful devil explains that he knows of other devils in the Undercitadel : a Zebub janitor on the level above and a Contract Devil named Revurian on a lower level (who has several other devils in his command). Lokor has nothing but scorn for the zebub, but he says that Revurian is shrewd but well-known for keeping his word.
Prison
An overturned chamber pot lies next to a rectangular patch of fungus that may have once been a mattress in the corner of this room. A skeleton is just visible within the fungus.The skeleton is all that remains of Dretha’s first chef, a hapless man who had the misfortune of over-spicing a meal. Perhaps due to some lingering effect of the fastidious chef’s spirit, the fungus here is not only edible but rather tasty.
Twin Stairwells
This hallway is a landing for two staircases: one leading up to area Vaidun's Workshop in the north and one leading up to The Secret Stairs in the south. Splintered, rotten wood lies scattered around this hall, leftover during the morlocks’ flight from this level.Conflict
Main Library
Moderate 4
Hundreds of stone shelves are carved into the walls of this fifteen‑foot‑wide hallway. While there are many gaps in the collection, a staggering number of books, scrolls, and folios remain. Signs hang above several doors off of this hall. To the south, a faint blue glow flickers beneath a larger sign.The books kept here cover a wide range of subjects, and the Cult of the Boil keep the stacks organized. A hero with the luxury of pursuing these tomes for 8 hours learns the library’s organization and gains a +1 item bonus to checks to Recall Knowledge on regional history, arcane topics, or occult topics when using the Investigate exploration activity here. The signs here are all in Undercommon. The one to the south reads, “Reading Room.” The ones over the smaller doors are labeled as follows: “Repair Storage,” “Workroom,” “Safety” with a carving of leaping flames, “Personal Quarters,” “Scrivener’s Office,” “Dretha’s Office,” the hallway is “North Wing,” and “Restricted Collection.”
Creatures
Four Ghouls and a Ghast all dressed in long, pale-blue robes work here, both to stand guard and to select or retrieve books for the scriveners or cult leaders to use or repair as needed. They don’t immediately attack the heroes but do lick their lips in anticipation as they size up their fleshy bits. One ghoul asks the party if they’re here to “donate flesh for the Boil,” hoping to find out if the heroes are willing to offer body parts to the work in the restricted Collection. A hero foolish enough to agree is expected to lop off an appendage (a finger, toe, or ear suffices) for the ghouls, who scurry off the restricted Collection with the donation. Any other attempt to interact with the ghouls quickly makes them impatient and they attack. These ghouls fight until destroyed. If a fight here last more than 4 rounds or is unusually loud, the ghouls in the Gauntlight Reading Room come to investigate.Ghoul
Melee
- Perception +7 ; Darkvision
- Languages Common, Necril
- Skills Acrobatics +7 , Athletics +4 , Stealth +7 , Survival +5
- Str +1 , Dex +4 , Con +1 , Int +1 , Wis +2 , Cha +2
- AC 16; Fort +4 , Ref +9 , Will +5
- HP 20 (negative healing Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
- Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Ghoul Fever (disease) Saving Throw Fortitude DC 15; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1 day Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghoul the next midnight.
Paralysis (incapacitation, occult, necromancy) Any living, non-elf creature hit by a ghoul’s attack must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or become paralyzed. It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each such save.
Swift Leap (move) The ghoul jumps up to half its Speed. This movement doesn’t trigger reactions.
Ghast
Stench (Aura, Olfactory) 10 feet. A creature entering the aura or starting its turn in the aura must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or become sickened 1 (plus slowed 1 as long as it's sickened on a critical failure). While within the aura, the creature takes a –2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and to recover from the sickened condition. A creature that succeeds at its save is temporarily immune for 1 minute.
- Perception +8 ; Darkvision
- Languages Common, Necril
- Skills Acrobatics +10 , Athletics +7 , Stealth +10 , Survival +8
- Str +3 , Dex +4 , Con +2 , Int +1 , Wis +2 , Cha +3
- AC 18; Fort +6 , Ref +10 , Will +8
- HP 30 (negative healing Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Melee
Consume Flesh (manipulate) Requirements The ghast is adjacent to the corpse of a creature that died within the last hour. Effect The ghast devours a chunk of the corpse and regains 3d6 Hit Points. It can regain Hit Points from any given corpse only once.
Ghast Fever (disease) Saving Throw Fortitude DC 16; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1 day Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghast the next midnight
Paralysis (incapacitation, occult, necromancy) Any living creature (including elves) hit by a ghast's attack must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or become paralyzed. It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each such save.
Swift Leap (move) The ghast jumps up to half its Speed. This movement doesn’t trigger reactions.
Side Quest
A hero who knows Tomirob of Odd Stories in Engleher (or any hero who makes a successful DC 14 Society check to Recall Knowledge when seeing these books) realizes that Tomirob would likely be interested in this collection. If a hero tells Tomirob about the library here, the wizard eagerly provides a long list of specific titles, publishers, and general themes to seek on the shelves. In this area’s Treasure section, along with those of other book-filled rooms nearby, the number of books that can be salvaged and collected for Tomirob are given a Bulk rating. A hero searching for books in one of these rooms can attempt a DC 18 Perception check to sort through the books and, on a success, secure 1 Bulk from the room’s total available book Bulk (or 2 Bulk on a critical success). Tomirob pays 5 gp per Bulk delivered to him in this way.Treasure
The books kept here are of general knowledge and thus little interest to Tomirob; there are only 2 Bulk of books here to gather for him.XP Award
If the heroes deliver at least 12 Bulk of books to Tomirob, they complete the side quest and gain the moderate XP award (30 XP). They can still sell him more books, if they find them.Repair Materials
Shelves on the wall here contain iron sorting racks, jars, and all manner of bookbinding tools.
Treasure
This room contains repair materials for the upkeep of books. All are too old to be useful. A hero Searching this room discovers two 2nd-level Scroll of Mending and a scroll of Hypercognition.Librarian's Workroom
Moderate 4
Three worktables line the walls of this room with a single stool near one of the tables. A skeleton wearing a light blue librarian’s robe lies in a heap beside the stool.Three specialized benches here are outfitted to bind books, repair pages, and prepare parchment, respectively. The tables and tools are old and useless.
Creatures
The ghost of the librarian Jalleer Kardalin still haunts this workroom. Jalleer couldn’t escape the other scholars’ increasingly gruesome schemes, so she retreated into this room, locked the door, and drank a jar of Arsenic (used to work with book bindings) rather than be eaten alive. She died quickly and in agony, only to rise soon thereafter as a Ghost . Jarelle spends her time pantomiming the act of repairing books.Jarelle is suspicious of the heroes but not immediately hostile unless they show aggression, though she becomes irate and attacks if they speak ill of Dretha. If the heroes choose to talk to her rather than fight, they can see that she seems drawn to her tools and equipment, as if by a compulsion to reenact her life’s work.
Jalleer Kardalin
Site Bound The Librarian's Workshop
- Perception +14 ; Darkvision
- Languages Aklo, Common, Necril, Undercommon
- Skills Religion +13 , Stealth +16 , Library Lore +17
- Str -5 , Dex +5 , Con +0 , Int +2 , Wis +4 , Cha +1
Rejuvenation (Divine, Necromancy ) Removing this room’s tables and tools allows Jalleer to move on to the afterlife.Melee
- AC 23; Fort +9 , Ref +14 , Will +12
- HP 65 (negative healing, rejuvenation)
- Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision, unconscious
- Resistances all damage 5 (except force, ghost touch, or positive; double resistance vs. non‑magical)
- Speed fly 25 feet
Divine Spells DC 24, attack +13 ; Malevolent Possession(divine, incapacitation, mental, necromancy, possession) Jarelle attempts to possess an adjacent corporeal creature. This has the same effect as the possession spell (with a spell DC of 24), except since Jarelle doesn’t have a physical body, she is unaffected by that restriction of the spell.
Poisoned Breath (divine, necromancy, poison) Jarelle exhales a 15‑foot cone of toxic mist that deals poison damage (DC 22 basic Fortitude save; on a critical failure, the target is also enfeebled 1 for 24 hours). She then can’t use Poisoned Breath again for rounds
Female human ghost librarian
XP Award
If the heroes put Jalleer’s spirit to rest without fighting her, award them XP as if they had defeated her in combat.Treasure
A search of Jarelle’s remains turns up the key to the door to the Main Library, a gold paperweight worth 10 gp, and a Crafter's EyepieceLibraian's Bedroom
A small, cramped bed is wedged awkwardly into this room, as the walls are lined with sagging bookshelves.Jalleer once lived here before she took her life in the workshop. The books she kept here were mostly duplicates of others found elsewhere in the library, but she viewed them as her private collection.
Treasure
: There are 2 Bulk of books here to gather for Tomirob.Gauntlight Reading Room
Moderate 4
This chamber’s smooth stone walls glisten with moisture despite the air being dry and somewhat stuffy. Several low divans are arranged in a circle and interspersed with low tables stacked with a few books and rotting morsels of decayed flesh. A twisting ribbon of pale blue light stretches between the bare floor at the room’s center and the ceiling above, its points of contact sending creepers of what looks like infected tissue out in a distorted spiral for a few feet.As in the Tower Basement, the ribbon of sickly light is a manifestation of Gauntlight’s growing power. This room once served as a reading room for library staff, as well as a place where they could directly evaluate Gauntlight’s energies. This eerie light churns in a 5-foot-diameter burst at the room’s center. Any living creature ending its turn in it takes negative damage (DC 18 basic Reflex save) and undead creatures regain the same amount. As long as Gauntlight remains at its low-level activation, the light continues to churn, but if the heroes rescue Dalas Feldspar from Dalas' Lament, the ribbon winks out. A hero who succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check while Searching this room spots the secret door to the Portal Chamber in the curved western wall.
Creatures
: Today, Cult of the Boil ghouls relax here with books and snacks. Ripened morlock flesh has been a staple of their diets lately, but the Ghast, Ghouls and the Cultist who commands them decide to add adventurer flesh to the menu once they spot the heroes. As they fight, any ghoul brought below half its Hit Points moves into the ribbon of light to gain some necromantic healing, Shoving a rival ghoul out of the way if necessary.Boil Cultist
Ghoul zealot (Pathfinder Bestiary 168)Items 2 lumps of decayed flesh strung on a necklace
- Perception +11 ; Darkvision
- Languages Aklo, Common , Necril, Undercommon
- Skills Acrobatics +9 , Athletics +10 , Intimidate +10 , Occultism +8 , Religion +8 , Stealth +9
- Str +4 , Dex +3 , Con +1 , Int +1 , Wis +3 , Cha +3
Melee
- AC 19; Fort +7 , Ref +9 , Will +12
- HP 45, negative healing; Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
- Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Occult Prepared Spells DC 20, attack +12 ; 2nd Harm, Phantom Pain; 1st Command, Grim Tendrils, Ray of Enfeeblement; Cantrips (2nd) Chill Touch, Daze, Mage Hand, Telekinetic Projectile
Consume Flesh
Ghoul Fever (disease) Saving Throw DC 20 Fortitude; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effects (1 day Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghoul the next midnight.
Paralysis (Incapacitation, Occult , Necromancy ) Any living, non‑elf creature hit by a Canker cultist’s attack must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude save or become Paralyzed . It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each save.
Swift Leap
Ghoul
Melee
- Perception +7 ; Darkvision
- Languages Common, Necril
- Skills Acrobatics +7 , Athletics +4 , Stealth +7 , Survival +5
- Str +1 , Dex +4 , Con +1 , Int +1 , Wis +2 , Cha +2
- AC 16; Fort +4 , Ref +9 , Will +5
- HP 20 (negative healing Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
- Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Ghoul Fever (disease) Saving Throw Fortitude DC 15; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1 day Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghoul the next midnight.
Paralysis (incapacitation, occult, necromancy) Any living, non-elf creature hit by a ghoul’s attack must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or become paralyzed. It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each such save.
Swift Leap (move) The ghoul jumps up to half its Speed. This movement doesn’t trigger reactions.
Ghast
Stench (Aura, Olfactory) 10 feet. A creature entering the aura or starting its turn in the aura must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or become sickened 1 (plus slowed 1 as long as it's sickened on a critical failure). While within the aura, the creature takes a –2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and to recover from the sickened condition. A creature that succeeds at its save is temporarily immune for 1 minute.
- Perception +8 ; Darkvision
- Languages Common, Necril
- Skills Acrobatics +10 , Athletics +7 , Stealth +10 , Survival +8
- Str +3 , Dex +4 , Con +2 , Int +1 , Wis +2 , Cha +3
- AC 18; Fort +6 , Ref +10 , Will +8
- HP 30 (negative healing Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Melee
Consume Flesh (manipulate) Requirements The ghast is adjacent to the corpse of a creature that died within the last hour. Effect The ghast devours a chunk of the corpse and regains 3d6 Hit Points. It can regain Hit Points from any given corpse only once.
Ghast Fever (disease) Saving Throw Fortitude DC 16; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1 day Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghast the next midnight
Paralysis (incapacitation, occult, necromancy) Any living creature (including elves) hit by a ghast's attack must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or become paralyzed. It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each such save.
Swift Leap (move) The ghast jumps up to half its Speed. This movement doesn’t trigger reactions.
Library Portal Chamber
The walls of this circular chamber are decorated with intricate, intertwining runes and shapes carved into deep into the stone and filled with dull, silvery metal. The floor and ceiling are polished to a reflective sheen.This room contains an inert Teleportation Circle like the one in the Servants Quarters. Just as with that room, this teleportation circle must be reactivated with the Awaken Portal ritual in the restricted Collection before it can be used.
XP Award
Award the heroes 30 XP for activating this portal.Rising Action
Firefighting Supplies
Several buckets of sand and a number of large barrels crowd this cramped storeroom. A simple wooden case with a closed lid is attached to the back of the door.The supplies kept here are available to extinguish fires, a significant threat in any library. The barrels once held water, but now contain only mildew.
Treasure
The case on the door is latched and holds a Wand of Quench.Temporary Bunks
LOW 4Three plain beds have been awkwardly stacked against the west wall of this room, leaving room for a single low table heaped with foul‑smelling chunks of flesh and bone.While most servants who toiled in the library kept quarters above ground, some needed rest during long stretches of research. The ghouls don’t need the beds and simply stacked them out of the way.
Creatures
: This room now serves as a dining room for Four ghouls who are feasting on the remains of a Morlock. They attack the heroes on sight, but the first one injured tries to flee to the Scriviner's Office to recruit Aller Kros’s aid.Ghoul
Melee
- Perception +7 ; Darkvision
- Languages Common, Necril
- Skills Acrobatics +7 , Athletics +4 , Stealth +7 , Survival +5
- Str +1 , Dex +4 , Con +1 , Int +1 , Wis +2 , Cha +2
- AC 16; Fort +4 , Ref +9 , Will +5
- HP 20 (negative healing Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
- Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Ghoul Fever (disease) Saving Throw Fortitude DC 15; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1 day Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghoul the next midnight.
Paralysis (incapacitation, occult, necromancy) Any living, non-elf creature hit by a ghoul’s attack must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or become paralyzed. It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each such save.
Swift Leap (move) The ghoul jumps up to half its Speed. This movement doesn’t trigger reactions.
Scriviner's Workshop
Moderate 4
While this room may have once served as a writing studio, today its condition has been all but obliterated by dozens of tiny swatches of skinned flesh marked with tattoos.Judging by the workspace on the table in the middle of the room, these tattoos have been placed postmortem, with a swath of pale skin stretched over the desk sporting a half‑completed image of a sinister woman.
Creatures
: Aller Kros served as a notary and scribe for Dretha when he lived, but after he died and became a Ghoul, his nature and interests shifted, if only slightly. He’s developed a unique taste for tattooed flesh. The idea of writing something down and then eating it appeals to the twisted ghoul, and when he’s not preparing a less-than-fresh morlock for distribution to the other ghouls, he’s here, preparing his latest work on a swath of morlock skin. His current project is a depiction of Dretha. While he doesn’t intend to eat this one, some part of him knows that this work of art, once complete, won’t have a fate any different than the numerous others, he’s created over the years.Aller is focused on his work and takes a –2 penalty to initiative checks. If interrupted, he seethes and curses, wasting an action each round for the first 2 rounds voicing his displeasure and informing the heroes about the blasphemous limericks and humiliating odes he’ll be tattooing onto their dead bodies. Single-minded to a fault, Aller Kros pursues foes relentlessly once a fight begins and fights until destroyed.
Aller Kros
Consume Tattooed Flesh
- Perception +17 ; Darkvision
- Languages Aklo, Common, Necril, Undercommon
- Skills Acrobatics +14 , Athletics +15 , Crafting +14 , Occultism +12 , Stealth +12
- Str +5 , Dex +2 , Con +4 , Int +4 , Wis +2 , Cha +2
Swift Leap
Melee
- AC 24; Fort +16 , Ref +14 , Will +11
- HP 95 (Negative Healing Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
- Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Spells DC 24, attack +14
Ghoul Fever (disease) As Boil cultist, but DC 24.
Paralysis (incapacitation, occult, necromancy) As Boil cultist, but DC 24.
Male ghoul tattoo artist
Treasure
This room contains 2 Bulk of books about tattoo artistry and historical tattoos of interest to Tomirob .Scrivener's Office
The desk in this office has been repurposed into a messy butcher’s block. A shiny silver hatchet is wedged in the top of the desk, and bits of decaying pale flesh lie strewn about the room.Aller has repurposed this office into a makeshift butcher’s shop. Of course, there’s little artistry that goes into the preparation of a morlock body for ghouls to eat, other than a few quick and brutal hacks with a hatchet.
Treasure
The hatchet is a +1 Low-Grade Silver HatchetFood Storage
The heaps of slowly decaying bodies hung and stacked here reveal this former bedroom’s current use as a meat locker.Five dead morlocks are stored here, their flesh decomposing (aging, to the ghoul palate) somewhat slowly in the cool room temperature. There’s nothing of interest in here, but the filthy conditions expose any hero who Searches the room to Blueblisters, a flesh-eating bacteria that ghouls find savory. A hero who succeeds at a DC 18 Medicine or Nature check realizes the danger these infected bodies pose.
Blueblisters
This flesh‑eating disease causes prominent and painful blue blisters on the skin and gums. You can’t reduce your sickened condition while afflicted with blueblisters.Virulent Disease 3
Saving Throw DC 17 Fortitude; Onset 1 day; Stage 1 Sickened 1 (1 day Stage 2 sickened 1 and Drained 1 (1 day Stage 3 sickened 2 and drained 1 (1 week Stage 4 sickened 2 and drained 2 (1 week)
Elevator
The doors to this room open onto solid stone if the magical elevator beyond is still up at The Servants Quarters .This plain, circular room is empty. An image of a moss‑caked skull adorns the eastern wall.The floor of this room is a magical elevator that links to the Servant's Quarters above. If a creature touches Empty Death’s symbol, the floor gradually ascends 30 feet. (If the heroes aren’t aware of the secret door above, they may not realize this dead end leads anywhere.) It isn’t possible to crush anything in the elevator shaft; if anything gets in the way of the elevator’s ascent, such as an item stuck in the doorway to the north or south, the elevator simply descends again.
Ghoul Garden
Low 4
A large mound of dark‑gray soil lies heaped in the southern half of this room.The ghouls have converted this one-time office into a garden of sorts by hauling in mounds of swampy soil from the surface.
Creatures
The ghouls have cultivated a pair of violet fungi here, both as a method to “flash season” flesh and to serve as guardians. The fungi aren’t yet fully grown, but are still dangerous to non-ghouls (they don’t lash out at their undead gardeners).Violet Fungus
4e750333f9bd2b568a53fd72e30784a4.pngMelee
- Perception +8 ; no vision, Tremorsense 60 feet
- Skills Stealth +9
- Str +4 , Dex +0 , Con +3 , Int -5 , Wis +1 , Cha -2
- AC 17; Fort +10 , Ref +7 , Will +6
- HP 60; Immunities bleed, fatigued, mental, poison, sleep, unconscious; Weaknesses fire 5
- Speed 10 feet
Climax
Boil Shrine
Moderate 4
Whatever this room’s original use, today it serves as a horrific shrine. A rotting heap of fleshy material that seems to be composed of equal parts eyes, mouths, and skin lies in a stinking mound in the middle of the room, surrounded by two dozen tiny humanoid effigies crafted out of small bones and tangles of knotted hair.The mound of flesh is a slowly decaying Gibbering Mouther—a creature the ghouls revere as “pure flesh.” The effigies arranged around it are representations of each ghoul in the cult. The smell in this room is particularly foul. A living creature must succeed at a DC 18 Fortitude save when it starts its turn in the room or become Sickened 1. On a success, the creature is temporarily immune to the smell here for 24 hours.
Creatures
Two cultists of the Boil and a Ghast are worshiping here, and they become irate if their venerations are interrupted. A hero identifies the cultists’ reverence for the dead gibbering mouther on any successful DC 20 Religion check to identify them, in addition to any other information gained. Any attack against the dead gibbering mouther—intentional or otherwise—shocks the cultists, causing them to become Slowed 1 for 1 round, but it also causes them to focus all their attacks on the blasphemer. They fight until destroyed.Boil Cultist
Ghoul zealot (Pathfinder Bestiary 168)Items 2 lumps of decayed flesh strung on a necklace
- Perception +11 ; Darkvision
- Languages Aklo, Common , Necril, Undercommon
- Skills Acrobatics +9 , Athletics +10 , Intimidate +10 , Occultism +8 , Religion +8 , Stealth +9
- Str +4 , Dex +3 , Con +1 , Int +1 , Wis +3 , Cha +3
Melee
- AC 19; Fort +7 , Ref +9 , Will +12
- HP 45, negative healing; Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
- Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Occult Prepared Spells DC 20, attack +12 ; 2nd Harm, Phantom Pain; 1st Command, Grim Tendrils, Ray of Enfeeblement; Cantrips (2nd) Chill Touch, Daze, Mage Hand, Telekinetic Projectile
Consume Flesh
Ghoul Fever (disease) Saving Throw DC 20 Fortitude; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effects (1 day Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghoul the next midnight.
Paralysis (Incapacitation, Occult , Necromancy ) Any living, non‑elf creature hit by a Canker cultist’s attack must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude save or become Paralyzed . It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each save.
Swift Leap
Ghast
Stench (Aura, Olfactory) 10 feet. A creature entering the aura or starting its turn in the aura must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or become sickened 1 (plus slowed 1 as long as it's sickened on a critical failure). While within the aura, the creature takes a –2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and to recover from the sickened condition. A creature that succeeds at its save is temporarily immune for 1 minute.
- Perception +8 ; Darkvision
- Languages Common, Necril
- Skills Acrobatics +10 , Athletics +7 , Stealth +10 , Survival +8
- Str +3 , Dex +4 , Con +2 , Int +1 , Wis +2 , Cha +3
- AC 18; Fort +6 , Ref +10 , Will +8
- HP 30 (negative healing Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Melee
Consume Flesh (manipulate) Requirements The ghast is adjacent to the corpse of a creature that died within the last hour. Effect The ghast devours a chunk of the corpse and regains 3d6 Hit Points. It can regain Hit Points from any given corpse only once.
Ghast Fever (disease) Saving Throw Fortitude DC 16; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1 day Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghast the next midnight
Paralysis (incapacitation, occult, necromancy) Any living creature (including elves) hit by a ghast's attack must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or become paralyzed. It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each such save.
Swift Leap (move) The ghast jumps up to half its Speed. This movement doesn’t trigger reactions.
Washroom
This bathroom’s commode and tub are caked with dust.It’s perhaps a blessing that the ghouls have no use for this room. In fact, they rarely ever look in here, so stealthy heroes might use it to hide out in the middle of the ghouls’ territory.
Dretha’s Office
This office is brightly lit by several glowing lights in a chandelier hanging above a desk and chair. Mirrors hang on the north and south wall, although both of them are cracked badly.The light in this chamber isn’t particularly harmful to ghouls, but the Cult of the Boil doesn’t find the lighting pleasant—further, they view this area and the rooms beyond as the private domain of their patron, Dretha, and out of respect for her on the day of her return, they’ve left this room and those beyond it untouched. If they discover the heroes have entered the area, though, the surviving ghouls pursue them in here with righteous fury—as long as any heroes are in here, Cult of the Boil ghouls gain a +1 circumstance bonus to attack rolls against them.
The western door is locked, and the lock plate is engraved with a stylized open book. This decoration matches the image on one of the keys in Fen Watchtower. The keyhole is large enough to look through, but it’s impossible to see anything in the room other than to identify that the room is also brightly lit.
Treasure
The chandelier’s bright light comes from an Everburning Torch socketed into its center. When socketed, it reflects through many pretty (but valueless) chunks of glass.Dretha's Reading Room
Moderate 4
This room looks exceptionally comfortable, with a thick carpet, bright light from a glowing chandelier, and soothing incense. Two overstuffed chairs sit opposite a low table stacked with books, while more books sit on a set of shelves to the west. A softly gurgling fountain carved to resemble a mossy skull leaking water sits in the northwest corner.This room once served as a private and comfortable place for Dretha to relax and read, with minor magical trappings like the scent of incense, the bubbling of the fountain, and the bright light working together to afford a pleasant reading experience.
Most of the books here concern topics of sacrifice, incorporeal undead, and extinguishing living bodies and souls to create powerful magic items. Other books are tales (often fictionalized) of famous hauntings throughout Mifob . The books are quite old but are well preserved. They can be used just like the books in the library to aid in Investigation on these topics, providing a +1 item bonus.
Heroes Searching this room discover an iron key bearing a defaced symbol of the Irhurman College between two chair cushions. The key unlocks the door to the Siege Castle History.
Creatures
The room’s comforts are wasted on the current occupant, a Lurker in Light named Shimmersneer who recently slipped into the brightly lit room to satisfy their own curiosity. The creature sits awkwardly in one of the oversized (for them) chairs in the room as they focus on balancing a book a little bit too large for them to handle.They periodically cackle and titter over the book as they annotate its text with a colorful quill. They’ve become distracted by the grisly descriptions of ritual sacrifice in an illustrated copy of a text called Pathways of the Worm and angrily attack if interrupted. If brought below 20 Hit Points, the Fey uses Dimension Door to flee to Dretha's Office (although they can’t do so if the heroes have doused that room’s illumination) and flit away. They plot revenge against the heroes, most likely by allying with the ghouls in the Restricted Collection.
Shimmersneer
- Perception +14 ; Low-Light Vision
- Skills Acrobatics +15 , Nature +12 , Occultism +12 , Stealth +15 , Survival +14
- Str +1 , Dex +5 , Con +2 , Int +2 , Wis +4 , Cha +2
Melee
- AC 24; Fort +10 , Ref +16 , Will +14
- HP 91; Immunities blinded; Weaknesses cold iron 5
- Speed 25 feet, fly 25 feet
Melee
Lurker's Glow (evocation, light, primal) A creature that takes damage from a lurker in light's mote of light must attempt a DC 24 Will save.
Success The creature is unaffected and is temporarily immune to lurker's glow for 24 hours.
Failure The creature is lined in golden light for 1 minute and can't be concealed during this time. If the creature becomes invisible, it is concealed rather than being undetected.
Critical Failure As failure, but the creature sheds bright light in a 20-foot emanation for the duration of the effect. In addition, the creature is dazzled on its first turn after failing this save.
Ritual Gate (Conjuration , Primal Requirements The lurker in light has reduced a living creature to 0 Hit Points on this turn or its previous turn and has a summon fey innate spell available; Effect The lurker in light casts summon fey with only a verbal component, using the act of slaughter to replace the normal material and somatic components for the spell. If the fey creature summoned has the same alignment as the lurker in light, the lurker in light can sustain the summon fey spell for up to 1 hour instead of 1 minute.
Sneak Attack A lurker in light's Strikes deal an additional precision damage to flat-footed creatures.
Treasure
As in the Office, the chandelier incorporates a removable Everburning Torch.A hero who succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check while perusing this collection turns up a slender volume called Ineffable Hauntings tucked inside of a larger book about ghosts. This volume contains the formula for the create Create Undead to create poltergeists. It also contains a detailed, academic analysis of the Ghostly Weapon spell. A character who can cast 3rd-level arcane or occult spells can use these notes to retrain a 3rd-level spell they know into ghostly weapon with only 1 day of downtime. A wizard can simply transcribe this spell into their spellbook. This book is worth 20 gp.
Among these tomes are enough texts to present 1 Bulk of books to Tomirob.
Dretha's Washroom
The bathtub and commode in this room are surprisingly clean.Although a minor enchantment to keep this room clean still operates, there is little of interest here.
Abandond Guard Post
This now-empty room was once a guard post. Nothing remains other than a broken iron stool and a well-used whetstone. The stairs beyond the door to the south lead down to Dretha's Dining Room .Falling Action
Siege Castle History
Moderate 3
Shelves line the walls, while what appears to be a partially completed—or perhaps partially ruined—sculpture of a sprawling city sits atop a five‑foot‑diameter circular table.The sculpture is of Irhurma , depicted with heavy damage in several areas. With a successful DC 20 Society check to Recall Knowledge, a hero can confirm that the damage roughly matches what the city was said to have suffered over the centuries from all of the siege attempts it repelled, up until about 500 years ago Most of these books focus on the history of Irhurma’s sieges, and while many of them contain contradictory information, the collection as a whole makes cross-referencing it to determine likely fabrications easier.
Anyone perusing these books finds heavy annotations in all of them; taken together, they reveal that a previous researcher was using the books to correlate the failures of prior sieges to ensure the success of a new siege. Books in this room can be used just like the books in the Library to aid in Investigation on the history of sieges of Irhurma, providing a +1 item bonus.
Creatures
A Wood Golem carved to resemble Dretha still stands guard in this room. It lumbers to action as soon as anyone enters the room who doesn’t also resemble Dretha. It doesn’t pursue enemies out of the room, but otherwise fights until destroyed.Wood Golem
Golem Antimagic harmed by fire ( 4d8 , 2d6 from areas or persistent damage healed by plant (area 2d6 HP slowed by earth
- Perception +12 ; Darkvision
- Skills Athletics +17
- Str +5 , Dex +4 , Con +3 , Int -5 , Wis +0 , Cha -5
- AC 23; Fort +15 , Ref +16 , Will +12
- HP 95; Immunities bleed, death effects, disease, doomed, drained, fatigued, healing, magic (see Golem Antimagic below), mental, necromancy, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poison, sickened, unconscious;
- Resistances physical 5 (except adamantine)
Vulnerable to Shape Wood A wood golem targeted by shape wood takes damage per spell level, with a basic Fortitude save against the caster's spell DC. On a critical failure, the golem is also immobilized for rounds .
Speed 25 feet
Melee
Ranged
Treasure
A wealth of books of potential interest to Tomirob can be found here—4 Bulk in all.Unfinished Library
The walls of this room are only partially completed and bear the telltale marks of chisels and picks. Discarded stone‑working tools lie against the unfinished walls.Dretha planned an expansion wing to house additional tomes that had started to pile up elsewhere in her library, but the project was never completed before her death, and the ghouls haven’t yet gathered the initiative to resume the work.
Treasure
Most of the mining tools remaining here are mundane, but one of them is a +1 Striking Pick .Furnace Room
Trivial 3
The air in this room feels blisteringly hot, although the source of the heat is not apparent. Neither the wooden barrel containing a few iron scoops nor the metal bin with a hatch‑like lid seems to be the source.This room was used to burn refuse that accumulated in the dungeon—more often than not, books Dretha came into possession of that she found to be useless or dangerous. Originally, the refuse would be loaded into the metal bin; once the hatch was closed, powerful fire magic incinerated the contents, and the ashes were then scooped out and dumped in the swamp.
Hazard
In the aftermath of Dretha’s death, a squabble between two scholars concluded in this room when they attempted to burn each other alive. The machine malfunctioned and burned both scholars to ashes. Today, echoes of their souls haunt the room.Vengfull Furnace
Description The hatch atop the haunted furnace flips open and disgorges a pair of shrieking, burning ghosts.
- Stealth +15 (expert)
Disable DC 22 Intimidate (trained) to cow one of the vengeful spirits or DC 25 Religion (trained) to exorcise the spirit. The haunt remains active until both spirits are cowed or exorcised, or until the furnace is destroyed.
- AC 21; Fort +15 , Ref +8
- Hardness 13; HP 60 (BT 30 Immunities critical hits, object immunities, precision damage
- Weaknesses cold 8, positive 5
Burn Knowledge (divine, enchantment, fire, mental) The target of the haunt’s initial Ghostly Assault, as well as any creature later hit by a burning lash Strike, loses random memories, as if these thoughts were incinerated like pages in a burning book. The creature must attempt a DC 23 Will save.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature becomes Stupefied 1 for 1 minute while they forget random memories, as if these thoughts were incinerated like pages in a burning book. Failure As success, but the stupefied 1 condition persists for 24 hours.
Critical Failure As failure, but stupefied 2.
Routine The burning ghosts lash at a random stupefied creature in the room (or any random creature, if no creatures in the room are stupefied).
Ranged
Reset The haunt resets 1 hour after there are no creatures in the room.
Treasure
The furnace contains a layer of ashes. Searching through them turns up the only item to survive its owner’s immolation—a Ventriloquist's Ring.Resolution
Restricted Collection
Severe 4
Rows of bookshelves run the length of this room, although in places they’ve been damaged or tipped over. The books that once sat on the ruined shelves appear to have been relocated to other shelves. Several doors lead out from this room, but the double door to the north is the most impressive: it’s made of stone, carved with a strange feminine shape rising from the ghost‑laced mists of a cemetery of emptied graves.The bulk of Dretha’s most valuable tomes were kept here, in a collection that was available to only key scholars and very influential visitors. Much of the damage done to this room is relatively recent, for when the Fanged Queen Morlocks emerged into this room from the stairs to the east, they clashed violently with the Cult of the Boil. Both sides suffered losses, but the ghouls won the fight and forced the surviving morlocks to flee west, eventually finding their way to the Servants Quarters level upstairs.
The books here cover all the same subject matter as those in the Main Library but are much more useful and better organized. Checks to Recall Knowledge about the relevant topics here have a +2 item bonus instead.
A hero who succeeds at a DC 25 Religion check to Recall Knowledge recognizes the scene on the north door as the Outer God Empty Death feeding on the spirits of those who worship her.
The stairs beyond the east door descend to The Haunted Staircase .
Creatures
Two Canker cultists and four ghouls are repairing the shelves as best they can—a task that keeps suffering setbacks due to the decayed quality of the ancient wood. They don’t immediately attack, but instead adopt a defensive position around the north door. The Canker cultists then address the heroes, offering them the chance to have an audience with their high priestess, Zirnhakan. Of course, this is a ruse— they hope to lead the heroes to their high priestess only to betray them, and if their attempt to Lie to the heroes fails (a likely outcome, given her mere +3 Deception modifier), they grow frustrated and order an attack. These ghouls all fight until destroyed.Boil Cultist
Ghoul zealot (Pathfinder Bestiary 168)Items 2 lumps of decayed flesh strung on a necklace
- Perception +11 ; Darkvision
- Languages Aklo, Common , Necril, Undercommon
- Skills Acrobatics +9 , Athletics +10 , Intimidate +10 , Occultism +8 , Religion +8 , Stealth +9
- Str +4 , Dex +3 , Con +1 , Int +1 , Wis +3 , Cha +3
Melee
- AC 19; Fort +7 , Ref +9 , Will +12
- HP 45, negative healing; Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
- Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Occult Prepared Spells DC 20, attack +12 ; 2nd Harm, Phantom Pain; 1st Command, Grim Tendrils, Ray of Enfeeblement; Cantrips (2nd) Chill Touch, Daze, Mage Hand, Telekinetic Projectile
Consume Flesh
Ghoul Fever (disease) Saving Throw DC 20 Fortitude; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effects (1 day Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghoul the next midnight.
Paralysis (Incapacitation, Occult , Necromancy ) Any living, non‑elf creature hit by a Canker cultist’s attack must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude save or become Paralyzed . It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each save.
Swift Leap
Ghoul
Melee
- Perception +7 ; Darkvision
- Languages Common, Necril
- Skills Acrobatics +7 , Athletics +4 , Stealth +7 , Survival +5
- Str +1 , Dex +4 , Con +1 , Int +1 , Wis +2 , Cha +2
- AC 16; Fort +4 , Ref +9 , Will +5
- HP 20 (negative healing Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
- Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Ghoul Fever (disease) Saving Throw Fortitude DC 15; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1 day Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghoul the next midnight.
Paralysis (incapacitation, occult, necromancy) Any living, non-elf creature hit by a ghoul’s attack must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or become paralyzed. It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each such save.
Swift Leap (move) The ghoul jumps up to half its Speed. This movement doesn’t trigger reactions.
Treasure
There are 6 Bulk of books here to gather for Tomirob .Temple of the Boil
Moderate 4
Soft light illuminates several display cases in this vast room. Once used to display books, the cases stand smashed and empty. Along the curved north wall stands a hideous, towering figure of a woman. The form is composed of hundreds of portions of stitched‑together flesh from a variety of different creatures and draped in tattered, filthy sheets. The stench of rot from the statue fills even this large room.Dretha once displayed her most important and valuable tomes here. A graveknight named Claudio Scythevex, one of Dretha's distant relatives and a loyal guardian of her treasure vault far below, retrieved the books and returned to the vault with them on Dretha’s orders. The magical light that once illuminated their display cases remains, rendering this room well-lit.
The immense rotten construction to the north is an incomplete shell akin to a flesh golem. The Cult of the Boil intends it to serve as a new body for Dretha once it’s finished. The rotting statue looks ominous, but is inanimate... for now.
The secret door to the west is particularly well hidden; heroes Searching this area must succeed at a DC 30 Perception check to find it. None of the ghouls know it’s here, and it’s unlikely that the heroes will find it at first. Note, however, that the existence of this secret door (as well as all other secret doors on the upper three levels) is revealed in the blueprints found in The Lounge .
Creatures
The high priestess of the Cult of the Boil is a ghoul named Zirnhakan, a woman who was cruel and sadistic even in life. Born with an infestation of undeath in her soul, she served as one of Dretha’s many necromantic advisers. After her death, she was the one who galvanized the other servants of this level to prepare for Dretha’s resurrection.Zirnhakan spends her time working with bits of flesh harvested from Morlocks , monsters, and even other ghouls. She’s stitching this flesh to her masterpiece, a 15-foot-tall statue of Dretha made from decaying meat and stained bone. Zirnhakan demands the heroes abandon their gear and their lives, promising glory with the Boil if they agree to accept Ghoul Fever and then be locked away in the Author’s Hall until they transform. If the heroes refuse, Zirnhakan laughs imperiously and attacks, using Intimidation for initiative. As she fights, she promises the heroes that they will join her cult, willingly or not. Once combat begins, Zirnhakan prefers to fight in a square adjacent to her statue so she can use her Consume Masterpiece ability if needed.
Zirnhakan
Unique, White, Black Alignment Medium, Undead, Ghoul, Devotee 6
- Perception +11 ; Darkvision
- Languages Aklo, Common , Necril, Undercommon
- Skills Acrobatics +12 , Athletics +14 , Intimidate +14 , Occultism +12
- Str +4, Dex +2, Con +4, Int +2, Wis -1, Cha +5
Item Staff of NecromancyMelee
- AC 23; Fort +17 , Ref +14 , Will +11
- HP 95 (Negative Healing Immunities eath effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
- Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
The Statue
Note the condition the heroes leave the statue in, as the statue might cause them problems in the next adventure.Secure Collection
The walls of this small room have built‑in shelves. Books line the shelves to the north and south, while a stack of loose scrolls sits on the shelf to the west. A single chair and a small writing desk sit in the middle of the room.Dretha kept her most valuable and significant books in the large chamber to the east, but she stored everything involving her work on Gauntlight and a fair amount of literature on the creation of the Citadel here. These resources have remained here since her demise, since the ghouls don’t know this room exists. The largest book on the northern shelf is a large journal that focuses largely on Dretha’s hatred of Irhurma. It’s written in Aklo, and a hero who spends 8 hours reading it learns of her family history from their exile to poverty and her eventual return to the region to build a lair from which she hoped to exact revenge on the city that disgraced and impoverished her family.
The last several pages of the journal document much of her work in building the Citadel. While the journal doesn’t offer many specific details, it mentions construction of fleshwarping laboratories, arenas where she pitted enemies against monstrous champions for her amusement, prisons, torture chambers, links to Subterra, and a great temple where “once the Empty Death herself brushed against this fragile world.” Belcorra’s entries often speak of her minions in the abstract, as if bragging about how many have come to serve her in creating the complex, but she only ever mentions one by name: her “amusingly vain” apprentice, Vaidun Magmenor . One of the last entries describes how this apprentice arrived from “a community of upstart and meddlesome Drow below” to serve Dretha. The notes don’t provide any further information about this drow community.
The stack of loose papers and scrolls contain a wealth of information about Gauntlight. These papers are written in Aklo; sorting and then reading them takes 8 hours, after which the reader can learn about Gauntlight’s functions as if they had fully researched the artifact.
Treasure
A folio containing several esoteric diagrams is sandwiched between several books on teleportation on the north shelf. The folio details Dretha’s series of linked teleportation circles to quickly move around Sitzrag, and it notes the importance of using the Awaken Portal ritual to activate them should time or mischance deplete them of power. The awaken portal ritual is included here.The largest book in the room, on the southern shelf, is a rare text called The Whispering Reeds. This magical book describes 77 supposed encounters with the Outer Goddess Empty Death , and how each encounter left physical or mental scars. The book is heavily annotated in Drethaa’s hand, particularly in areas where themes of the goddess as an “eater of ghosts” play into the parables and tales.
Scriptorium
Severe 4
This room is lined with tables divided up into several narrow carrels, with old wooden chairs pushed in against them. Upon them, old stacks of paper and tattered books sit amid dry inkwells and brittle writing quills. To the south, a skeleton dressed in shiny‑looking chainmail lies slumped on the floor, clutching something in its bony hands.This room once served as a scriptorium where Dretha’s scribes worked to transcribe and copy important books.
A hero who Searches the eastern wall and succeeds at a DC 18 Perception check finds an empty carrel, which folds up to access to a secret door leading to an annex scriptorium.
Creatures
The skeletal remains to the south were once a Drow woman named Nairud Slayre, director of the scriptorium. Nairud harbored a poorly hidden adoration for Dretha’s apprentice, Vaidun, and in the days after Dretha’s death, Nairud tried to convince him to flee with her to start a new life together somewhere far from the Undercitadel of Szitrag.Vaidun spurned Nairud, insisting that “Dretha needs me now in death even more than in life; you should consider the same!” Nairud returned here in despair, only to be murdered by her disgruntled scribes eager to get out from under her bullying, and she grasped for Vaidun’s portrait as she died.
As with so many others who had the misfortune to perish in the Undercitadel, Nairud arose as a Ghost . She now spends her days floating among the work spaces, as if looking over the shoulders of scribes to appraise their work, not realizing that any time has passed at all since the hour preceding Dretha’s death. When the heroes enter the room, the ghost mistakes them for new scribes and chastises them for their tardiness before ordering them to begin transcribing the old books stacked here. Any attempt to do anything other than comply with Nairud’s commands (including simply leaving the room) arouses her anger and prompts her to attack.
If the heroes each sit at a carrel and begin to work—or even pantomime working—Nairud is satisfied unless they stop. She entertains brief questions and discussion from her “scribes,” though, and will answer any questions the heroes have, within reason, and that don’t make her realize that Dretha is dead or that she’s a ghost. Every 10 minutes, she drifts through the secret door to the Secrer Scriptorium, and a hero who watches and makes a successful DC 12 Perception check notes that her actions suggest a hidden door (even though she simply passes through the wall). She returns from these short trips in 1d4 rounds. The heroes can safely escape the room during this window; if they later return, Nairud doesn’t remember them at all.
If the heroes attack Nairud, or force her to confront the truth that she’s a ghost or that Dretha is dead, she cries out in despair, then attacks.
Nairud Slayre
Site Bound (Sitzrag Scriptorium)Rejuvenation (Divine, Necromancy ) To put Nairud to rest permanently, a hero must convince her to stop pining over Vaidun with a successful DC 24 Diplomacy check. Regardless of the result of this check, Nairud flies into a rage and attacks, but if the Diplomacy check is successful, she is Slowed 1 for 10 rounds while she fights. If defeated while she is slowed, she is put to rest.
- Perception +18 ; Darkvision
- Languages Common, Elvish , Undercommon
- Skills Society +17 , Stealth +16 , Scriptorium Lore +20
- Str -5 , Dex +6 , Con +1 , Int +4 , Wis +4 , Cha +2
Beatific Appearance (divine, Enchantment ) Requirements A creature the ghost is aware of targets the ghost with an attack; Effect The ghost has an unusually pitiable appearance or can change its features to look like someone close to the attacker, which causes the target to pull back on its attack. The triggering creature must attempt a Will save. On a failure, the creature takes a –1 circumstance penalty to its attack roll (–2 on a critical failure).
- AC 24; Fort +12 , Ref +18 , Will +12
- HP 82 (negative healing, rejuvenation Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision,unconscious; Resistances all damage 7 (except force, ghost touch, or positive; double resistance vs. non‑magical
Speed fly 25 feet
Melee [pf;1a] ghostly hand +17 +13 / +9 ( Agile, Finesse, magical), Damage negative Spells DC 25, attack +17
Despairing Cry (Auditory, Divine , Emotion , Enchantment, Mental ) Nairud wails in despair at her loss and betrayal, forcing each living creature within 30 feet to attempt a DC 25 Will save. On a failure, a creature becomes Slowed 1 (slowed 2 on a critical failure) for 1 round as they are overcome with sadness over their own missed opportunities. On a success, a creature is temporarily immune to Nairud’s Despairing Cry for 1 minute
Female drow ghost administrator
Treasure
There are 1 Bulk of books here to gather for Tomirob. In addition to these books, the three mentioned in the note in Apprentice Island (What The Worm Knows, Grave Feasts, and Secrets of the Skull) are located here as well. Tomirob has no interest in these three grim treatises on Necromancy , but they can be sold for 8 gp each to someone other than Tomirob.A search of Nairud’s remains reveals that her +1 Chain Shirt is in good condition. The object she clutches is a framed portrait of Vaidun Magmenor . The portrait captures the drow’s beauty as well as his imperious, vain smirk, both qualities Nairud adored. His name appears on a tiny gold plaque at the portrait’s base. The work of art has endured the passage of time quite well and is worth 10 gp, but it may be more immediately valuable to the heroes as a way to fight against Vaidun. A hero who succeeds at a DC 15 Perception check while Searching the remains spots a tiny iron key beneath them; this key unlocks the cabinet in the Secret Scriptorium.
Secret Scriptorium
A worktable covered with blank scrolls and papers sits against the eastern wall of this room, while to the north stands a cabinet with several closed drawers.There are five locked drawers in the cabinet; each can be opened by a hero using the key from Nairud's corpse, succeeding at three DC 20 Thievery checks to Pick a Lock, or with a successful DC 16 Athletics check to Force it Open. Several books are stored within—copies of texts produced by scribes and once intended for sale or as gifts to Dretha’s allies in other lands, all of whom are now dead. These books consist of 2 Bulk for Tomirob. though Not all of the scrolls on the desk are blank; one tucked beneath the others is an infernal contract.
This contract was meant to be stored deeper in the Undercitadel, but it never quite made it there. A character who can read Infernal and takes 10 minutes to look over the contract learns that this is the devil Lokor ’s contract that binds him as a guardian. A hero who succeeds at a DC 18 Perception or Society check, or who is trained in Legal Lore, notes a loophole that can release the devil if it’s brought to his attention
Treasure
: There are 2 Bulk of books here to gather for Tomirob.Author's Hall
Moderate 4
Long shelves with several chairs drawn up to them ring this room on all sides, save the north. Rancid stains of old blood and decay cake the shelves and floor.Dretha’s scribes once used this room to pen new works. The Cult of the Boil now use it as a place to store victims of Ghoul Fever until they die and arise as ghouls. There are no bodies stored here now, but the heroes can find ample evidence of the suffering and death that has occurred here.
A hero who Searches the south wall and succeeds at a DC 18 Perception check finds a section of shelving that folds down to allow access to a secret door leading to The Guard Room.
Creatures
A pair of ghoul Cultists are having a spirited debate on whether or not flesh “ripened” by Violet Fungi tastes better than naturally decayed meat. A Ghast is entertaining himself cackling at their argument. They’re distracted enough that they don’t overhear the sounds of combat in the Library , but they quickly attack any intruders they notice.Boil Cultist
Ghoul zealot (Pathfinder Bestiary 168)Items 2 lumps of decayed flesh strung on a necklace
- Perception +11 ; Darkvision
- Languages Aklo, Common , Necril, Undercommon
- Skills Acrobatics +9 , Athletics +10 , Intimidate +10 , Occultism +8 , Religion +8 , Stealth +9
- Str +4 , Dex +3 , Con +1 , Int +1 , Wis +3 , Cha +3
Melee
- AC 19; Fort +7 , Ref +9 , Will +12
- HP 45, negative healing; Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
- Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Occult Prepared Spells DC 20, attack +12 ; 2nd Harm, Phantom Pain; 1st Command, Grim Tendrils, Ray of Enfeeblement; Cantrips (2nd) Chill Touch, Daze, Mage Hand, Telekinetic Projectile
Consume Flesh
Ghoul Fever (disease) Saving Throw DC 20 Fortitude; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effects (1 day Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghoul the next midnight.
Paralysis (Incapacitation, Occult , Necromancy ) Any living, non‑elf creature hit by a Canker cultist’s attack must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude save or become Paralyzed . It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each save.
Swift Leap
Ghast
Stench (Aura, Olfactory) 10 feet. A creature entering the aura or starting its turn in the aura must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or become sickened 1 (plus slowed 1 as long as it's sickened on a critical failure). While within the aura, the creature takes a –2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and to recover from the sickened condition. A creature that succeeds at its save is temporarily immune for 1 minute.
- Perception +8 ; Darkvision
- Languages Common, Necril
- Skills Acrobatics +10 , Athletics +7 , Stealth +10 , Survival +8
- Str +3 , Dex +4 , Con +2 , Int +1 , Wis +2 , Cha +3
- AC 18; Fort +6 , Ref +10 , Will +8
- HP 30 (negative healing Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
Speed 30 feet, burrow 5 feet
Melee
Melee
Consume Flesh (manipulate) Requirements The ghast is adjacent to the corpse of a creature that died within the last hour. Effect The ghast devours a chunk of the corpse and regains 3d6 Hit Points. It can regain Hit Points from any given corpse only once.
Ghast Fever (disease) Saving Throw Fortitude DC 16; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1 day Stage 2 negative damage and regains half as many Hit Points from all healing (1 day Stage 3 as stage 2 (1 day Stage 4 negative damage and gains no benefit from healing (1 day Stage 5 as stage 4 (1 day Stage 6 dead, and rises as a ghast the next midnight
Paralysis (incapacitation, occult, necromancy) Any living creature (including elves) hit by a ghast's attack must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or become paralyzed. It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 on each such save.
Swift Leap (move) The ghast jumps up to half its Speed. This movement doesn’t trigger reactions.Guard Room
A small alcove, its floor decorated with a silvery circle of inlaid runes, sits in the eastern wall of this empty room.This room once housed a bound devil who served as one of Dretha’s guardians, but this creature’s contract expired long ago, releasing her back to Hell. The alcove to the west is a nonfunctional teleportation circle that, once restored via Awaken Portal , transports those who use it to this level's hidden teleporters.Subterranean Pool
Low 4
The dripping, sloshing sound of water fills this large cavern chamber. The air is cold and damp, and to the east sits a sizable pond. A lazy rivulet of overflow trickles to the north down a sloping tunnel, while a five‑foot‑diameter opening gapes in the ceiling above the center of the pool.The pool here is 5 feet deep and was once used as a source of drinking water for these levels; the hole in the ceiling 15 feet above leads up 25 more feet to the well in Fanged Queen's Servants Quarters, while the downward sloping tunnel to the north leads to area Dretha's Pavilion.Creatures
A Gibbering Mouther has dwelt in this cavern for decades. It periodically crawls along the tunnel to Subterra to hunt bats and rats, but spends most of its time floating in the pool. It immediately attacks intruders and pursues foes as best it can. The monster doesn’t differentiate between the heroes and other denizens, so a canny group might lure the gibbering mouther into a fight against Ghouls, Morlock, or other creatures.Gibbering Mouther
Blue, Black, Green, Medium, Aberration 5
Gibbering (auditory, Aura, Emotional Spectrum, Enchantment, Incapacitation, Mentalt, Occult ) Each creature that begins its turn within 60 feet of a gibbering mouther must attempt a DC 19 Will save. On a failure, they are Confused for 1 round. On a success, they are temporarily immune for 1 minute.
- Perception +15 ; darkvision
- Languages Aklo
- Skills Acrobatics +12 , Athletics +13
- Str +2 , Dex +3 , Con +4 , Int -3 , Wis +3 , Cha +0
- AC 21 all-around vision; Fort +15 , Ref +12 , Will +10
- HP 120; Weaknesses bludgeoning 5
All-Around Vision
Speed 10 feet, swim 20 feet
Melee
Ranged
Burn Eyes A creature that takes damage from a gibbering mouther’s spittle must succeed at a DC 22 Fortitude save or be Dazzled for 1 round (or Blinded for 1 round on a critical failure).
Engulf DC 22, piercingTreasure
Heroes Searching the pond discover 190 cp and 64 sp under the well opening. These offerings were tossed here by superstitious servants ages ago.
Components
Stakes
Treasure
The permanent and consumable items available as treasure in the Szitrag Library are as follows. • +1 Chain Shirt • +1 Low-Grade Silver Hatchet • +1 Striking Pick • Barkskin Potion • Crafter's Eyepiece • Everburning Torches (2) • Lesser Bravo's Brew (2) • Lesser Healing Potion (2) • Moderate Skeptic's Elixir • Scroll of Hypercognition • scroll of Mending • Staff of Necromancy • The Whispering Reeds • Ventriloquist's Ring • Wand of QuenchBackdrops
Locations
Environmental Cues
books in untidy stacks, dust, looming shelves, musty mold, ruined tools and furniture, sounds of flipping pages, stink as of something rotting in a hidden corner, stuffy air.
Parent Plot
Related Characters
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