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==== Arral's Llair ====

//The notes for this adventure are sparse (as are many from this era).  They are
presented here essentially as stored in my notebook -- without much explanation
or context.//

Deep within the [[sea_of_sand|great desert]] is a small mountain group
with one great peak rising up to 10,000'.  This peak, known
as the mountain of Arral was named by a peoples who have
since died out.  However, as they were a powerfully
magic-oriented society, they had sensed their death and
were able to prepare for it.  Across a mystical chasm
whose bottom was unmeasured, they dug a great lair
and set up the rooms leading to it.  In the lair,
their magic summoned a great dragon, still in hatchling
form.  The priest, the king, and the mage of the kindgom then
fed their wealth and knowledge to the dragon and instructed
it to impart these only on truly worthy visitors.

Since then, many centuries have passed and many people
have travelled to the lair but only a few leave with
more than they entered.  Most don't even leave at all.

The trip to the lair is long, and ends with a 3,000'
ascent up a 10-30' wide ledge pathway around the mountain.
Finally, the ledge ends and set into the mountain side
are huge double doors:

{{:arrals_lair1.jpg?400|Arral's Lair Map 1}}

1) The doors here are 15' wide each and almost 30' tall.
Flanking either side of the doors are 2 weathermarked
stone statues of humans standing 30' tall.  Carved on the
door in a language commonly used by the party is
the following message:
^  Beyond these doors lie truths and treasures\\ greater than any alive can conceive.\\ Only the worthiest souls deserve a chance\\ to enter.  Declare your need and the\\ gods will decide your fate here.  ^
If the character verbally states why he/she wants to enter,
the doors will slowly open and remain so for 5 minutes,
assuming the reason is worthwhile and true.

If any unauthorized attempt to open the doors is attempted,
both statues will animate as double strength STONE GOLEMS
(AC 5, MV 6", HD 16+, hp 120 ea., D 6d8, +2 weapon to hit).
__XP each: 20,000!__

2) This huge room is bare.  After the doors close, they will only
open again if someone within is actively wanting to get out.
Until then, they will not open to any magic or strength.

3) Up the wide stairs from (2) is a huge hallway ending in a
pair of 8'x15' doors.  Intricately carved and in a language
as on the main doors is the following message:
^  To gain what you seek, there are four tests\\ you must pass.  Two of the mind and\\ two of the body. Open these doors only\\ if you are willing to face these tests.  ^
The door opens easily by hand.

4) __The first test: Dexterity__ --
This room is sunken 20' and there are 13 raised stepping stones
to cross from one platform to another.  The stones are small
(~2' in diameter) and at a difficult distance.  To succeed,
the character(s) must roll 3d6 and score less than or
equal to their dexterity.  If they fail then they have missed
the pillar and must save again to grab on and pull
themselves up on top.  If a character falls, they will take
3d6 from the fall and an additional 2d6 from th spikes at the
bottom.  Also, the latches will all re-latch.

When a stepping stone is jumped onto, it will glow and
a latch on the door across the room will unlatch as will
a latch on the chest in the corner.  Each has 13 latches and
cannot be opened until all 13 have been tripped.  However,
if one is opened, the other will complete re-latch!

If the chest is opened first, a huge ANIMATED SKELETON will
rise up and attack.  It is AC 0, HD 8, #AT 1, D 2d6, hp 40, MR 30%,
1/2 damage from edged weapons.

As soon as the door is opened, the room will become solid and
bare (No chest, No stepping stones).

5) __The second test: Intelligence__ --
This room is blocked by a fire-chasm and a heavy iron
gate.  The chasm is about 12' wide and searing blue energy
rises from it totally obscuring anything beyond it.
Any direct exposure to the energy causes 2d6 fire damage
+ 2d6 buffeting damage + 2d6 lightning damage.  A single jump
could clear it (with a successful save vs. dex on a 3d6 -- failure means
falling into the chasm and taking 3d6 from a 20' plunge and 6d6
damage per round from the energy).

Lining one side of the chasm are 18 crystals of various colors.
They are evenly spaced 1' apart and are in the following order:
(R = Red, B = Blue, G = Green)

         1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
         R  B  G  R  B  G  B  R  G  B  G  R  G  R  B  G  B  R

Note that this is the 6 sets of 3 elements taken three at a time,
with the mistake that #5 and #6 have been swapped.  If
these are moved to their proper locations, the energy will
completely stop.  Also, swapping #3 & #2 will work.

Beyond the energy chasm is a very strong illusion of a
heavy iron portcullis.  Since it is an illusion, it cannot
be passed in any way unless it is disbelieved!

Once the door beyond is opened, this room also becomes normal.

6) __The third test: Wisdom__ --
Here in this room, the character(s) are faced with their worst fear:
a sealed room full of undead.  The undead consist of dozens
of skeletons, dozens of zombies, many shadows, and one ghost-like
creature with a large silver key on a chain around
his neck.  No creature in this room can be turned or defeated
in normal combat.  Instead the character must save vs. Wisdom
on 3d6 at the following penalties.  If successful, the undead are
dispersed.  If unsuccessful, the undead will automatically strike
and do whatever that form of undead does.

^ Random Undead Table (d20) ^^^
|  1-5  | Skeleton | No modifier to roll |
|  6-10  | Zombie | +1 |
|  11-14  | Shadow | +2 |
|  15-17  | Wight | +3 |
|  18-19  | Vampire | +4 |
|  20  | Ghost | +5 |

If the key is used on the door, all ill-effects from the
undead (including 1/2 of the damage taken) will be erased.

The door on the opposite side can only be opened with the key
and this is done simply.  As before, all in the room vanishes then.

7) Here, the hallway degenerates into a rough-hewn cave and
abruptly ends in a sheer cliff overlooking a 100' wide and
"infinitely" deep chasm.  The cave ceiling rapidly rises to 30' and
then peaks at 60' near the chasm.  The entire area is bare
and the only thing of interest is a forceful wind
blowing around in the chasm.

It is now that an incarnation of [[GRUUMSH]] will appear to
fight.  He will always achieve surprise (appearing unseen from
behind) and will not himself be surprised.  He will then
use his surprise time to speak: **"Now, mortal, it is time for
your last test.  And this, I guarantee, you will fail!"**  At this
point, he will attack (always fighting with his spear).  If, at
some time later, his target flees, he will make threats
such as **"See you, elf gods, your mightiest defender does not even
care.  She flees from my superior power like you all have and will!"**

If [[GRUUMSH]] is defeated, the body will disappear and everything
will be the same.  If the character(s) are killed, then GRUUMSH
will disappear and a DEVA will appear in this place and
immediately restore all the wounded/slain to 1/2 of their
full hit points.  It will then say, **"Your last test is complete.
Go now and seek your reward."**  At this it will gesture out into
the blackness of the chasm.

^ Statistics for [[GRUUMSH]] ^^
| AC | 1 |
| MV | 12" |
| hp | 150 |
| #AT | 1 |
| Dam | d6+10 |
| MR | 75% |
| SZ | 10' tall |
| AL | Lawful Evil |
| Fights as a 16+ HD monster ||
| S22 I19 W18 D23 C24 Ch8(25) ||

Note: This is //NOT// the real [[GRUUMSH]], nor is it controlled by, or
in any way influenced by the real GRUUMSH.  This is a
physical and mental illusion that is, for all practical
purposes, real and cannot be disbelieved.

{{:arrals_lair2.jpg?400|Arral's Lair Map 2}}

8) __The Chasm__ --
The chasm presents no great danger to cross.  However, if somebody
falls into the chasm, he/she will fall basically forever.
As soon as the character loses consciousness (asleep or stunned), he/she
will wake up on a different world!  The world is similar to
this but is in many ways very different.  But worst of
all: there is no obvious way home.

9) Here is the lair of the dragon [[ARRAL]].
He sits atop a mound of gleaming gold and silver against
the far wall of the 40' tall domed cavern.
He is very eloquent and polite, but is N in alignment.
His physical statistics are unimportant because if any attempt
to fight him is made, he will breathe on everybody (Damage
is 20d6 fire + 20d6 lightning -- dimensions as a Red Dragon) and then
will disappear with no treasure.  At this point, the ceiling
will collapse (crushing anybody still in the room in 5
segments).

[[ARRAL]] is approximately 50' long without tail.  His skin is a
very dark shade of gold with a tinge of red.  He speaks
in whatever language the party is most fluent in.

These are his gifts to the party:
^  Go to where death took you and seek down.\\ Follow the path to the great crystal of Vakdra.  ^

Also he will give them the following
  * A bag of 40 500 gp gems [violet garnets]
  * A red leather belt with a silver and gold buckle with several small blue gems inset (value 5,000 gp).  It is magical and functions as Bracers of Defense AC 2.
  * Ring of Protection +3, 5' radius

\\ (<- [[return_of_the_bandit_king|The Return of the Bandit King]]) ([[adventures|Back to Adventures Index]]) ([[Drow Attack]] ->)