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Wed Oct 27, 2021 11:02 am Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful

Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful

(Map from random dungeon creator watabou)

The Cairn Hills are home to hundreds perhaps thousands of tombs and barrows reaching back into the distant past of the Flanaess. Many of them have been discovered and emptied but the valleys between the low hills still hide much to be discovered.

This tomb is untouched and therefore still holds treasure but it also contains dangers and protections for those who would rob it.

The surrounding area is home to bandits, gnolls, ogre's and trolls. A nest of manticores is nearby.

All rooms are of stone with ceilings 8 feet at the walls rising to 15 feet at the center. The walls are carved from dense blocks of a light grey stone. Each block weighs in excess of 500lbs. The roof is made from a darker stone and seems to have been melded together somehow. A faint trace of magic still lingers.

There is no light in the dungeon. The players will need to provide a light source if the cannot see in the dark.

1. Entranceway.

The outer door is covered with dirt and rubble but a recent storm caused a slide and the upper portions of the doorway is revealed. There is a ward set into the door formed from the armbones and skull of an ancient Flan warrior. If it is touched it will say in ancient Flan "The curse of living death is upon this grave." The skull will then emit an eerie laugh and collapse into dust. The door will split and fall to rubble. When the door collapses air is sucked into the room as if into a vacuum.

A set of stairs leads down 30 feet to the room.

At the center of the room is a small chariot. It is exquisitely made (elvish workmanship) it is inlaid with silver but the wood is dried and fragile. A figure is chained inside the chariot. An ancient Flan warrior dried and desiccated. It has three +1 Javelins and a longsword of equally ancient design. When the first player steps into the room it will begin throwing javelins at them. After it is out of javelins it will attack with its sword. The chain holding it to rotting chariot will easily break free and allow it to pursue the players though it will not leave the room.

Attached to a peg inside the chariot is a whip that causes wounds to bleed for extra damage and can dismount a rider 10% of the time after a successful hit.

End Part 1

Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:18 am

Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 2

Some openings between rooms are blocked as shown on the map. These are not doors but sealed portals of brick and mortar. They are covered with a decorated plaster showing scenes from the distant past of the Flan such as hunting, farming, celebrations. The passing years have made them very delicate. They are easily broken in a shower of dust and crumbling brick. Those who shatter a passage are cursed for a cumulative -1 penalty per portal until the curse is removed.

2.

Down the center of this room are two rows of crouching figures. Each is clothed in rotting fragments of cloth that show the dull remnants of bright colors now faded. As the players enter the room the figures will rise and turn toward the players. They will move toward them with arms outstretched while an eerie moaning will come from their desiccated throats.

There are two rows of 8 figures each. They are chained together in groups of 4. A single blow is enough to slay them but they will arise again within 24 hours. If anyone understands ancient Flan they will hear in the moaning speech pleas for mercy and to be released. For every 4 of these ancient Flan slaves killed a -1 curse will be upon the slayer but for every 4 released from their chains a +1 blessing (24hour duration) will be placed on the one to release them.

While there is no key the chains can be struck or even twisted off by an exceptionally strong player.

The walls of the room are covered in decaying plaster that show chained slaves working in a field of wheat. There are broken baskets in the corners filled with the dust of wheat collected long centuries, perhaps millennia before.

Tue Nov 30, 2021 6:58 am

Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 3

3. Arrows of Wheat

Inside the room is a field of wheat. It is almost 5 feet high and still ripples slightly from the inrush of air when the sealed passage was opened. The wheat is made of gold and radiates strong enchantment.

Each stalk is crafted with exquisite skill and its value as a work art would far outweigh its value as gold. Removing the wheat is a problem. When a stalk is touched it becomes an arrow of gold +1 to hit and +1 to damage once fired they become normal organic stalks of wheat after they have done their damage. There are hundreds, perhaps close to a thousand stalks of gold wheat.

The walls of the room are plastered with crumbling scenes of a huge beast being hunted through a field of wheat. At the center of the room is the dry and withered form of the creature. It is quite dead. Surprisingly its skin is very supple. If skinned its hide can be made into a cloak that allows friendship and communication with bovine creatures.

At the 4 corners of the room are pedastals upon each is the statue of a Flan warrior bearing a bow. As the characters enter the room they will be fired upon by the stone archers. They archers will pluck stalks of wheat as they shoot as if from a handy quiver and fire the magic arrows. These statues will fire until there are no more targets or no more arrows but will not leave the room.

Fri Dec 10, 2021 2:43 pm

Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 4

4. The long hallway has plastered walls that show scenes of fishing and ancient ships upon peaceful waters to the east. To the west the scenes show cloudy skys and storms lashing fields and farmland.

5. This room is plastered with bluish illustartions that appear to show underwater scenes. There is a wide pool of water at the center 30x30 section of the room. At the center of the pool, which is about 10 feet deep, is a golden statue of a mermaid. It weighs around 5lbs and is quite valuable. Anyone entering the pool without the Amulet showing the Water Sign will summon a Water Weird which attacks those within the room (other than the Amulet wearer.

Sat Dec 18, 2021 2:43 pm

6.

The center 30x30 area of the room is encircled with vertical axis fan blades.

A set of these blades every ten feet. They have a diameter of just over 9 feet so there is a small amount of room between 1 set of blades and the next , The edges of the blades are razor sharp.

At the very center of the room is a 2ft high golden statue of a Satyr playing a flute sitting on a pedastle. Touching the statue will cause it to start playing and the fan blades will begin spinning unless the person touching the statue is wearing the Wind Amulet from room 7. The statue weigh is very heavy (as it is made of lead with a thin covering of gold foil).