The ceiling here is 18 feet high.


 

The floor in this cavern is packed sand, pale yellow with flecks of iridescent material. Tendrils of pale mist or smoke writhe along the ground, carrying the rank odor of muddy filth and the sharp tang of resin or incense. <odor detection, DSG> Ahead rises a pyramidal spire, as thin and sharp as a dart. It is composed of dusky gray stone, marbled with the ghastly white of dead flesh. A staring eye adorns the visible side of the spire. A pit filled with glowing coals lies just beyond each corner of the spire. Yellow and blue flames dance over the coals, and tendrils of smoke and mist wander among the tongues of fire before escaping the pits and creeping along the floor. An irregular pool ringed with slime lies beyond the spire.

Brubgrok brought in a small group of evil <priests> to assist him with
his operations. The <priests> worship an unspeakably evil god they
refer to as the Elder Elemental Eye, or simply the Eye. The floor is
covered with a natural deposit of sand mixed with grains of quartz
and mica. The sand is 1 to 3 feet deep.

The 4-sided spire is solid stone, and each face is adorned with
a single eye. The fire pits are dug out of the sand down to the hard <fire size = x>
rock below. The fires are stoked with coal, and minerals in the
stone floor create the odd smoke.

1 <priest> is always in this chamber, tending the fires and chanting
an unholy prayer or supplication. He wears robes over a suit of
studded leather armor (bronze studs) and keeps a <buckler> close at
hand. The <priest> is quick to recognize intruders—only goblins and
slavers come here voluntarily—and pretends to welcome anyone
who enters the temple.

Human <Priest>: AC 6; MV 9”; HD 2 <adept>; hp 9; #AT 1; D 2–7 (footman’s
mace) or 1–4 (sling); spells memorized: curse, command,
cure light wounds, cause fear.
<THACO 20>
<XP 112>

In addition to his regular mace, the <priest> carries a mace with a
stone head. He uses the stone weapon when he fights alongside
mudtigers because the metal one might become magnetized. The
stone weapon works as well as a metal one, but it has a –1 “to hit”
penalty when used against a foe with an Armor Class of 5 or better
(before considering Dexterity or a shield).

In battle, the <evil priest> tries to befriend opponents long enough to use
cause fear on a fighter type or rogue, then he uses his sling or
mace as appropriate. When help arrives, he falls back and uses
curse, then command (“Flee!”).

The water in the pool comes from a very small natural spring; the
collected liquid is murky and mostly stagnant. It’s about 2 feet
deep, with a muddy bottom about 1 foot thick.

The pool is home to a pair of mudtigers. They generally lie at the
bottom of the pool, where they cannot be seen. They can hear
sounds of combat and other loud noises in the room and move to
attack intruders.

Mudtigers (2): AC 6; MV 6”//12” (3”); HD 2; hp 8 each; #AT
1; D 2–5; SA electric shock (D 2–8), magnetize; SD immune to
electricity. See page 26 for more information on the mudtiger.
<THACO 16>
<XP>

The mudtigers move into melee range as quickly as they can. If necessary,
they burrow under the sand to protect themselves from ranged
attacks while they close. Once they are close enough to attack, they
plunge into the midst of the foe and use their electric shocks. After
shocking, they bite, but they shock again as soon as they can.

The <evil priest> here knows the limits of the mudtigers’ electric shock
and is careful to stay out of range when a shock might be
coming.

The <evil priest> and goblins in areas 43 and 44 notice any commotion
in the temple and join the fray after 2 rounds. Likewise, the <evil priest>
here notices any combat in area 41 and alerts his comrades in
area 43 and 44 after 1 round.
 
 

>>43.