| This huge, echoing hall was evidently
once the scene of great revels celebrating the triumphs of the Temple. The floor of the place is littered with skeletons, skulls, and bones of humans and various humanoids. Here and there are parts of broken chairs, stools, tables, benches, sideboards, buffets, cabinets, and cases. Much of the wreckage has probably been carted off for firewood. Tapestries and trophies still remain on the walls in spots. The former show scenes of raiding, looting, pillate, and rapine; trophies include mummified heads, torn battle standards, hides and skins, battered shields, sundered armor, and a broken broadsword. Dozens of empty cressets and sconces line the walls. The broad steps in the middle of the north wall are of dull black stone, and the descending stair seems most depressing and horrible —though passable. |
Nothing here has any notable value. The
runes of the permanent antipathy
effect
(found on the main Temple entrance, area
210, et al. ) are here scribed on the steps,
20
feet from the corridor. No creature of evil
alignment can even enter this stairway; no
one having failed a previous save
against this effect can descend the stair more
than 10 feet. Anyone succeeding at all previous saving throws against
like dweomers
must again save here (and again with a -2
penalty) or be blocked.
Furthermore, the
same effect is placed on a pair of huge
bronze doors at the base of this staircase
(area 340), which are triple-chained and
triple-barred with cold iron.
The normal door on the south wall of the
corridor bounding area 228 leads to a
small
dusty alcove, to
the west of which descends
a 10' wide stairway leading to area
328a
(Dungeon Level Three)