Ventner's Crag

 

Level 4 (Map of Level 4)

1
Entry to the Crypts - These stairs give access to the third level. The walls are carved with bas-reliefs of cavorting skeletons celebrating the triumph of death. At the base of the stairs are a dozen skeletons. They will draw aside to line the walls for any bearing or following the coffin from the crypt cathedral above, but will attempt to turn back or slay any others.

STR 15 +10 DEX 12 +6 CON 0 -20 BOD 8 -4 INT 2 -8 EGO - PRE 10 COM 0 -5 PD 1 ED 0 SPD 3 +8 REC 3 END 0 STUN - Total -13 OCV 4 DCV 4 +2

POWERS 2 FAM: melee weapons 15 Zero END on STR 8 Life support (doesn't eat, sleep or age) 60 Takes no stun 2 Carry out basic instuctions, attack hand to hand 87 Total powers and skills 74 Total creature cost 50+ DISADVANTAGES 20 Physical limit: Dead 10 Distinctive appearance - causes extreme reaction (Skeleton) -6 Boney bonus The skeletons are armed with a variety of hand weapons doing 1 1/2d6 damge with STR and have medium shileds, giving them +2 DCV

2
Tomb - All the tombs except those marked are currently empty. They were used to hold the bodies of the fallen, while the minions of the Tomblord (the fleshworms) did their work. Once they had devoured corpse clean, the bones were taken below to the Ossuary and the burial sacrifices became the property of the priests of Crom Cruach. In this tomb, however lies the body of a warrior slain in a battle with the invading Medarian forces before the investment of the fortress. His determination to defend this castle has trapped his spirit here to do battle with invaders. His stat.s are

STR 15 +10 DEX 12 +6 CON 10 BOD 10 INT 2 -8 EGO - PRE 10 COM 0 PD 1 ED 1 SPD 3 +8 REC 5 END 20 STUN - Total 16 OCV 4 +4 DCV 4 +2

POWERS 8 Life support (doesn't eat, sleep or age) 45 Takes no stun 2 Programs Defend Temple, Engage in HTH combat 4 FAM : Common melee weapons, Common missile weapons 2 KS: Temple rites and ritual (11-) 3 Priest (9-) 2 KS: Classical literature 2 PS: Divining 8 Combat skill levels: +4 OCV with Warhammer 1 Languages: Eneassian (native, literate) 3 Breakfall 80 Total powers and skills 96 Total Creature cost 50+ Disadvantages 10 Distinctive appearance - causes extreme reaction (animated corpse) 20 Physical limit: Dead

He is dressed in the familiar blue cloak, eagle helmet and ornate chain armour. He is armed with a warhammer (1d6+1 HKA, +1 Stun) and a medium shield. None of his equipment is magical, but all of it is high quality (although the cloth and leather will collapse into dust as soon as he starts to move. If "killed", so will he. His hammer is inlaid with gold and blue enamel in the form of a flying eagle (double normal sale value). Unlike a normal zombie, he is animated by his own ghost and so can speak - although only in a sibilant hissing, due to the dessication of his body. He is not given to much in the way of dialog, though - his only motivation is to expel intruders.

3
Tomb - This tomb was empty but used as storage place for extra skeleton servitors - There are 7, identical to those in room 1 on this level.

4
Tomb - In this tomb is another warrior laid to rest as the fighting drew nearer - both he and his equipment have corroded into a mass of dry and rusted material, the whole lot blanketed in a fine grey mold, which is fortunately entirely harmless.

5
Tomb - In this tomb a Medarian warrior lies face down in his baroque plate armour. The heavy suit did not help him when teleporting into the crag, as he misjudged his distance. Although the spell shifted him safely to this chamber, the strain was too much for his heart. His armour is covered inside with corrosion from his rotting, but is basically sound. He lies on a "Darkbright Lance" (q.v.) with 6 charges still remaining

6
Tomb - The door to this tomb is shattered outward, and inside lies another Medarian Knight. Unlike his comrade in the tomb next door, he survived a mis-teleport, shattered the door, but had his attack cut short by a priest with the presence of mind to teleport some fleshworms into his armour. As a result, his armour is not too bad inside. In the passage lie several of his victims - now little more than scraps of bone and leathery skin. His own corpse has been scavenged of all its loose gear.

7
Tomb - In this tomb, lies a body under a shroud of grey mold, similar to that in 4. It has decayed away to little more than a slight lump on its stone bed. Hidden beneath the mold is a shining crystal about the size of two fists, placed in the corpses' hands. If the holder gazes into it, any images they imagine will be displayed within. With effort, these images can then be projected (Images, 2 hex radius area affect, - 2 to PER roll, at 8 END)

8
Tomb - This tomb is occupied by the last of the priests trapped on this level. He sits facing the door on the corpse slab, his skin shrivelled to a mummy-like appearance. Before he died he set up a little surprise for violators of his tomb. There is a teleport spell set up with a trigger - when the threshold is crossed, it will activate and teleport the stone corpse slab into the door way. Whoever triggers the trap will be subject to an attack at OCV 5 (if they are not dodging or similar their DCV will be 0!) that does 4d6 HKA - and incidentally seals the doorway with a 1000 kg stone block.

9
Temple of the Worm God - The walls of this temple are faced in dark stone carved in disgusting high relief. The first section of the walls shows decomposing corpses, the second skeletons, both depicted in attitudes of worship and the third, a pattern composed of intertwining worms. The temple is dominated by a huge throne made of bones cunningly interwoven - fortunately empty - up against the far wall from the entrance. Before this is a corroded iron cage hanging from the ceiling on stout chains, from which drip squirming maggot-like creatures - the servitors of the god. Below the cage is a pit into which they fall, now mostly filled with noisome decay. This gives the temple and its environs an awful charnel odour. The cage is in fact a terrible item of torture - for inside it is a man. Ancient spells protect him from aging and allow his flesh to regenerate almost any injury - but this has made him an eternal feast for the fleshworms placed in him by the long vanished priests, who used him as a source of worms. The man has lost any trace of sanity now - if released from the cage he will simply attempt to flee, and attack anything that tries to prevent him. His stats are:

STR 13 +6 DEX 14 +12 CON 13 +6 BOD 12 +4 INT 10 EGO 11 +2 PRE 14 +4 COM 10 PD 4 +1 ED 4 +1 SPD 3 +6 REC 6 END 26 STUN 26 Total 42 OCV 5 DCV 5 ECV 4

Powers and Skills Whatever skills he might once have had, he has lost after a near eternity of torment. 30 Immortality curse (60 point Elemental control) 30 50% damage reduction, resistant PD and ED 30 6 points Regeneration 30 4d6 healing, triggered by reaching 0 Stun 20 +30 BOD, No Figured Cha 140 Total powers and skills 182 Total creature cost 50+ Disadvantages 20 Terrified of everything (all the time, total) 35 Berserk, pretty much all the time (14-/8-)

In the pit below his cage some mouldering bones are visible. These are the remains of one of the priests of Crom Cruach who lingered too long, was trapped by the attack and chose this way out. Buried in the corruption below the cage is his regalia - a silver skull mask (100 sp), heavy silver bracers (45 sp each) and an iron staff (which unlike the jewellery is uncorroded). The staff is a plain iron pole with a lead worm curling its length and the worm's questing head forms the head of the staff. The staff gives its wielder several benefits - it has a 10 point EC conferring a sense that detects undead with a PER roll at range, it confers a mindlink with one (intelligent) undead at a time, and it confers 10 points of power defense. The Fleshworms will attack any suitable host that comes within 1", and are described here.

10
Upper Ossuary - This room is piled with human bones, stacked floor to ceiling so thickly that only a path through the middle, just wide enough to admit a single person, remains. The stairs lead down to 11.

11
Lower Ossuary - This room is packed with bones like the upper ossuary, although not as thickly. Stairs lead down to the 5th level.