These diminutive vermin crawl off carrion and infest living hosts. They cause a fatal illness unless cured or killed. When first en-countered, a DC 15 Spot check can be made to avoid them entirely. If this check is failed, the grubs have contacted the victim and pen-etrated the skin. Once this occurs, the victim may make a DC 15 Wisdom check. If success-ful, he notices strange burrowing below the surface of his skin. Each round thereafter, a DC 17 Fortitude save must be made. If failed, the victim sustains 2d6 points of Constitution damage. At Constitution 0, the victim dies.
The grubs then look for a new host. During the first two rounds, the grubs can be killed by applying flame to or by cutting open the af-fected skin. The flame or cutting does 2d6 points of damage to the victim. If a DC 15 Heal check is successful, cutting damage can be reduced to 1d6. After the second round, only a remove disease spell can save the victim.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: TEMPLE OF A THOUSAND GODS
14. ABANDONED SHRINE (EL 6)
This small shrine is abandoned and empty except for a black altar covered in cobwebs and dust. A patch of yellow mold rests beneath the dust on the altar and bursts forth with a cloud of poisonous spores if disturbed.
Yellow Mold: CR 6; affects all within 10 feet; Fort DC 15; initial damage 1d6 Constitution; secondary damage 2d6 Constitution. Fire destroys yellow mold, and sunlight renders it dormant.
15. CHAMBER OF THE RED SERPENTS (EL 2)
The northern wall of this room is painted with images of three giant red serpents. These images radiate faint abjuration magic and are actually part of a secret door mechanism. To open the secret door, all three images must be touched simultaneously (due to the size of the images, this requires at least two medium-sized crea-tures, assuming they have 5 foot reach). If only one or two images are touched, the door does not open, and the other images spit a potent venom on targets in front of the images.
Secret Stone Door: 4 in. thick; Hardness 8; hp 60;
Break DC 28; Search DC 21.
Spitting Serpent Trap: CR 2; 1-ft. wide, 15-ft. long stream of poison (Fort DC 18; initial damage 1d6 Con, secondary damage 1d6 Con); Reflex save (DC 13) avoids; Search (DC 26); Disable Device (DC 26).
16. THE SLEEPING SERPENT (EL 11)
This large chamber is divided into two portions by a wall (see below). The first portion is occupied by a giant constrictor snake that appears to be asleep (it wakes up immediately if damaged, otherwise make a Listen check at a –10 circumstance penalty for it to detect intruders).
The snake is coiled around a large golden statue of a naked woman. This is actually the “petrified” form of Nannurta, a sorceress of Ibnath who was originally a member of the snake-cult of Sstha. She gained the enmity of the two nagas Nig and Ith, who turned her into a statue using a scroll of flesh to stone. If brought back to life, Nannurta is grateful and promises her rescuers great rewards if they escort her back to civiliza-tion. The nature of these rewards is up to the DM; desert ghouls have long since looted Nannurta’s house in the residential area of Ibnath.
Giant Constrictor Snake: CR 5; AC 15, hp 63; see the MM for details.
Secret Chamber: The chamber to the northwest is separated from the main chamber by a wall holed with several arrow slits and two concealed, circular openings (Search DC 20) that only small creatures (or creatures shaped like snakes) may crawl through.
This is the lair of 2 spirit nagas, Nig and Ith, who observe intruders through the arrow slits.
Nig and Ith, Spirit Nagas (2): CR 9; AC 16, hp 76 each; see the MM for details.
Spells Known (Cast per Day: 6/6/6/4; base DC 14 + spell level): 0—arcane mark, daze, detect magic, disrupt undead, light, ray of frost, resistance; 1st–cause fear, expeditious retreat, magic missile, shield, sleep; 2nd—
mirror image, resist elements, see invisibility; 3rd—lightning bolt, vampiric touch.
Development: The nagas observe intruders from their concealed chamber, gaining nine-tenths cover against opponents. After the party enters the room with the sleeping serpent, the nagas activate a lever that causes an iron portcullis to slam down in the southern end of that chamber. Nig and Ith prefer to let the giant serpent battle intruders, interfering only when the serpent seems to have lost more than half its hit points. The nagas use their charm gazes through the arrow slits if opponents are within range (note that their gaze is ineffective against opponents who have turned their backs to the nagas). Nig and Ith also cast spells through the arrow-slits (remember that only small creatures can enter their chamber).
Portcullis, Iron: 2 in. thick; Hardness 10; hp 60; Lift (DC 25); Break (DC 28).
Treasure: Nig wears a bronze tiara carved with an image of a scorpion (worth 400 gp). In two small, unlocked chests (Hardness 5; hp 1; Break DC 17) are 2,000 gp; a pouch of 50 white pearls (worth 20 gp each);
and a potion of vision.
17. TREASURE OF THE GODS (EL VARIABLE)
Four locked ivory chests (hardness 5; hp 15; Break DC 23; Open Lock DC 25) have been placed along the northern wall of this chamber. The first chest contains 3,000 gp in mixed gold and silver coins. The second chest contains a divine scroll of spell immunity and heal (caster level 11). The third chest “releases” a spectre when opened; it is otherwise empty. The fourth chest contains a periapt of proof against poison.
Spectre: CR 7; AC 15, hp 45; see the MM for details.
18. COPPER FONT
In the middle of this room is a copper font carved with images of a female figure wielding a two-handed sword against scorpion-men. The water in the font radiates moderate necromantic magic. Washing oneself with the water bestows immunity to death magic (as per the death ward spell) for one hour. The font can be used up to three times per day.
19. SHRINE TO ISHTAR (EL 9)
The floor of this large, rectangular chamber is of polished white marble. The walls are covered with purple tapestries. An altar stands to the west, in front of
a large ivory statue of a full-bodied woman. Upon the altar rests an oil lamp (worth 30 gp), a bronze bowl (worth 200 gp), and a silver sceptre tipped with ivory (worth 450 gp). The room smells of scented herbs and incense.
This chamber was once a shrine dedicated to the worship of Ishtar. After the fall of Ibnath and the Hierophants, the shrine was desecrated and a succubus took up residence here with her wight servants. This demoness, named Nannaa, enjoys to masquerade as a priestess of Ishtar. It has been a long time since she has had any visitors (the sentient dwellers of the temple wisely avoid her), but, after all, the passing of time is of little concern to an immortal demon.
Nannaa (succubus): CR 7; AC 20, hp 33; see the MM for details.
Wights (4): CR 3; AC 15, hp 26 each; see the MM for details.
Development: The wights hide behind the tapestries, while Nannaa assumes the form of a beautiful, green-eyed, scantily clad priestess of Ishtar. She greets the party and claims to be the only remaining priestess of Ishtar left in Ibnath (the goddess has blessed her faithful servant with a very long lifespan, if anyone thinks to ask). The priestess offers to assist the player characters as best she can. In reality, the demoness attempts several vile ruses, such as offering potions of poison as healing potions, drugging the party with blue lotus incense (she and her undead servants are immune to poison and therefore immune to the fumes of the lotus), attempting to rape them to produce fiendish offspring, and so on.
Nannaa avoids combat and uses telepathy to communi-cate with her wight servants.
20. SECRET CHAMBER
This secret chamber (Search DC 30) contains Nannaa’s personal belongings and treasure. There are several wardrobes containing silken robes, furs and jewelry (worth 4,000 gp in total); a pouch containing three doses of blue lotus powder; a small box with one dose of dark reaver powder; two vials containing water mixed with lich dust; and potions of glibness and love.
21. SHRINE TO YAAZOTSH (EL 5)
The vulture-masked priests of the charnel god Yaazotsh claimed the bodies of the dead of Ibnath, those who were too poor to pay for their own funerals, and brought them to these chambers for ritual preparation. Here, the corpses were left to rot until they could be offered up as sacrifice on the carrion altars of Yaazotsh.
The stone door to this chamber is barred. Its surface is covered with a large painting of a vulture with outspread wings.
Barred Stone Door: 4 in. thick; Hardness 8; hp 60;
Break DC 30.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: TEMPLE OF A THOUSAND GODS
The black walls of the shrine are carved with images of robed, vulture-headed men. A low, blood-stained stone table is covered with various dust-covered trinkets, bowls and what appear to be priestly rods of office (all these are worthless). A large stone idol in the shape of a vulture with a 10-foot wingspan hangs suspended from the ceiling.
Due to decay, movement near the idol is sufficient to cause it to drop down upon unwary creatures below (treat this as a trap).
Falling Idol: CR 5; +15 melee (6d6); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 25. Note: Can strike all characters in two adjacent squares.
22. SANCTUM (EL 7)
An unadorned stone door bars entry to this chamber. Its interior smells of exotic drugs and ointments. An undying servant of the cult of Yaazotsh, a vulture-headed flesh golem, guards the treasure here. Note that although the golem has tattered black wings, it is incapable of actual flight.
Stone Door: 4 in. thick; Hardness 8; hp 60;
Break DC 28.
Flesh Golem: CR 7; AC 18, hp 45; see the MM for details.
Treasure: Placed on a bronze pedestal is a clay tablet inscribed with various mystical sigils and cuneiform script. This is a tome of understanding +3.
23. SECRET CHAMBER
A secret cache (Search DC 25) in the western wall contains two yellowed scrolls in a silver scrollcase (worth 150 gp). The first scroll is an arcane scroll with hypnotism, contact other plane and legend lore (caster level 11). The second scroll is a divine scroll of prayer, poison and blasphemy (caster level 13).
24. SHRINE TO NERGAL (EL 9)
To the south is an ivory pillar carven with an image of Nergal, a skeletal figure carrying a sickle sword. Six shadows flit about the pillar.
Shadows (6): CR 3; AC 13, hp 19 each; see the MM for details.