Quest for the Third Resort

[Ebiris]

Gnome Weapon Research and Mining Facility

The entrance hall is clean and safe with the exception of a Permanencied Symbol of Fear (CL 11, DC 19 will negates) on the door which bears an engraving of Daa-vid's face.

Past that is a hallway that leads down the stairs, with two dooes on either side at the top. The left side contains a library. This includes copies of numerous books retrieved from other gnomish ruins, and a few taken up from the offices deeper within the complex. Hidden amongst the books (found on a search check or automatically if the books are read) are the following scrolls:

See Invisibility
Invisibility Purge
Halt Undead
Tongues
Protection from Energy
Cone of Cold

The door to the right leads to a comfortable dormitory which contains one of the replenishing food barrels, configured to produce standard gnomish cuisine. Both doors are secured with good locks.

The stairs continue downwards, but at this point become infested with Phantom Fungus, Assassin Vines, and a single Ochre Jelly. The stairway is lit by Permanencied Daylight spells at regular intervals, where the assassin vines are most prominent, while the Phantom Fungus are more likely to strike in the dark spaces between the lights. The Ochre Jelly tends to cling to the ceiling and may strike at any point from above.

Halfway down the stairs, another side door leads into a ruined chapel to the God-King. This contains a religious book extolling Daa-vid from the point of view of the loyal gnomes. When read, it imparts a CL 5 Suggestion spell (DC 14) to leave the dungeon and go proselytize the word of Daa-vid. It also contains a tarnished holy symbol of Daa-vid amidst the rubble, for any new converts to use.

At the bottom of the stairs is the magical elevator. A sign in Gnomish warns that the elevator is faulty and that passengers should secure themselves strongly to it before activation. It does not reveal the command word, however. Descending without the elevator (either by flight or climbing) triggers whatever traps the original gnomes left. If the elevator is used, a Reverse Gravity spell is triggered halfway down, suspending any unsecured passengers in the air while the elevator continues its descent, until the spell wears off and they are sent plummeting to the bottom.

At the bottom amidst the pillars is a nest of spiders. This includes several spider swarms and four huge monstrous spiders. Another replenishing food barrel is present here, configured to produce raw meat fresh from Balmuria's best butchershops in order to keep the spiders sustained.

Through the door after the spiders is the main armoury. There are two well hidden traps here, triggered when any of the exhibit cases is opened (they are unlocked) or damaged. A Summon Monster VIII spell summons forth 1d3 Invisible Stalkers, and an Animated Objects spell which animates all of the weapons to attack any visible intruders (this would include the invisible stalkers if they were rendered visible). Use the statistics for a Small Animated Object except with the weapon's own damage values and enhancement bonuses. They will generally use Aid Another in groups of 3 or more to improve their chances to hit. A crystal set into the ceiling serves as the focus for the Animate Objects spell, and if destroyed will end the effect as if it had been dispelled.

The mine is blocked by a wall of force as before, with the secret passage intact.

The Forge room below contains a Summon Monster VIII trap which summons a Greater Fire Elemental. Further below, in the room with the tanks of water, a Summon Monster VIII trap summons 1d4+1 Large Water Elementals. A suit of gnomecraft chainmail +2 (Fire Resistance) can also be found here, submerged in one of the tanks. (I'll get Latha to replicate this if she can, and let her steal some of the gnomecraft weapons to melt down for materials if she needs)

The stairs leading further below are marked with a large warning sign in Gnomish which declares that proceeding further below requires a keystone, and proceeding without such a stone will result in harsh countermeasures. Said countermeasure is a DC 28 Flesh to Stone resetting trap with an arbitarily high DC. The sign says that the Commandant and Mine Foreman have the authority to provide these stones for official business only.

Assuming the trap is bypassed by whatever means, proceeding below reveals the offices of the gnomes in charge, along with the fiery being of divine vengeance, and the fabled Third Resort. Two jars of Stone Salve can also be found here.

To get the keystone, however, one must go back to the mines. Here is found a 9 headed Pyrohydra which has been turned to stone, looming over the charred stain that marks the Mine Foreman's corpse. This can be further readily identified by one of the better gnomecraft weapons (preferably one with a cold enchantment) and the keystone lying amidst the ancient ash. Coming within ten feet of the ash triggers a Stone to Flesh spell on the Pyrohydra, which may serve as a thrilling end boss for the adventure!

[Anastasia]

Looks pretty good all in all.