Play Testing the Undercity

First things first; Memorial Day is about remembering the veterans of our nation's history, especially the wounded and departed. I do give thanks and respect to our military men and women of all eras . Salutations.

I have been working many long hours at a very repetitive and boring job and my gaming life has been almost nil for a few months. This was preceded by a year of almost weekly and twice a week games, so I greatly missed the gaming table.  I did play in two games and DM'ed one during that time, but it wasn't what I really need, so I have been gaming every day this weekend.

I was fortunate enough to get to run a Tekumel game using the Garidisiyal Rules Set I bought over  a year ago and have never gotten to use. In spite of what I have heard from some, I am a big fan of these rules, although I would probably have liked them less if I didn't already own a good deal of earlier source material, notably the Swords and Glory Source Book, the original EPT rules, and the Man of Gold and Flamesong novels. I found the ease of the system very refreshing and I loved being able to hand the players the pre-made Character Templates (with accompanying illustrations) and saying "Here, pick a character".

We had an all adult crew in attendance so we actually ran Change (Chaos) characters, members of a Sarku worshipping Clan no less, along with a female Pygmy Folk merchant and an Ahoggya warrior who proved quite disgusting….Anyway, since the Concordat between the Temples is in effect only outside of the Underworld, a certain lass of the Domed Tomb Clan named Mikusa was apprehended  in the Underworld by the priestesses of D'lamelish and Hrihayal for use in certain rituals.

 The Domed Tomb dispatched our heroes to rescue her from an underground temple and deal out some retribution. It got rather bawdy at certain junctures as this was preceded by an intelligence gathering jaunt to the Gardens of delight on the Temple grounds in Jakalla--needless to say, the introduction of the Green Lady and her cult were a hit with our male players but the female Pygmy Folk character also found it quite entertaining and the risqué rejoinders  abounded.

 We actually managed to wrap up the adventure, after some backstabbing and Sarku  Temple political murders among the Player Characters. We don't usually run Chaos characters in our games  and we often have younger teens at our games but didn't that night so we all let our hair down a bit. If you are unacquainted with D'lamelish, she and her rites are very evocative of Astoreth or the Babylonian Inanna.

What I most enjoyed though was getting to play test the "Undercity of Kravekos" Maze I have uploaded here at the blog.

It was slow going getting into the dungeon due to some PC  nosing about in Kravekos before entering the Dungeon. Here is a short breakdown of the game.

We met at 9:30 pm last night and played until 2:00 am this morning. We used the Holmes Basic Edition rules with some tweaks that made it run somewhat like 1st Edition Advanced D&D…namely, I permitted multi-classing(even humans), human class mixed with demi-human race/class, and some AD&D magical items.

Our party consisted of four human men and a halfling female. Matt played a Fighter- Thief named Drakon who has aspirations to the bardic college if he can find the council of Druids and gain admission. My son Levi played a Fighter Magic User named Eastwood, while Laura, Matt's wife, was Chinka Quickfoot, a Halfling Thief.  Juan played a Lawful Evil cleric named  Cardinal Synn. It was mostly a candle light session, until the candles began to die--those are always fun! All were at second level.

The party entered Kravekos and spied the domed gate that is the entrance to the dungeon, but not knowing what it was, decided to find an Inn, except for the cleric, who wished to seek out a wizard or sorceress to identify some magical and possibly magical items he obtained during previous adventures. He found a wise woman named Baba Yaga and paid handsomely to have several items identified, leaving them with her. At the Inn, the Innkeeper related to the party the legend of the Undercity and how to gain enterance.

Chinka tried to socialize with some Hobbit Tobacco traders  in Kravekos who were there to unload a shipment of Long Bottom leaf and they were friendly enough till she started talking excitedly about exploring the Undercity and trying to persuade them to go along. Once they deduced she was an adventuring Halfling, will, they became a bit cool, thinking her queer and a bit odd since every Hobbit knows that adventures are nasty, troublesome affairs that can make one late for dinner…Drakon did cheer the Inn with a bit of his lute playing though! The party bought a night's lodging.

Next morning, the cleric got his items back,  discovering that most were not enchanted, but being informed he was the proud owner of a ring of plant control. The party then sought audience with the King of Kravekos, a wizened but sad and bitter old man still bleak after 20 years when his only son died after emerging wounded form the ruins  and because he had no son to carry on his lineage. However, he did give the players the key to the Domed Gate. He wished them well, though he doubted their success, and warned them that after 7 days the gate would be locked again as they would be considered dead. he spoke of the Talking Sword of Lothia, a magic sword  lost in the Undercity. The court cleric, a Bishop of the Church of Illuvion, gave the party two healing potions and a scroll with a Cure Disease spell.

They left the castle, finding a crowd of well wishers and admirers in the streets since they were the first to enter the ruin since it's sealing two decades ago. The gate closed behind them at the Dome and they entered an elevator cage--a very long oiled chain lowered them into the bowels of the earth. The cleric took two trained dogs with him…

Down in the first cavern, they emerged to cool, wet air and an empty chamber. Lighting a torch, they walked down a long tunnel which opened onto a stone quay by an underground river. There stood a Charon  (See the 1st Edition AD&D Fiend Folio) by his black gondola, keeping his ancient watch. They addressed him and h spoke to them all teleptahically, saying his price for passage was either answer his riddle after two tries or surrender a magical item whose power he would transfer to his magic gondola, which warded off all harm to any occupant as long as they stayed in the boat. They of course attempted to best him at his game of riddles but could not guess! There ensued some displeasure amongst the players as they felt the riddle's answer illogical and claimed they would have never guessed. I will ask the riddle at the end of this post to see if you, dear reader, could have passed the Boatman! I assured them all the answer was logical, of course. The poor cleric was the only one with magical items! He was given a  choice of giving up his ring of plant control, his +1 (against good creatures) Mace, or his +1 shield. He gave up the mace very grudgingly and the Charon touched it to his gondola. A blue mist enveloped the boat for a moment as the black mace dissolved. however, Charon informed them that as their guide on the river, he would permit them to ask one question about the Maze. They waited to ask it later…

They entered the boat (the dogs were terrified of the Boatman) and began to traverse the river. They passed a cave that had a giant skeleton of some serpentine beast and the remains of a human and a dwarf. Eastwood disembarked to poke around, and saw a bright red jewel! The party surmised it to be a very obvious trap and left the gem, voyaging on. Alas, the gem was not a trap but a valuable ruby simply there for the taking…sigh! As a DM, I place things like this around the dungeon, figuring I will make you earn them soon enough!

The gondola entered a huge well lit cavern whose sides were pockmarked with little caves that had wooden ladders going up to them, and a beach on either side. Lizard Women were out cooking who knows what in old shields and helmets of past adventurers  when they ran hissing with their little ones at the sight of the party. Out strode the warriors, hissing and taunting, but true to Charon's word, the riders in his ferry could not be harmed. But then the Lizard man chieftain, Suul emerged from a cave. He was a glorious specimen of his race, standing nearly eight and half feet tall with a huge two handed falchion. His muscled arms were encircled with precious gold circlets and jewels and he wore and incredibly valuable looking necklace with a red gem. He challenged the party to get out and fight, which they declined not out of fear but because this was not their quest. So Suul asked anyone to disembark and face him in single combat, promising safe passage in return for their victory (Charon's ferry was one way only…). That, and a chest of silver and elctrum, which was brought out and thrown on the sand, open, by two Lizard Men. There were eight male warriors in all.

Eastwood the Fighter Magic User could not resist this duel. Drawing his sword, he leapt from the boat to shore and faced down Suul. Initiative went first to Suul, who swung and hit with a  roll of 11 on the 20 sided dice. Eastwood struck also, rolling 8 points of damage after his strength adjustment of +2. Suul being a 20 Hit point Chieftain, he had 12 points left. Next round, Suul won the initiative roll again but could not strike, so it was Eastwood's turn. He rolled a 20! Double Damage. He rolled 4 points of damage, added 2 for his strength, and doubled it! A killing blow in only the second round of combat, something I had not foreseen…Suul fell dead. I had factored in a 25% chance the Lizard man tribe would attack anyway, breaking the deal, but even though I didn't announce this, the party was prepared to join Eastwood and join in glorious battle on the subterranean sands. My secret roll yielded a 28, however, so the monsters were disheartened by Suul's easy defeat, and dove into the waters, disappearing. Eastwood claimed his prizes, including the great falchion and the chieftain's jewlery.

The party moved on and came into a cave with a waterfall from another hidden spring . High above them was also a cliff--here they saw an old set of stone stairs climbing the wall to the cliff. They bid farewell to Charon, but Eastwood remembered they got one question. They decided to ask what dangers lay ahead--a nice generic question they hoped would net much infromation but Charon gave a very literal answer an informed that just ahead, "The biting, poisonous children of a Queen await you." He then departed.

Our heroes climbed the stair and followed a passage that led into the first engineered stoneworks they had encountered in the Maze--a vast ,long hall filled with crumbling statues. The statues looked like humans but with more elfish features than is normal--they were the Jennerak, that ancient and mysterious people who were once the masters of the world before the Time of Man. A single jennerak inscription was found.  The Fighter magic User had Jennerak as a language and read these words "The Kingdom of the Jennerak, Of Which There Shall Be No End." After a chuckle at the irony of these words, they faced their next dilemma--how to get past a great fissure in the earth that rent to the hall in two. Here, our candles burning low, we decided to call it a session since Matt had a paper to write.

In only seven hours, we will meet again, to hopefully finish the Maze! We all had great fun.

I will post again when we complete our playing of the Undercity…

Oh, the riddle. If you have read the Dungeon Key to the Undercity then you know the answer, but if not, give it a shot, and tell me if you think it was a fair riddle. I usually include at least one riddle as a part of every dungeon and most of the time they get them, so I felt it was about time they got a hard one! I think the answer was the most perfect available, but the other players protested that it was not a fitting answer at all.

Here is the riddle:

"Though it be cold I wear no clothes

The frost and snow I never fear

I value neither shoes nor hose

And yet I wander far and near.

My diet is forever good,

I drink no cider, port, nor sack-

What Providence doth send for food

I neither buy, nor sell, nor lack.

What am I?"

Answer in the comments if you'd like!

JB

Well? I'm waiting......

Homemade Paper Miniatures Photos

Here are some of my homemade gaming pieces. I was rather pleased with how they came out and I had a lot of fun making them. 

The first three were created specifically for the dungeon I have uploaded here called the Undercity of Kravekos.

They are Suul the Lizard Chieftain, Charon the Boatman, and the Imp in the study. I liked the concept of the gaming pieces depicted in Mazes and Monsters and gave it a shot using old cereal boxes cardboard and acrylic paints. Obviously they have a much larger scale than true miniatures but I felt they would be evocative when I run the Undercity adventure, particularly because I plan to use oil lamps for light in some of my gaming sessions. They are coated with a good lacquer so they will be bright but cast some neat shadows. They might look a bit garish in plain light but I think by oil lamp they will look most impressive, especially at first sight.

Actually, I thought how fun it would be to run a game where players showed up eager to see what and who would appear on the table using pieces like this!

For Suul's fellow Lizard Man warriors I intend to use some very  large and unusually large chess pieces that I have on hand--they are perfect scale for this type of game. I felt that if one were using these kind of detailed and painted game pieces, only one striking piece is truly needed to fuel the players' imagination. Suul will set the mood and allow the players to envision what his fellow warriors look like, even if they are only represented by chess pieces.

Suul took about eight hours, but now that I have a technique I could probably make these faster. Charon took only three hours, while the Imp took about two. I sketched my outline and general features on the brown side of the cereal box material, then free hand painted them. I went back with a very sharp pointed Sharpie marker and accentuated the details. The Imp I simply scanned an image of from the AD&D Monster manual, glued it to cardboard, and cut it out and painted it front and back. I ran the edge of the brush over the outside edges of the miniatures and then lacquered them.

If you look closely I used a strip of cardboard I glued on after the fact to the lower parts of the miniatures to fasten them to their bases, which I then painted to look like their feet and legs. 

If you decide to make player characters like this, I recommend having them wear cloaks as the back parts would be much easier to paint--you can simply take an image off the Internet, paste into Word, and shrink or grow it to the scale you wish and use this for your pattern. In fact, I have made several PC miniatures to this scale by simply printing such images up in color, pasting them to poster board, and cutting them out. You can then fill in the back as well as your artistic abilities allow or, if you have no desire to do this, you could write the character name, Armor Class, Hit points, etc.

Click any of the photos for a larger view.

Suul the Lizard Man Chieftain

Suul, Rear View

The other photos here show my collection of homemade Tekumel miniatures. I DM'd an Empire of the Petal Throne campaign for several months and I just didn't want to use Western European style D&D minis. This was about all I had on hand and I didn't have the cash to go out and buy new lead. So instead, I printed up page after page with very small images of Tekumel artwork I collected from the Internet, some being original art from the EPT rulebook. I soaked the sheets in tea and coffee to give them a parchment type color and when they were dry, mounted them to poster board  and cut them out in little squares. We mostly used them laid out flat but then I cut up some corks and used them for the bases.

I am sort of partial to them, homely as they are. Using this method, I now have a few hundred pieces and if I wanted I have enough that I could run war games with them. I bought a nifty little plastic tray with dividers at a  department store and they stow safely and neatly away to be transported to and from games along with the mat I was using at the time. Total investment for the paper, ink, glue, poster board and tray? Probably about $20. So while they surely cannot compare to some of the excellent Tekumel gaming pieces being crafted these days, for $20 I have all the PC's, monsters, and NPC's I would ever need to simulate combat during a game of EPT.

Anyway, just thought I'd share these ideas in case anyone can use them to build a useful array of miniatures without spending a small fortune.

A party of Tsolyani with Shen and Pe Choi Comrades prepares to engage the Old Ones!

A  very blurry Shen warrior and a Kayi. 

The denizens of the World of the Petal Throne!

Light, easy to stow and carry, and very protected.

Using The Dungeons as a Campaign Tie In

I have uploaded my maps and dungeon keys here because I would be thrilled if any other players used them and had fun.

They can be tailored to fit your specific campaign environs as well.

If anyone does decide they want to go for the over-all quest that ties a series of the dungeons together in a cohesive plot, a major change must be made to the Maze of Nuromen dungeon which is not included in the key.

First, when players approach Law's End the DM should describe the ruins of a structure which a Dwarf or other knowledgeable PC will notice was begun but not finished. the DM should make the structure as
mysterious as possible to the party but they will uncover nothing without entering the Maze proper.

The dungeon key relates the private quarters of the priest who served the religious life of the wizard and his court.

A book called the Rituals of the Summoning of Gamosh should be placed by the DM therein, along with medieval style blue prints on the priests table which they will instantly recognize as being the plans for the incomplete structure. The Book of Gamosh will relate how it is necessary to build and dedicate a temple to Gamosh to bring him back to the Prime Material Plane.

No one in the base town of Camlann will have ever heard of the sect or the evil deity. They will, however, recommend a sage who dwells in the city of Kravekos who may be asked of these things. There the players will learn the legend behind the demi-god and the titan who exiled him to the nether realms, though they will not as yet uncover the Jennerak link. The sage will recommend the party to explore the Undercity of Kravekos for more secrets.

The truth is that after Nuromen died, a priest who survived the downfall of Laws End fled the lands and traveled to the frozen wastes of the North, where a new temple was begun and completed some years ago...all it's keeprs lack are the actual eye and hand of Gamosh to complete the ritual of summoning...

So that is the basic premise for the entire ten level campaign.

Hope it can be useful to someone for some good games!

My Son's Artwork

This strange beast was drawn and painted by my son Levi. It reminds me vaguely of some of the monsters of Tekumel, maybe the Sro Dragon? I will definitely make use of the beastie in one of my adventures.

Anyone have any ideas? It definitely looks intelligent.

The Actual and Original "Forbidden Maze" Map

Okay, yes, I am a weirdo.

I actually paused the DVD and made a copy of the original map of the Forbidden Mazes of the Jennerak used by the DM in the movie "Mazes and Monsters". I did some editing in paint.

It's visually interesting. I decided to make it a catacomb-ed hill on a lonely coast, barely discernible as an engineered structure from without due to time, wind, and sand. However, an old rampart that looks like a natural hill now still leads up to the old entrance.

I decide this would be level one of the Mazes, which is a ninth level dungeon.

Here is the movie prop map:

Here is a version I did some work on with Paint.

The black and white map is the Maze Controler's actual map as drawn by the prop makers--I added only the secret door in the east wall with the steps going down, to be the entrance to level 2.

Version two was the dungeon as I envisioned it on a dune like, grass covered hill overlooking the ocean. Behind the hill are many other hills which appear to the eye to be natural but are in fact the overgrown spires of the ancient city of the Jennerak.

I have not designed a key for this dungeon yet. Maybe someone can help me come with an interesting function for the house shaped structure in the middle halls.

I took the second movie map, the one used by Tom Hanks to find the Great Hall, and based on it the second and only other level of the Mazes of the Jennerak. It made for an interesting mega-dungeon.

My "dark secret" for the Jennerak is that a few still remain within the mounds, as barrow wights and/or vampires , given undead status by the evil demi-god who caused their civilization to fall....of course, the player characters begin the campaign looking to the Jenerak culture as a race of super-men. Throughout the course of the games they discover the Awful Truth..and this is the place where it happems, seven or eight dungeons from where it all began in the Maze of Nuromen.

I will upload the "Great hall" Map later.

The Premise for the Jennerak Campaign Idea

I have written elsewhere that I became intrigued by a reference to the vanished civilization of the Jenerak in the eighties movie "Mazes and Monsters" .

The movies showed a D&D session where the DM had a map of the Forbidden Mazes of the Jenerak and he told the players about "a mutated people...once human, now unspeakably vicious."

The idea turned into an idea for a campaign that I modeled after the movie's fictional game of M&M. I have not developed it all yet but the gist of it is here noted for use by anyone who wishes to help with it or make it your own.

In M&M, ninth level is considered a breakthrough level, so I based the campaign on this idea--the campaign lasts until the party all reach 10th level. When they reach the tenth level, that particular campaign is over and a new one must be devised.

I would construct roughly 9 or 10 complete dungeon maps and keys to challenge the party at each progressive level they attained.

These dungeons would be usable as stand alone adventures and each would be, for the most part, self contained. I decided to make the campaign center around dungeon adventures with a little wilderness and town fun thrown in. However, I would loosely connect all of the dungeons with a unifying plot thread that gave a back story to the campaign.

This is a spoiler alert if any of my players should stumble upon this blog post--keep out!

For my fellow DM's, here is the theme of the campaign:

A dungeon adventure reveals a plot by a cult to revive their ways by summoning an evil deity named Gamosh. gamosh can only be summoned if a special temple is built and the right rituals performed. A wizard named Nuromen who was devoted to Gamosh was in the process of beginning the rituals and the temple when he and his followers were destroyed (See my dungeon "The Maze of Nuromen"). The Players must rescue a number of relics from various dungeons and/or find clues to how to stop Gamosh's entrnace into the prime material plane.

Gamosh was banished by a band of titans sent by the gods to kill him--he killed all but one of them in the battle. The titan Agamemnus cut off the evil demi-god's hand and cut out his eye--Gamosh fled to another dimension to escape death but became trapped. The eye and hand of Gamosh were kept by his followers to use to summon him back. When Agamemnus was asked by the gods what he desired in return for his feat, in his grief he only desired to sleep forever and dream of his lost brothers. A goddess took pity and granted his wish, setting him in a deep underground hall.

The PC's will learn that they must visit Agamemnus to obtain relics to help them defeat Gamosh. They will vsisit other locales to hunt down maps, relics, or clues to where the final temple of Gamosh is being built. During the course of the campaign, they will discover that the race of the Jenerak perished because they turned to the worship of Gamosh form their former benevolent religion. This should be crafted so as to be somewhat of a startling revelation since in the campaign setting the Jenerak are somewhat like the people of fabled Atlantis in the minds of the people now living in their former environs.

In fact, the actual dungeon designed for the movie "Mazes and Monsters" is, just like in the film, the 9th level dungeon and the next to the last adventure in the campaign. I have the actual maps and will be uploading them. The final and 10th level adventure is a visit to the arctic regions where the true Temple is being built. The players will learn that the Jenerak come from a homeland now simply known as the Lonely Coast--the hills and cliffs of the Lonely hills are actually the buried ruins of the ancient and original city of the Jenerak people.

I have fully developed maps and keys for some of the dungeons of the Jenerak campaign. Others I have only maps for. Still others I have only ideas for. I will post what I do have in order that anyone who wishes to use the Jenerak campaign may do so.

Some of the the dungeons of the campaign are, in rough order by level, as follows:

The Maze of Nuromen

The Bandit Lair

The Under City of Kravekos

The Halls of the Sleeping Titan

The Pits of Tarthoom

The Forbidden Mazes of the Jenerak

The Temple of Gamosh

Others are yet to be developed.

As for the general backdrop to be read or given to the players before the actual campaign, it is as follows:

Your adventures begin on a stretch of the coast of the Northern Sea, in the Kingdom of Avamere, more specifically in those environs known as the Barony of Kor. 

These lands were once the dwelling place of the Jennarak, an ancient and mysterious people whose culture and civilization are considered the highest yet attained by man. Some unknown calamity befell the Jennarak, and their cities fell, eventually buried by the winds of time, but the ruins of their habitations, monuments, and tombs can still be found in the wilderness areas of Avamere. Legends say wondrous relics and fantastic treasures are to be found in such places, but also many monsters and the undead. Thus all but the most foolhardy or adventurous shun the Old Places

After the Age of the Jennerak, great empires of lesser races arose, and mighty roads, great buildings and other fabulous arts were advanced, inspired by the light of the past. Yet incessant warfare between the Empires led to their downfall as well, and they collapsed some two centuries ago, leaving their former protectorates to fall into feudalism. These protectorates became kingdoms and baronies held by armed might alone, though the Church and the Rulers base all of their pretensions to rule on claims of fidelity with the ancient principals of the old Empires.

You are a band of intrepid adventurers who have gathered in the small but thriving village of Camlann.

By various devices of Fate you have met and joined together in the village of Camlann to seek adventure and treasure. And it is here, in the boisterous tavern called the Boar's Head, that you heard of the Maze of Nuromen which lies in the foothills some fifty miles form the village. The ruin is long shunned by the townsfolk, the tower is mostly tumbled to ruins, but rumors abound of vaults and catacombs excavated during the Age of the Empires. Ghostly lights and strange noises can be seen and heard on the hills by night travelers--some claim these are guardians of great treasures. 

Will you brave the haunted Maze to find out?


Note: An alternate beginning place for the party can be a sea port called White Whelm which you may read about here:


White Whlem

Bandit and Gnoll Lair

This small map was drawn up as a one shot adventure to immediately follow the successful completion of the Maze of Nuromen and just prior to the Undercity of Kravekos.

I originally designed it as a stand alone but found it tied into the campaign setting as a sub plot of the Gamosh scenario. It is only a roughed in map with no key so a DM will need to spruce it up.

After the party exited the Maze of Nuromen and had some treasure on their hands, they decided to party at the Boar's Head in the hamlet of Camlan. Here they noticed some very unsavory types engaged in soem larcenous behavior. 

The DM should try to get the party interested in follwing them somehow.

When they follow the ruffians outside in the night air they see them try to rob an innocent bystander.

If the party intervenes, they will discover that these are members of a bandit clan based in the area.

An elf can probably track them to their lair the next day if they should get away after the fight--or if  the bandits are defeated and they give it up. The leader of the bandits, one Lothar, should escape to build suspense. care shold be taken to turn lothar into a compelling evil NPC

During the course of the adventure they will discover that this is but one arm of the bandit clan called the White Company. The White Company can be developed later in the game but in the beginning it should be mysterious. Some tidbits of knowledge can be garnered through play, but for now in the early stages of campaign, all that should be discovered is that high up in the mountains dwells the bulk of the bandit army, led by a mysterious captain called only The Prince.

If a DM wishes to extend this sub-plot to fit into the Jennerak campaign setting, he or she should know that the Prince is actually a fairly good fellow (loosely based on the main character in the tale of the Children of Hurin by JRR Tolkien) who is the son of a banished family of nobles wronged by the throne in  the city Kravekos. He has given too much authority to lothar who is an evil fellow that has turned into a true blackguard and has made alliance with a band of gnolls--the Prince knows nothing of this.

Or you can simply use the bandit lair as a stand alone adventure. In our game the party captured a number of the bandits alive and were to escort them in irons to the city of Kravekos for a reward from the High Lord.

Aside form ideas in the notes on the map, adventures include taking care of outside sentries, disarming wilderness traps on the hill, and sneaking into the lair and fighting the owl bear kept in a pit, not to mention the gnolls.

The Under City of Kravekos

The Under City of Kravekos is an adventure I designed to be subsequent to the Maze of Nuromen dungeon I posted on this web log. It is assumed to be for characters around second or third level.

 A powerful magical sword (the Talking Sword of Lothia) which will aid the party in undertaking it's quest to thwart the Cult of Gamosh, the evil deity introduced in the Maze of Nuromen, can be the premise for the party having to go there after some role playing and adventures in the city of Kravekos proper.

This dungeon was also to be the manner in which a party is introduced to the ancient and vanished civilization of the Jennerak.

It was designed to introduce as well the Lizard Men tribes, the threat of whom are a sub-plot of the campaign against Gamosh and a larger feature of the DM's campaign setting.

I developed only the first level of the Under City--there are actually at least three more levels. However, the dungeon can stand alone as one level and apart from the Maze of Nuromen and Gamosh theme.

The side notes on the map are not necessarily in accord with the later written Dungeon Key. 

Anyonw who wishes to convert this dungeon to a PDF may do so provided it is free and they include my name with their's (J.E. Becker).

The Undercity of Kravekos

(1st Dungeon Level for 2nd-3rd level Characters)

The Undercity is an ancient Jennerak ruin buried beneath the teeming city of Kravekos. Kravekos is but the latest city to be built upon this ancient site--the site was a Jennerak stronghold in the campaign environs though they actually called another land their original home.


Upon entering Kravekos, characters will notice on one street a large pavement with steps leading up to a small stone building with an iron door. The door is surrounded by a carved arch  depicting various monsters and heroes. A guard of twelve soldiers stands at attention here. If characters should enquire of the guards or any city dwellers they will learn that this is the sealed entrance to the Undercity. None may enter without permission of the King.

While in Kravekos or at the King's court, they will learn that the Jennerak dungeons were discovered twenty years ago as workers were excavating a section of the city. The Lord of Kravekos ordered an expedition of warriors and magic users to enter the passages and seek out the ruins of the Jennerak and any treasures therein. The expedition was lead by a fighter named Hvarl who possessed a fabulous magical sword called the Talking Sword of Lothia. The Lord's son desired to go but being forbidden by his father he donned the garb of a city guardsman and went anyway. The Lord soon discovered he was gone but could do nothing. Four days passed with no sign of the party, On the fifth day, the son of the lord of Kravekos appeared from the depths of the earth, bloody and sick with poisons. He babbled about monsters in the dark and revealed that all in the party had been slain. Before the clerics could arrive to heal him, he died in agony and efforts to raise him from the dead failed. That very night, a great and hideous worm like creature crawled out of the earth and attacked the townspeople. It was slain, but this event, coupled with the grief of losing his son, caused the Lord to order the ruin sealed and a guard watched with spells of protection and warding placed on the gate.

Not since that fateful day have any ventured into the maze, though legend abounds that the fabled Sword of Lothia waits to be reclaimed by a brave warrior and any ancient treasures of the Jennerak. It is said the Lord of Kravekos will permit any band of heroes who wish entrance to the catacombs in exchange for knowledge of the place, but owing to a persistent belief in a curse upon any who disturb the ruin, none have chosen to do so. Perhaps the brave adventurers are the ones for the task! Seeing the courage and optimism of the party may entice a few hardy souls to hire out as a retainers if the players desire.

Dungeon Key

Note: While exploring an area beyond Chamber I there will be a 2 in 6 Chance every turn of encountering  Giant Ants. Roll a 2nd time for any encountered and if a 1 is rolled it will be a Warrior.

A. Entrance Chamber. An elevator cage is lowered by the city guard some three hundred feet into the earth to this chamber. It is raised after the character disembark and will be lowered the following morning and every morning thereafter for 7 days. If the party does not return by then they will be assumed dead unless they devise some means to alert the city of their presence in the chamber.

B. The Underground River. A cold and mighty river flows into this giant cavern from the southwest, running out by means of some underwater exit. Here is an old stone dock, a black gondola, and a Charon--a strange being whose race is set as guardians by the gods and the ancient sorcerers near important waterways. Charon looks like a hooded skeleton but if anyone is foolish enough to attack him he fights as though he were a Lich (See Monster manual). He does not speak but communicates telepathically with the party.

Charon will guide the party by the way of the Gondola to the proper entrance to the Jennerak vaults but the price of passage is either to answer one of his Riddles or to surrender a magical item to him. The magical item must be of sufficient enchantment to have any merit as Charon will "drain it" of enchantment and transfer the magical energy to his boat to add to the magic which already sustains and protects his vessel.

The Riddle:

"Though it be cold I wear no clothes

The frost and snow I never fear

I value neither shoes nor hose

And yet I wander far and near.

My diet is forever good,

I drink no cider, port, nor sack-

What Providence doth send for food

I neither buy, nor sell, nor lack.

What am I?"

The answer is a fish. 

If given, the price of a magical item will not be required. Charon will thereafter be silent but he will stop and dock whenever asked to do so, waiting in grim silence to ferry the party back.

C. & D. Revised: Omit.

E. A large side cavern with a strange serpentine skeleton with giant skull (a rusty sword is stuck in it) and some old human and dwarf bones. A large garnet worth 30 gold will be found after careful search.

F. Lizard man Colony. It is slightly noisy for the sound of the waterfall in Chamber H and the whole place is filled with a cool mist. This cave is vast indeed, and it's sides are two sandy shores underneath a series of small cave openings. Wooden ladders crudely bound together lead to the caves. An underground water tunnel lets out of the dungeon into the nearby marshes outside Kravekos allowing the Lizard men to come and go from this place as desired. On the shores are several lizard people cooking some of their fellows in pots made from old shields and helmets of ill fated humans. The females will run and begin hissing and screeching upon seeing the Gondola. The number of Lizard people here should be commensurate to the size of the party, including any retainers. The warriors will rush to the edges of the shore and a huge Lizard man chieftain will appear. The chieftain wears an astounding array of gems and gold in the form of necklace, arm circlets, ankle circlets, and a ring--this will gleam in the party's torchlight and perhaps entice them to land. He can speak in the Neutral alignment tongue and will summon the party to come ashore, making a show of having his warriors lower their spears and thrust them in the ground. If no party members are neutral, Charon can be used to relay the monster's speech to the party telepathically. His name is Suul. He will threaten to attack the party unless they either give up a fellow adventurer retainer for food or choose one to meet him in single combat. If successful against him, they keep not only their life but 1000 pieces of silver and 200 electrum as well as his proud ornaments..what is coin to his folk after all? Charon's magic prevents them from attacking the Gondola except for hurling barbed darts from the shore. If the party disembarks and defeats the Lizard man chieftain, there is a 25% chance his allies will break the deal and attack anyway. Whether or not the party fights them now or on the return trip Suul will make his offer. If the Lizard men are defeated and their caves explored, the beginning of the submerged tunnel will be discovered and it will be noted that the reed mats the Lizard men sleep upon are from the marshes and fairly fresh--a clue to where the tunnel leads for the astute player. Hidden in the Chieftain's cave is a treasure of 1000 silver coins and 1000 electrum coins, The Lizard chief's jewels are worth as follows: 2 five ruby studded golden arm circlet-200 gold pieces each/an ankle circlet studded with five rubies worth 200 gold pieces/a finely wrought platinum ring worth 75 gold pieces/a gold necklace with a  huge red ruby in the center worth 500 gold pieces. The caves are filled with bones and some fresh fish from the marshes that is quite edible to the players. Lizard Men Armor Class; 5, Hit Dice 2+1,Attacks:1,Damage 1-8,Move:60 feet/120 feet in water. Chieftain has 20 Hit Points.

G. An empty river cave.

H. Waterfall Cave. From the South wall falls a mighty stream from a cleft in the rocks, undoubtedly fed by the great river which flows down from the hills towards the sea and the city of Kravekos. It is deafening here with the roar of the falls. There is a small cliff and a flight of steps rises up out of the water along the north wall and goes up to the cliff. Here Charon will bid the party farewell. Any attempt to ask him if he will be waiting when they come back will be met only with eerie silence. In fact, he will not be back as he guides men to the threshold of the dungeon but that is all. However, when the party mounts the cliff they will discover an old boat that can hold up to 8 full size men. With some repairs and reinforcements, the boat could be made water-worthy again as it is of superior craftsmanship.

I. Jennerak Hall. This gigantic chamber is lined with crumbling statues of strangely appareled but handsome and beautiful people. There is a single inscription in the Jennerak script which states that there shall be no end to their kingdom--if a magic user is present a Read Language spell can reveal this or if there is a character who knows this script. The statues are much larger than the characters but most have fallen to the paved floor after an earthquake centuries ago. This earthquake rent the floor of the hall and a fissure has opened up--nearly 20' wide. The players must devise a method of crossing the chasm and the DM should work with them if they concoct a decent plan. The chasm goes into darkness and there is a sound of running water very far below--if anyone falls into it with no safety device such as being roped, they will die. A seemingly sturdy ledge runs along the west and north walls of the Hall--the ledge is 3 feet wide. the ledge can be used to cross by hugging these walls but the DM should check twice for each player who crosses as there is a 20% chance that a section of ledge will give. If this happens, a saving throw must be made against Dexterity (Roll Dex score or under on a 20-sided die) or the character falls into the pit--if they make their save, they leap forward and land on sure footing. It is imperative that the party use their head and hopefully iron spikes (driven into the wall wedges) and ropes after the fashion of mountain climbers as this will save any character who falls. Otherwise, if the saving throw is failed, the character is lost!

J. Jennerak Throne Room. This haunting place is a pillared  hall with a dais and two decaying thrones of stone. In the east wall is an archway filled with the crystalline secretions. In fact, the throne room is filled with strange, spider web like material and some sort of slimy algae like substance on the floor. There is really nothing of value in this place but there are several giant ants of the worker variety that will emerge from a crevice in the dais when the characters approach the thrones. These are part of all that remain of an old giant ant colony that was wiped out by the Carrion Crawler and the Gray Ooze that inhabit the dungeon. As workers, their sting is not poisonous. Choose an adequate number for the party size. Worker Ants: Armor Class 3, Hit Dice 2, 1 Attack, Damage 1-6, Move 180' per turn.

K. Council Chamber. Here are the remains of the Queen Ant and her eggs. The party will be revolted by the size of the Queen and the fact that she has been split open and partially devoured. The remains are very old and somewhat desiccated. Husks of eggs fill this place top to bottom as there was nowhere her secretions did not touch. The eggs have all been crushed and their contents devoured. Withered Giant Ant corpses litter the chamber floor. The destruction is at least several months old. The colony has moved to the fourth level of this dungeon where new Queen lives but a few of the monsters still haunt these upper halls. There are several human skeletons encased here in the dried secretion…victims of the Giant Ants. If they are cut out and searched, there is also a satchel containing four bundled phials which are magical potions. They are Gaseous Form,Haste,Delusion, Flying. Their exact uses cannot be known as they are not labeled.

L. Domed Ceiling Chamber. Carvings of celestial bodies adorn it. It appears there was a window in the roof but this is clogged with rubble now. A stone bench built into the walls runs throughout the entirety of the chamber. There is a pool of dank water from a steady leak in a crack of the dungeon wall. The water must escape at some place since it does not overflow the chamber. Lime encrusted sediment lies at the bottom of the 15x15' pool which is five feet deep. There is a glitter at the bottom of the pool that will only be seen if players shine their torches very close to the water surface-it is a key clutched in the hand of a limed over skeleton. The key will open the trap door to level 2 of the dungeon.

M. Old Smithy. here is a room where many fine weapons were crafted. There is an anvil, smelting pot, iron pieces, hammers, a bench, and a huge hearth (choked with rubble). The tools are of such a make that they could probably be utilized to this day though the party will have no time for it. It should interest any dwarf who will recognize that the Jennerak were skilled smiths. This room is mainly for interest only. There is a 20% chance that Giant Ants will emerge from the rubble in the collapsed passage in the East wall for every turn the characters are here.

N. This is an empty passage

O. Candle Room. This room was used in the crafting of candles and incense. There is a bench and a hearth. Many old candles are to be found in alcoves built into the walls. These candles were actually enchanted by the Jennerak. If a Detect Magic Spell is used here, there are 3 Candles of Invocation that were blessed by Jennerak priests that will begin to glow as a result of the spell. The Jennerak had originally worshipped a Chaotic Good deity whose name is yet unknown, his religion perished with the Jennerak. If burned by anyone of good alignment, the candles radiate a pleasant and favorable aura. If burned by a cleric of the same alignment, they can be used in one of two ways: They will burn for four hours and as long as they are lit the cleric who uses them will gain 2 extra experience levels (Hit Points will increase)--they will be able to cast additional spells and also normally unavailable spells as long as the taper is aflame. Or they can be used as a Gate spell that will summon a creature of Chaotic Good alignment from another dimension to fight on behalf of or perform a service for the cleric. There is only a 5% chance per level that a cleric character will have heard of these items--have the player roll and tell them what they must roll but do not tell them why. if they succeed they have heard of Candles of Invocation and the effects may be described. If not, they know they are of spiritual significance but must present them to a high priest to learn their effects. They will be valuable even if the characters cannot use them as they will be very much coveted by religious orders who can use them who will pay with gold or healing services for them--but let the players figure this out. 20% chance of encountering giant worker ants here.

P. Chamber of the Talking Sword of Lothia. Here is magical secret door which in all likelihood will only be found if players eat of the enchanted leaves of the Tree from the Isle of Shendorra. Other way to find it is to cast a detect magic spell in this exact location, to use a Locate Object spell, a commune spell for clerics, or some similar method which is unlikely since they do not even know of its existence. The magic hides the secret door from normal observation but once it's location is known it can be opened normally by activating a latch and pushing the wall--it is actually a revolving door.

Inside, the players will see an ornate alabaster fountain that depicts a lammasu (see monster manual) and a nubile maiden clutching a real sword in her hands. The fountain still runs with clean, drinkable water. The lifelikeness of the statuary will be striking. Attempts to pull the sword from its place are futile. Any attacks upon the fountain will result in 1-4 points of damage to whoever strikes it or casts a spell upon it. Clerics will recognize that a religious power is at work and in fact the Sword was placed here by Chaotic Good spiritual forces after the loss of its owner, Hvarl. If anyone speaks to the statuary, lammasu mouth will magically move and he will speak thus:

"Hail in the name of the Ancient Lord--art thou worthy to take this sword?"

If they respond in the affirmative, the lammasu will respond:

"A test for thy mind shall cause thee no grief

If thou art no unworthy thief--

If the Sword thou would take from the maiden's grasp

The lock of my Riddle thou must unclasp."

If players ask what the riddle is, the lammasu will ask the following puzzle:

"I fly to any foreign parts

Assisted by my spreading wings;

My body holds a hundred hearts,

Nay, I will tell you stranger things.

When I am not in haste I ride

And then I mend my pace anon;

I issue fire from my side,

You witty ones this riddle con."

The correct answer is a ship. 

If this is given, the maiden's eyes will open and she will smile as she says "Well met, mighty heroes. Here be the Talking Sword of Lothia." It may then be pulled from her grasp. If the riddle is answered incorrectly, the lammasu will say 

"Unworthy thieves who rob the dead, may thy poor feet instruct thy head."

 An electrical shock will then bolt from the floor, causing 1-4 points of damage to all within the room.

It is a fact that the Fountain will never release the Sword until the correct answer is given.

The Talking Sword of Lothia is a Chaotic Good sword that will automatically change the alignment of the person who wields it to Chaotic Good. It can speak telepathically to its owner and respond to questions. It will reveal its powers in cryptic fashion and it does not follow commands but only requests. It is a +2 Sword. Once per day itmay perform one of the following abilities: Detect Evil, Detect Lie, Locate Object, Reveal Invisibility, Once per year it will grant one wish. If it is ever separated from its owner, unless the owner is slain, the owner will be drawn to its location no matter how far distant.

Also in this chamber is the trap door to level 2. It can only be opened if the lock is picked by a thief or if the key in the pool in Chamber L was discovered. A square pit with a winding stone stair hugging the walls as it descends into darkness at great depth should indicate it is entrance to level 2.

Q. Baths and the Magic Garden. The characters will immediately see the magic of this place in effect. The baths are dry and empty in their porticos--the walls are lined with nude figure carvings shown bathing. In the center of the chamber, though, enclosed by a low stone wall is a small garden whose grasses and flowers still grow! There is a small tree with white, green veined leaves here. A plaque on the wall in Jennerak script says "Here stands the sapling from the Isle of Shendorra, taken from the Dragon Gornax by heroes born of the People. A gift to the High Lady." The room is filled with fragrance.

The southwest corner of the room has crumbled away and there is a large, circular black passage of natural stone. If anyone should press inside, as soon as they get beyond the fragrance of the garden, they will begin to smell a hideous, charnel odor that gets stronger and stronger as they pass on. This is the path to the Carrion Crawler's lair (Chamber S).

There is little to be found here. However, if anyone consumes a leaf of the trees, they will gain +1 to their wisdom permanently  and see visions. one time effect and any leaves taken from the magic garden will crumble to dust outside the dungeon. The entire dungeon will suddenly come alive and they will see it as it once existed. The black passage will no longer be visible. Sunlight will stream from window in the ceilings. They will see Jennerak people going to and fro and may even greet and speak to them. There will be gaiety and children running to and fro. The Jennerak will appear as olive skinned people in eastern style dress, of dark eyes and dark hair. In the baths they will be unashamedly enjoying the water and talking away as though completely unconscious of their state of undress. The rooms of the dungeons will be as though they were when first used for their various purposes. This will all seem real to the character who has ingested the leaves. If they have not already opened the Shrine (Chamber Z) it will still be locked. The Jennerak people will answer only cryptically about their past, rather, they will refer the characters to the throne room. If any monsters in the dungeon are encountered, they must be fought normally but the Jennerak will only watch in grave silence.

If characters return to the Throne room a fair and proud Lord and Lady are at court. They will graciously receive the characters if manners are properly shown, regarding them as foreigners from a strange land. The Jennerak will behave as though they believe they are still alive. They will laugh good naturedly at any assertion to the contrary. They may answer some questions about the history and construction of the place and will hint that their ancestral homeland is far away in the East on an island. They will reveal that there is a magic fountain in the palace, and the location of the magical secret door "…where life and death exist side by side". The Lord will express concerns over a dark shadow falling across the Kingdom of the Jennerak, a spreading evil that will one day consume them if they do not awaken. Horror will take hold of their eyes as they mention this at the end of the conversation. At this point, after some entertaining role playing and conveying necessary information, they will fade from view and the dungeon will once again appear forlorn and bleak as a wave of sadness is felt by the party.

R. Carrion Crawler's corpse pits. A hideous and terrible place of death and disease. There is a 20% chance a disease will be contracted for there are Lizard man and Ant corpses here and the bones of ancient dead. The character still gets a saving throw. Yet herein lies also the Carrion Crawler's treasure, though it cares nothing for such things and they are the remains of the treasure of past victims. There are 4000 Copper pieces in an old chest and a pouch in that containing four large gems worth 200 gold pieces each.

S. The Crawler's lair. An older specimen who has seen many battles, it has only four tentacles. It will not rouse from its lair for awhile. But as soon as anyone enters the chamber it will awaken and attack. It is resting in offal and carrion so unless a character has infravision there is but a 25% chance they will even see it. Torch light will awaken it instantly even if the holder of the torch is not yet in the chamber. It will paralyze anyone it can and lay eggs in them--while they are still alive--or eat them alive. Carrion Crawler- Armor Class:7, Hit Dice 3+1, Move 120 feet per turn, Attacks: 4 Damage: 0 (Paralysis if saving throw is failed.

T. Empty Hall.

U.Empty Chamber.

V. The Library. Here will be found many ancient books and scrolls of the Jennerak. These will be indecipherable for the most part and many will be covered with refuse and offal or stuck together. Some can be salvaged though and this may be of great worth to scholars and sages of Kravekos or other parts of Avamere. However, if diligently searched, there is also a scroll which contains 2 magic spells, Hold Person, Locate Object. They require a Read magic spell to decipher, of course. As soon as the scroll is found, the Imp in the next room will suggest that it be burned as a cursed scroll.

W. Empty Chamber.

 X. Revised, Omit.

Y. Study Area. There is an Imp in this room. He will appear as a raven at first, sitting on an open scroll. He will fly up and away if chased--but if attacked he will turn invisible and become his normal form--he will then use his power of suggestion (See Player handbook suggestion spell). He will suggest that the magic spell scroll in the library is cursed and should be burned instantly. He will attack after a period of harassment and opening and closing books, knocking things over, etc. He was the Imp familiar of an evil magic User who sought out these dungeons even before the City of Kravekos learned of them but perished. Imp-Armor Class 2, Hit Dice 2+2, Move 60 feet per round/120 feet per turn, Attacks 1 Damage: 1-4 (Save vs, Poison stinger or die), 25% resistant to magic, regenerates at 1 hit point per round.

Z. Shrine of the Ancient Jennerak Lord. The door to this room is locked. Inside is an obvious ritual room and there is a statue of a bearded god holding a brass bowl out in his hands on the North wall. Above him on the wall is a large bronze Sun. Two maidens are beside him, adorned only with flowers and gazing up at him beatifically  This statue is on a raised platform. There is a circular pit full of ashes beneath the bowl. There are a series of stone benches in the room. Tiny earthen bowls are set neatly on each end of every bench. They are empty.  Hiding in the shadows of the room under the benches near the western wall is a Black Ooze that will attack when anyone get's near. There is only a 25% chance anyone will notice it at all in dim light, and if they do notice it the DM should describe it only as what seems to be a pool of oil seeping from under the wall. As for the statues, they are magical and will radiate this if a detect magic Spell is cast. Hopefully the flowers on the necks of the maidens and the tiny bowls will be an indication to make an offering of flowers to the Jennerak Lord. If a fire is lit in the pit and the bronze bowl heated to a degree that flowers from the magic garden are placed here and burned, a section of wall in the Eastern side will vanish, revealing a  stair. Incense and torches are arranged on the walls to be lit. The stair leads to a crypt.(Z1)

Z.1. Down in the crypt are five stone coffins which when opened reveal well dressed chamberlains. They are not royalty so this appears to be a burial place for high servants only--a clue that there are lower levels of the dungeon. However, on the neck of the chief servant is a dusty golden amulet with a  bright ruby in its center and covered with Jennerak cursive. It will radiate magic if detection spells are used. This is a powerful relic of the Jennerak. If allowed to charge in sunlight for a full day, the amulet will store the light of the sun. This light can released in several ways--as a light in darkness, in which case it will give light as a torch for up to 10 hours, as a blinding flash f light which will blind an opponent for 1-4 rounds, or as a ray of sunlight useful against vampires who are harmed by sunlight--it will inflict 2-12 points damage upon such creatures. The Amulet contains "charges"--it can hold up to 3 charges. Using it as a light uses a charge for every 5 hours of sunlight used. The blinding flash uses a charge as does the sun ray. There is nothing else of value in this crypt.

End of Level 1 Key to Undercity of Kravekos

Actually, this is not a Lizard Man but D. Sutherland's version of a Shen.
Rest in peace David.