B1 In Search of the Unknown - A Hyperborean Campaign Alternative - Part 4

L1A10) This long room, no wider than the outer halls, is lined with tables alternating against the north (top of the map) and south (bottom of the map) walls. The small 10ft northerly nook of this generally east-west room is lined with shelves. This room was lit by several glass lanterns hung set near the ceiling which arches close to ten feet above the floor. These lanterns could hold oil and all are still about half fool (and presently unlit). They can be taken down simply by removing them from a hook and chain arrangement near the ceiling. There are 4 lanterns in total.  Once they were enchanted with the spell 'Continuous Light' but that enchantment has long since faded.

In the long room several of the tables toward the middle have been overturned and debris scattered, but those tables nearest to the door and those near the small bend in the chamber are upright.

There are two tables near the door that still have the remains of small items.  Several small hand tools with rusted ends (worth 5 silver in total as salvage to a dealer in such delicate instruments) a scratched glass oval that was once a powerful magnifying glass now worthless except for starting fires in strong sunlight, and a jumble of 5 pieces that would make an Atlantean LazPistol but it is missing its power back. The LazPistol must be assembled to function. A functioning LazPistol would be worth thousands of gold and even the parts in this condition would be worth 100gp a part to the right dealer.  The LazPistol parts strongly resemble those of a hand crossbow except that these are all made out of metal with no wooden stock. Since the players characters are unlikely to have ever seen a LazPistol these parts can be casually described as those of a hand crossbow.

The second table is scattered with a number of square cylinders (the housing for LazPistol powerpacks) but they are simply hollow metal tubes with no interior components. A large table vice is attached to the edge. It weighs over 25lbs and is worth 10 silver to any smith. A selection of fine files has rusted to the wall and the rack they were set in rendering them relatively valueless.

The player characters will notice a scattering of bones on the floor with the largest concentration amid the overturned tables. The bones are from at least a dozen human-sized skeletons. No flesh remains on these bones and anyone with knowledge of such things will notice the rounded ends of the longer bones denoting boiling in some metal cauldron. Amid the bones are a handful of rusted weapons. 3 Longswords, 5 maces, 1 warhammer, and 2 crossbows.

There are also a dozen metal rings of iron etched with runes. These metal rings are about 8 inches in diameter and will radiate magic if detected. They are a magical item concocted by Zelligar long ago. Tired of interference by holy men, shamans and clerics he devised a means of rendering his lesser undead creations immune to their Turn Undead abilities.  With his iron slave collar his animated creatures were under his control alone.

At the end of the room near the small north facing door is an empty weapons rack (though a small compartment at the bottom of the rack contains sharpening stones, metal polish and spare strings for crossbows). There are also shelves on either wall of the 10ft area around the door. The floor is littered with small boxes and bits and pieces of metal squares, tubes, sprockets, springs and whatnot. There is 50lbs worth of the stuff and a metal craftman would gladly pay 5 silver per pound for these bits and bobs.

NEW MAGIC ITEM: Zelligar's Iron Slave Collar

Using arcane knowledge granted to him from his researches in Quasqueton Zelligar crafter his iron slave collars. These collars can fit around the neck of any humanoid undead, but his iron collars only function on skeletons and zombies allowing them complete resistance to the Turn Undead ability of clerics. Each of these iron colors is etched with the same runes, is made of a reddish tinged iron and weighs around 3lbs. There is a 10% chance that when a Turn Undead is attempted against a wearer of the collar that the collar will explode causing 1d6 damage to everything is 10ft radius and completely decapitating the skeleton or zombie.

These collars would bring a bounty of 50gp each to clerical authorities in Ptolemides or Khromarium, but any Necromacer would pay at least 100gp each for these collars.

NEW WEAPON: Atlantean LazPistol

An Atlantean LazPistol resembles a hand crossbow but without a bow and made entirely of a light grey metal. Said to have originally been brought down from the stars by travelers to fair Atlantis in the distant past and imitated by the legendary Atlantean weaponsmiths, these LazPistols are exceedingly rare and hard to replace. They have an effective range of 50ft, may be fired twice per round and do 1d6+3 damage. Their powerpacks come in two sizes 25 bolts and 50 bolts. If left in the sun these packs will recharge at a rate of 5 bolts per day. LazPistols are valued in excess of 10,000 gold and powerpacks at 500 and 1,000 gold respectively, but they are rarely offered up for sale.