The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 10

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 10

10.2) There are from 6-18 orcs in this room. The number varies because many are often on patrol to the north where one of the forbidden doors to the eastern portion of the library has been opened. They are fairly nervous about this since it had been sealed shut with heavy boards and iron spikes as well as enchanted closed by their shamans. They patrol in groups of three and most use Locations (10.3) and (10,4) as their orc-cave while half-a-dozen of them remain at this location on orders from Gron in Location (10.1).

This room is surprisingly empty. There is a ventilation shaft in the north-east corner and the orcs keep a fire going beneath it. A round table is near it and six seats made from old wooden chests surround the table.

There are three large barrels of ale against the north wall. Two are sealed and one is broached and half empty. Anyone looking into the barrel will see something poking above the surface of the ale. If it is pulled out or the barrel emptied the body of a dwarf will be found. He is long since dead and the orcs added his body to give the ale some flavor. A check of the body will find a rusty chain shirt, dwarven sized, a thick leather belt which, if removed, will be inordinarily heavy. A check of the belt will reveal that it can be opened and inside, still dry as the belt was closed very tightly over it, is a map of the area showing an entrance to the library about 1/2 mile from Location (1). The weight comes from 20gp that are spaced around the inside of the belt.

A bucket is on top of the one barrel and there are wooden flagons on the table or more likely in the hands of the orcs.

The northern door is barred shut from this side and one orc is always stationed there. Anyone who wants to enter must knock loudly as the orc is usually asleep.

The eastern and southern doors are missing; both broken apart and used for the fire years ago.

The orcs in this room play a continual game of dice. As some return from patrol they inevitably sit down to play and take the place of some of the current players. The game has been going on for weeks. The 5 orcs playing (there are room for 6) are a little drunk, but the ale is fairly week and they are slow drinkers so they have no modifiers to their combat abilities. They are pleasantly drunk, enough for an orc to be considered pleasant and are more inclined to take prisoners than to just kill and eat them outright.

Inside one of the chest they use for chairs is a secret compartment. Once it held two dozen vials, but only 4 remain. Each contains a sluggish green liquid. It is derived from the edible slime which forms on the front steps of the library. In some ways it is alive. If opened it can be poured out but cannot be separated without causing it to wail in pain, flop around in a squishy way and turn to a grey-black sludge which tastes a little like chocolate mousse. If swallowed the slime can heal 2d8 hp damage and causes a mild hallucinogenic prophetic effect allowing the imbiber to see a quick history of the library overlayed in a disturbing way atop the present day. This effect last for 3 hours and the imbiber will be at -3 to hit and damage. What they will see passes before them very quickly. They get an impression of workmen flitting by as the dig these chambers from the base of a mountain that has had its top cut off as if with a knife leaving a plateau. Then people zip back and forth through the rooms in a blur of motion, furnishings and items come and go and finally it all turns into a horrifying mess of blood and terror. Darkness falls over the visions for a long while then creatures begin to fill the rooms and make the library their own. Throughout the experience the feeling of something watching, something which moves through every moment of the vision, alive and aware, creeps into the sense of sight and a sound begins to eat into the silence like teeth gnawing at a fleshless bone. When the hours pass and the visions end the character will retain this sense and every day within the library the feeling of being watched by this unseen thing will grow.

The 6-18 orcs are 6hp, 1hd, AC6 armed with either mace, bastard sword, or footman's flail. They wear studded armor. Each will have a pouch of 12-36 gold plated teeth and 3d6cp, 2d8sp, 1d6gp on them.

There are a few unusual items among their possessions.

a). A broken piece of mirror in a leather pouch. This piece is about palm-sized and cannot be broken or scratched. If it is joined with other pieces they will meld together into a larger indestructible mirror.

b). A piece of spider's leg, but made of metal. The outer chiten of a spider has been attached to a skeletal metal form. The spider would be about the size of a man's head if the leg is in proportion.

c). A silver cube with runes on each side. It radiates magic faintly. By holding the cube while casting a spell a mage will immediately relearn that spell. It can be used once a day. Once used all of the runes will fade from the cube only to slowly reappear with one less rune. This cube can allow the casting of spells up to 6th level.  It can be used six times, each time one of the runes completely disappears after use and on the casting of the sixth spell the cube melts into a puddle of mercury.