The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 12

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 12

  11). This long corridor is lit only by a single torch burning at the southern bend. From the northern doorway it is a dim light, but from the western passage it appears only as a small speck. The floor is filthy as are all the floors in the areas infested with orcs and goblins, but the hall shows the marks of items that have been rolled or dragged along its length; barrels, boxes, chains, bodies, etc...

12). There is a badly concealed secret door here. The orcs use it from time to time and have left marks in the dirt on the floor as well as hand marks where they grab the door's edge. This will be noticed if the hall is searched and the latch to open it, a stone that needs to be pressed, has a big muddy hand print right on top of it. The door opens inwards and reveals a set of a ladder that drops 20ft. At the bottom of the ladder is a small room and a secret door that leads to the grounds outside of the library. The door isn't concealed from the inside, but is cunningly disguised on the outside as well as opening behind bushes that line the outer wall. Anyone searching for this secret door from the outside is at a -3 penalty.

12.1) This hall leads off to the west. It is filled with cobwebs above but no spiders.  The secret door on the south wall is in a large niche. It is unconcealed from the north but is well designed and hard to detect from the south (-2 penalty when trying to detect from the Location (11.) hall.

The secret door to the east leading to Location (10.4) is also unconcealed but it cannot be opened from this side. The iron stove in Location (10.4) first needs to be moved aside.

13). This long dusty hallway appears empty except for normal cobwebs clinging to the ceiling which arches 15ft overhead. What cannot be normally seen is the large spider which moves along the top of the ceiling. If the characters can catch this spider they discover that it is not a spider at all. The helm sized device is a machine covered with the chitin of a large spider. Inside this machine is a tiny driver about 4 inches tall. He is green skinned and clothed in a padded orange suit with silver metal gauntlets and a helm made of glass.

If the spider is damaged enough to destroy it the driver will be killed, his glass helmet cracked and a thin greenish vapor released. If it is incapacitated the driver will touch a device that will cause the spider-machines to explode. If the machine explodes it will cause 2d10 damage (save versus Dec for 1/2 damage) in a 20ft radius and leave only fragments of the spider-machine. The driver's body will be completely destroyed though the tiny silver-metal gloves may survive the blast.

A ventilation shaft runs the length of the hall near the ceiling. It connects with most of the passages and rooms deeper on the first floor and down through Dungeon Level 1 and below. It is just big enough for the Machine-Spider to fit through.

The driver will flee from contact with characters and has no wish to attack. He will defend himself if attacked but only if he cannot flee. If somehow captured the Little Green Man will attempt suicide which he can accomplish merely by taking off his glass helmet or even opening it to the atmosphere. Little Green Men have no language. They are telepathic and possess an amazing will power which can bar telepathic intrusion upon their own thoughts.

Machine-Spider

Frequency: Very Rare

No. Appearing: 1-3

Armor Class: 1

Move: 24"

Hit Dice: 2

% in Lair: N/A

Treasure Type: N/A

No. Attacks: 3

Damage/Attack: Claw/Claw/Poison Bite 1d4/1d4/1d4+paralyzation

Special Attack: The Machine-Spider can emit a web as if a Web spell had been cast but with a range of 20ft and a duration of 5 combat rounds. The web will spread over a 10ftx10ftx10ft area. The component is a liquid material inside the machine that turns to a large web like material when released. A normal Machine-Spider has enough of the material component for 5 attacks and can attack once per combat round.

Special Defenses: None

Magic Resistance: Nil

Intelligence: Non

Alignment: N/A

Size: S

Language: None

Description: A Machine-Spider is a small spider shaped vehicle with an interior enclosed driver's compartment and a skeletal frame. Its exterior is covered in the complete chitin and exterior protrusions of a normal spider of this size.

Ecology: The Machine-Spider is constructed by the Little Green Men. It is fueled by a tiny crystal engine that can be detonated on command. If a Machine-Spider is heavily damaged a recovery team will be sent to retrieve it. The crystal emits radiation that is unique and can be tracked at any distance by the Little Green Men.