The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 3

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 3

5). The hallway is very wide and has an arched ceiling that peaks 15ft overhead. It is extraordinarily dusty inside and the ceiling is choked with spiderwebs. When either set of doors (north or south) is opened the dust will be stirred and a small whirlwind will begin to dance in front of the open door. It will spin faster and faster and the dust will begin to form into the shape of a man. If disturbed the forming figure will give a loud moan of anguish and fly apart leaving a pile of dust behind, but if it is left alone it will become the figure of a tall robed man holding a book. He will hold out this book to the characters so that they can see the cover. On it is the sigil of a snake swarming around a set of runes. There are runes also inscribed along the body of the snake but in a different language. If Comprehend Languages is cast upon the book it will reveal dozens of names though one stands out as if embossed (Zuel). The runes upon the snake remain undecipherable. The names around the snake will begin to shift and push against the snake's encircling body and the snake's body will begin to constrict. The figure of the robed man will let out a scream and both man and book will explode in a cloud of dust. If the figure of the man is touched at any point during this process he will collapse in a pile of dust, though the book itself can be touched by the caster of the Comprehend Languages spell.

Empty sconces where torches once rested alternate left and right down the hall every 20ft and if the 1st sconce (where the secret door is marked) is turned to the left a grinding sound will be heard, a small vibration will run through the floor and the walls, while dust shakes from the ceiling. The 10ft section of wall which holds the sconce will recede about an inch and stop. It is jammed shut. The movable wall will take magic or picks and sledge hammers to take apart. It is an actual thick section of stone wall formed of stone slabs weighing a couple of hundred pounds each and expertly fitted together (damn that dwarven craftmanship) so knocking it apart will probably involve a good deal of time, a slight chance of stones falling on the character and a great deal of noise).

Once the obstruction is cleared a half-dozen skeletons will burst from the dark interior of the room; each armed with sword and shield. The leader still wears a rusty shirt of chain (he is AC4) while the others wear the scraps of rotted leather armor they wore in life but are now of no additional protection. They bear longsword and shield (giving the other 5 skeletons AC6) and do the damage of their weapon unlike their more generic brethren. They will fight to their destruction.

If the thick cobwebs of the hall are searched or set afire (the webs will ignite but they burn sluggishly taking 2 combat rounds for a 10ft section to burn through) a mummified body will drop to the ground (with the chance of falling on anyone standing directly under it. As the first 10ft section is burned a body will drop from the entangling webs (or if the webs are cut away or the body found within and pulled from them). 2 more bodies can be found among the cobwebs and will be found when half the spiderwebs are burnt or removed.

The first body is that of a dwarf wearing a chain shirt and helm. He carries a battleaxe clenched tightly in one withered fist. He has a pouch at his belt contain 30gp.

The second body is that of a man wearing robes and carrying a staff. He has a medallion made of silver with a small red gem at its center worth (10gp) and a scroll tube in his belt containing what appears to be the spell for Burning Hands but if cast will cause the scroll to burst into flame and engulf the caster for 1d12 Dmg.

The third body is that of an elf wearing a fine shirt of chain and carrying a longsword. His body will be the last discovered.

If all three bodies are discovered or when any attempt is made to open the northern doors or turn the sconce in the hall to trigger the secret door a huge spider construct will drop from the ceiling. It will immediately animate the 3 bodies who will rise and attack the characters. This creature radiates magic and is not undead. It is made from the hollowed out body of a giant spider.

Giant Spider Construct - 12hp, 2HD, AC6, 1 Attack (Bite for 1d10) Arrows cause no damage. Stabbing/Thrusting weapons cause 1HP damage. Slashing/Chopping/Blunt weapons cause double damage. Can animate and control up to 3 corpses.

Body 1 (dwarf)- 8hp, 1HD, AC5, 1 Attack (1d8 by weapon or 1d3 weaponless). Arrows cause no damage. Stabbing/Thrusting weapons cause 1HP damage

Body 2 (man) - 4HP, 1HD, AC 10, 1 Attack (1d6 by weapon or 1d3 weaponless). Arrows cause no damage. Stabbing/Thrusting weapons cause 1HP damage.

Body 3 - (elf) - 6hp, 1HD, AC5, 1 Attack (1d8 by weapon or 1d3 weaponless). Arrows cause no damage. Stabbing/Thrusting weapons cause 1HP damage.

The northern doors are similar to the southern except that these have pull rings in them. They are also warped shut and require a combined strength of 30 to open them but doing so will trigger the Giant Spider Construct to release its three animated corpses (if not already released) and attack.

The Lost Library of Q'Sh -2

The Lost Library of Q'Sh -2

3). This massively long portico is littered with debris.

Presently it is home to a small band of goblins who are camped close to the main door. There are 12 of them with a 13th, an archer, standing guard by the doors at location 2). Of the twelve the leader is a small but solid goblin armed with a spiked mace, armored in a fresh shirt of padded leather and bearing a medium shield. He is AC5 and 7HP and fights as a 1HD monster. In combat he kicks his more cowardly fellows forward but trusts his other companions to follow where he leads so he is usually in the middle of the small group, neither rushing into combat nor lingering behind.

2 Goblins have shortbows, short swords and leather armor. They are AC7 and 3HP each. and fight as 1-1 creatures. Each has 20 arrows in their quivers and will move one to each side of their compatriots and try for flanking shots against their enemies. If they run out of arrows they will draw their shortswords and attack.

9 Goblins have either a mace or shortsword. With either small or medium shields. They are 4HP, AC6 and fight as 1-1 creatures.

All goblins wear small helms.

The leader carries the spending money for his group. A pouch with 27gp, 52sp, 39cp. The inside of his helm has a cloth lining containing 5pp and 3 small gems worth 25gp, 20gp and 10gp.

The portico is a long marble porch with pillars and a screen made of rusted iron lattice that allows people to peak out but makes it difficult to see in. The shortwall around the portico is 4ft high with the lattice running another 15feet to the overhanging roof.

The eastern side of the porch is the goblins latrine and the west is where they cook their meals and sleep. A large iron pot is simmering over a fire when first found and inside is some nameless though edible stew. Three large wooden barrels are breached nearby. one is an almost empty barrel of water, one is full and the third is a three quarters empty barrel of a thick ale. A pint of which is mildly intoxicating, 5 pints will make an average imbiber fairly drunk and 10 pints will render them disgustingly bloto. There are 35 pints worth left in the barrel. A wooden bucket is floating in the barrel of ale.

A dozen and a half piles of animal skins and ragged cloth make up the goblins' bedding. The chief sleeps on an overturned wooden bench with a thick bearskin and a lumpy pillow. All the bedding is indescribably filthy and rank. If the common bedding is searched 3 daggers, 18gp, 72 sp and an empty ivory scroll tube (worth 10gp) will be found.

The chief's bedding has beneath it a large two-handed sword and a man-sized shirt of chainmail. In the pillow is a fine cloak with a gold ruby-set pin. The pin radiates magic faintly and allows the wearer to speak with roses (and only roses) once a day if they know the command word. To the right buyer it is worth 200gp.

The doors to Location 6). have been smashed open and only fragmens of wood still dangle from the hinges.

The doors to location five are 10feet wide and 15feet high. They are unlocked but slightly warped. They open outward and it takes a combined strength of 30 to open them. Unfortunately the pull rings that were set in the door are missing and some means of grasping the door will need to be devised (which shouldn't be hard as a stout rope nailed to them with iron spikes should do the job).

3.1). This secret door defies natural detection and a search of the wall will reveal it with a -4 modifier to the attempt (it is really well-made). There is no latch or mechanism to open it from this side of the door. It is constructed of 1ft thick stone blocks, about half the thickness of the outer wall and opens by being raised into the ceiling by a counterweight that is released from location 8).

4). There is a mosaic here of an old man in robes holding a book with raised text. If three of the letters of the text are pressed simultaneously a latch will click and the door can be opened outward. Inside is a long hall. There are 2 sconces on each wall set about 10ft apart with the stubs of burned out torches and a stairway leading down to dungeon level 1.

The Lost Library of Q'Sh Part 1

The Lost Library of Q'Sh Part 1

References as to whom or what Q'Sh was are uninformative but the Library of Q'Sh is mentioned in several journals and histories as a minor location of sagacious lore among the Suel of the late Imperiuum. Until recently its location was unknown but several traders in Verbobonc have recently acquired items which bear the name and markings of Q'Sh.

A group of gnome miners exploring the eastern Kron Hills area in search of a famous but abandoned mine have come under attack by marauding goblin wolf-riders and their guild has both mounted a rescue mission and a placed a reward for the head of any goblins brought back to their guild house at the border outpost Laghevel. They have the intention of eventually seeing the area made safe for mining.

Hunters returning to the border fort report tracking goblins to a lightly wooded region where they were surprised to find the entrance to some large building cut into the side of one of the hills.

Note: The actions of creatures at location 2). will probably occur before characters reach location 1).

Location 1).

The stairs are marble and very worn. Several have been cracked into fragments and all are slick with a green fungal slime. Movement on the stairs is at 1/2 speed and anyone running on the stairs must make a fumble roll as do those initiating combat.

Combat on the stairs is at -2 to hit and combatants must roll a d20 at the start of each combat round in which they are attacking (before any attack roll can be a made) to see if they lose their balance.

(a natural roll of 5 or less is a critical fumble and any item held in hand or hands will be dropped while 1d4 damage is taken and the combatant will tumble down the stairs with the possibility of tumbling into someone below them who then must roll to see if they fall as well whether they were attacking, defending or not. These fumble rolls are taken separately so that a combatant may have to roll more than once to see if they lose their balance or are knocked over by someone else losing their balance).

(a natural roll of 10 or less results in a combatant losing their footing and falling to their knees or back on their butt and suffering 1hp damage as well as giving any attacker a +2 to their to hit roll. Any attack they were attempting to make will be negated).

The green slime upon the stairs is a living organism but is harmless. It may be consumed and is both tasty and nutritious.  8 ounces of slime is = to one day's rations. It consumes vegetable matter and can double in size once a week if fed 4 times its starting weight daily, but it needs to be stored in a cold and damp environment or it will dry out and die in a day. 5 gallons of slime can be collected from the front stairs.

 2). These are massive wooden doors each 15ft wide and 15ft tall bound in brass, but heavily battered. The righthand door is wedged in place and must be broken, burnt or somehow dismantled to remove it. It will not open. Any force strong enough to break the hinges free and move the warped wooden portal will tear it apart in an explosion of splintered fragments and heavy bands of brass (50gp worth of brass can be removed from these doors).

The lefthand door is split across its center and the lower half  (about 4ft up from the bottom) is partially open; enough for a man to slip inside. Sheltered in the doorway is a 3hp goblin archer. He bears a shortbow, leather armor and shortword. He has 16 arrows in his quiver and will fire at maximum range toward anyone approaching the stairs. He is normally AC6 but with the partial cover of the splintered doorway he is AC2.

When he runs out of arrows or when characters begin to ascend the stiars the goblin archer will withdraw and the goblins at location 3), will begin to fan out along the top of the stairs. 

Lost Library of Q'Sh - Tradesman's Entrance - Part 1

Lost Library of Q'Sh - Tradesman's Entrance

Part 1

The area around the Lost Library of Q'Sh is wilderness with the once nearby towns and villages long abandoned and swallowed by forest. The road to and from the library was once wide, well paved and maintained but the trees have claimed the once open track as they have claimed worked fields and town squares. Time and the elements and the gnawing roots of trees have not been kind to the works of man.

The library itself was made of sterner stuff, carved from a wide plateau of rock and descending untold depths into the earth, the work was at the hands of dwarven craftsmen, miners and masons; built as a repository of knowledge for the ages not just the life of a man or even a civilization.

If only those protecting the library had been as enduring as stone.

The Tradesman's Entrance -

The Forest

The area surrounding the Tradesman's entrance to the library is in a long narrow, heavily-wooded valley. The roadway that once marched evenly down the valley floor, raised above a fast flowing stream, has long since disappeared and the stream is now the only direct path to the wide southern gateway.

The valley forest is strangely empty of any large animal life except for a pair of giant-weasels that hunt by day and a patrol of kobolds who check their traps for small game by night.

If the players approach by day they may discover the tracks of a brown bear leading into the valley. A fresh trail can be found broken through the underbrush and in a small clearing near a recently uprooted tree is the scene of a desperate battle. A large brown bear lies dead atop the body of a giant-weasel. A second weasel is tangled amid the roots of the upturned tree. A small 1hp brown bear cub sits forlornly by its mother's body while the body of a dead cub is resting where the weasel dropped it; in the deep depression left by the roots of the tree.

The bear cub is very young and will bond with anyone feeding it. If abandoned the cub will attempt to follow the party. If cared for the cub could become a faithful animal companion, but keeping it alive as it is a 1HP AC9 creature could prove challenging.

The Stream

Once an icy-cold and fast flowing water that ran beside the raised roadway; the valley stream has become a slow and shallow flow of water skirting tumbled rocks as it leads toward the southern entrance of the library. To the west the valley wall rises higher as the water flows south ending in the pool at Area 1). before curving along the outer wall heading east and disappearing into a crevice and into the dungeons below.

Movement along the stream is not difficult but the bed is filled with loose stone and combat for anyone standing in the stream-bed is at -1 to hit.

The east forested bank of the stream is about ten-feet above the shallow water. During the spring storms flood waters will raise the stream from mere inches to a height that will easily overflow the ten-foot banks. The bank has been worn down in several places where kobolds have beaten down animal paths that reached the stream.

If the valley is entered at night there is a chance of encountering the kobold patrol or the group gathering small prey from their series of traps. (During the day it is possible to find the kobolds' traps which are simple wire snares).

A. Patrol

The kobold patrol consists of one sub-leader of 4hp AC5 (suit of homemade leather armor) armed with a barbed throwing spear dmg 1d4 (+ 1hp dmg to remove unless save under Dex is made) and a dagger he uses as a short sword dmg 1d4+1 (due to strength).

8 2hp AC7 kobolds armed with 1d4 damage stabbing spears.

The leader has a small belt pouch with a round gold sphere (if examined it will be revealed as the head of a small statue that radiates magic faintly).

The Trap Gatherers.

The trap gatherers consist of 12 kobolds that will split off into six groups of two. One kobold will be 2hp AC7 the other 1hp. The 2hp kobold has a stabbing spear 1d4 dmg and the other kobold is unarmed and will run away if attacked (or if any strangers are encountered). If forced to fight the 1hp kobolds can only inflict 1hp dmg.

Raising the Alarm

Both the Patrol and the Trap Gathers will try to race back to their warrens (1a-1e) and raise the alarm about intruders rather than to stay and fight. If a single adventurer is encountered the Patrol leader might try to swarm them but will still send one member of his patrol back to the warrens. 

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 18

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 18

Location 16).

The southern door is locked and bolted. The door itself is of very sturdy construction but is heavily scarred by claw marks which have dug deep furrows in the wood of the other side Location (15.2). The lock can be picked in a normal way but three heavy bolts lock it closed as well. Destroying the door will be loud but shouldn't take a great deal of time with an axe. Swords and blunt weapons will take longer and piercing weapons will be ineffectual.

The room itself is large and sumptuously decorated. Large carpets and skins are spread across the floor. A massively big bed is against the north wall (big enough for 5) and the east part of the room has a table that can seat 20. There are several dressers against the south wall to the west of the door. Nothing seems to be disturbed except the bed linen is crumpled and the heavy cover blanket made from the skins of several white tigers is pulled to one side and partially under the bed.

NOTE: The contents of this room are extremely valuable but only to the right buyer. Most would get only a fraction of their value in the shops or from the merchants of hammlets, towns and even small cities. Only in larger cities would the characters be likely to find buyers and the merchants which sell such items are likely to offer very little to the characters, while the characters are unlikely to move in the upper class circles where they would find the buyers themselves. These are all high quality items, but many are bulky or delicate and are easily damaged and destroyed. It is also unlikely that the characters would recognize the real quality of what they are looking at. In general they are likely to get only 2 or 3 times the value of a normal item for such things as plates, goblets, clothes or rugs, if even that.

In each corner of the room are 2 non-functioning Manikens. They are armed with longsword and trunchion and wear half-plate. Each is 16hp and AC3 in their armor, but require activation to respond in any way.

The dressers (4 of them) contain expensive clothing and shoes cut for someone short and slim. The clothes are ornate and heavily decorated but masculine. Selling them outside of a large city might be difficult, but in a larger more civilized area they might go for more than scrap cloth prices. Hidden at the back of dresser #3 is a secret compartment. Inside the compartment is a locked iron door. It is spelled closed with both a Wizard Lock and Hold Portal spell. If a knock spell is used (twice) the door to the metal compartment will pop open and a thick steel plate will drop just behind the opening door. A small catch located in another secret compartment in dresser #4 must be pushed into place and a knob in a secret compartment in dresser #2 pulled out to stop the plate from falling. Once the plate has fallen it will need to be raised by some means (such as knocking down the stone wall around it, but otherwise it is jammed shut.

Inside the spelled-shut compartment is a small box. If it is removed without first pushing in a metal bar in a 3rd secret compartment in dresser #1, a guillotine-like blade slams down. This trap will cause 1d12 Dmg and sever any unprotected non-metallic item which moved the small box. This blade must be removed to access the interior of the compartment and the mechanism is set to drop a wedge in place so that it cannot be lifted. A saving throw will drop the damage by half and save the item or appendage from being severed.

The small box is wooden and the top lifts off. Inside is a still beating, warm and meaty heart.

On the south wall east of the south door is a cabinet. Inside are plates, very fragile and valuable, as well as knives, forks and spoons of silver, enough for 25 people. There is a carving set with the handles made from the bones of a hill giant. Crystal goblets are in the upper cabinet. The plates and goblets are fragile but only valuable in a large city; otherwise they are hard to sell and the silver worth only its value in the weight of metal.

The three large carpets are very fine, but the quality makes them hard to sell in a town what they might sell for in a city. The large fur rugs are the pelts of several griffons sewn together. The work is exquisite.

The cover sheet across the huge bed is made from the fur of albino bears. If the characters pull at the blanket it first appears to be stuck under the bed. Peeking under the bed will just show the wadded up end of the huge fur blanket. A strong pull by a combined 18+ strength will draw the blanket from under the bed and with it will come a short man dressed in red silk pajamas. He will immediately shout for the players to "leave!" and attack with a short sword. The blade is very fine, +2 to hit and enchanted to leave a scar that will not fade even with magical healing where it strikes. This Delmondo the justice of the library. It was he who passed sentence upon those caught committing crimes within the upper levels of the library and he who commanded the Maniken guards. In his left hand he holds a small box with a button and a dial. Currently the dial is set all the way to attack-kill and he will push the button as soon as he is pulled from under the bed. The 8 Manikens will immediately activate. 5 will respond to attack the characters. 2 will attack the other Manikens and 1 will attack Delmondo.

While Delmondo appears to be a living man, he is actually an advanced form of Maniken and Man combined. The real Delmondo died long ago but he was such an effective judge and security officer that his body was hollowed out and filled with the enchanted cloth of the Manikens. His brain was encased in a crystal skull that is impervious to damage and his heart was removed and placed in a small box; stored in the secret compartment in the back of dresser #3. Delmondo can be truly killed only when his heart is destroyed. He is a Ftr3, 24hp, AC6 due to Dex and regenerates at 1hp per combat round. If he is completely destroyed his skull will survive. It will turn to a blue gaseous form and reappear under the bed in this location only to reform again in Delmondo. He does not leaves this room and unless drawn out from under the bed or if anyone finds the secret compartments within the dressers he will remain under the bed.

The door to the north leading to Location (18.) is unlocked but it can be locked and barred though the key is missing.

The ventilation shafts run across the ceiling of this room on the east and west with small grated openings obscured by cobwebs.

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 17

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 17

Location 15.1) NOTE:

The ventilation shafts for this room run around the upper edges and have grilled openings at the top center of the east and west walls. The Little Green Men keep an eye on this area but find the Manikens disturbing so they do not enter.

Location 15.2).

This short passage is lined with destroyed Manikens. Something shredded them and tossed their cloth and wood bodies about to lie mangled across the floor. One Maniken is functioning intermittently. It is at (6) hp and missing one arm, but it will rise up slowly out of the pile of Maniken parts and bow slowly to the characters. Then remain still till the characters have passed and will then seek to follow the first character it sees and act as their guardian. It will only attack if that character is attached or threatened. It will not attempt to defend itself and if the players attack it the maniken will be at AC10 for that attack even though it is normally AC5.  The damaged maniken can regain 4hp if its rewrapped in the best lengths of cloth from the destroyed manikens but its right arm is destroyed for good (unless it is rebuilt and re-enchanted) and it cannot be repaired past 10hp.

Location 15.3).

Inside this room are two splintered benches, an overturned and broken cabinet, two wooden chests with their tops smashed in and a table on its side with the uppermost legs missing. There is old dried blood on most on the floor and fragments.

As the characters enter this room they will hear the moaning and experience the sudden chill that they probably experienced before. The dried blood is swept up in a small but powerful twist of wind which sprang from nowhere and while it moans across the walls of the room the dried blood begins to form into a face; a grinning fanged and hairy face (if the players have any reason to know, the face is that of a carnivorous ape). If allowed to from the face will give the characters and evil, leering grin, stick out its tongue and in an earsplitting shriek explode into a cloud of dried blood.

Sifting through this room of debris will take some time as the floor is also covered in torn paper and sharply splintered wooden fragments. Some coins are scattered about (12sp and 17cp), a whip and a shirt sword. Under the cabinet will be found the skeleton of an arm in dull red torn from a jacket as the arm was torn from the body. Near the skeletal hand is a round jewel that glows (in reality it is crystal powersource [The Little Green would be profoundly delighted in recovering the jewel.] which can be used to power several devices such as the control stick for the manikens.).

The door to the east has been torn violently from its hinges and is on the floor of the corridor outside.

The height of this room is 15ft as are most halls and rooms on the 1st floor of the library. The ventilation shaft has an opening near the south-east corner, obscured by cobwebs, and a Machine-Spider and Little Green Man are 75% likely to be observing this room. As with all Little Green Men this one will flee if the slightest sign of detection is given by the characters.

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 16

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 16

Location 15.1)

This passage is framed around Location (15). and other than the 10ft section which connects the fractured secret door from that location to the northern door which leads to Location (15.2) it is 5ft higher than the other floors on t Map (A1). A set of short stairs to the east and west of the secret door lead to this raised area.

On each corner of the room is a manikin made of wood and covered in cloth. There are 4 total and they wear a red uniform with black piping down the legs and black colors. Each carries a truncheon at their belt and a bag of 20 crossbow quarrels (light). In their hands are light crossbows. Currently they are inactive. When the library was constructed they acted as bailiffs who assisted the security force with those who committed crimes within the library.

Manikin

Frequency: Uncommon

No. Appearing: 1-4

Armor Class: 5

Move: 12"

Hit Dice: 2

% in Lair: N/A

Treasure Type: N/A

No. Attacks: 1 bludgeon or by Weapon Type

Damage/Attack: Bludgeon 1d6 or By Weapon Type

Special Attack: Nil

Special Defenses: Immune to piercing weapons. Blunt Weapons do 1/4 Dmg.  Any spell requiring a sentient victim such as charm or sleep has no effect on a maniken. Note: Fire does double damage to manikins.

Magic Resistance: 10%

Intelligence: Non

Alignment: N/A

Size: M

Language: Manikins can understand only languages that were added to them during their construction.

Description:  Manikens appear as normal humans in regard to size and shape, but their 'flesh' is simply painted cloth. They are normally dressed in uniforms. They may be armored.

Ecology: Maniken's are magical constructs formed from a skeleton of wood with enchanted cloth carefully wrapped around them in the appearance of flesh. They can be constructed to respond to simple commands but have no intelligence or sapience of their own. Though they require a skilled mage to enchant they are relatively cheap and easy to be constructed and are normally built 4 at a time. Their greatest weakness is fire.

Around the walls facing Location (15.) are hidden firing slots about 5ft from the floor [10ft from the floor of Location (15.)]. If activated the manikins last command was to fire upon moving creatures within Location (15.). They have 90% cover if attacked from Location (15.).

4 Manikens. 12hp, 2HD, AC5 1 attack. Light Crossbow (20 bolts). or 1 attack Club (their truncheon).

The north door to the room has a massive lock but is relatively easy to open and anyone attempting to pick the lock gets a 10% bonus.

The door to the east Leading to Location (15.3) has no lock.

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 15

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 15

Location 15).

The southern door to this room is locked. It is thick and bound with iron, but the wood is rotted and a good shove will break the entire thing to fragments. The west, east and south walls are lined with benches. There is a metal cage at the center of the room facing a small dais with a large overturned table resting against the secret door.

The cage is large and heavy and bolted to the floor. It has a small door on its south face. The bones of some large creatures are inside scattered about. If they are removed it will be found that they are from several creatures. The bones are polished smooth and the ends are carved and notched. There are a dozen long bones from legs and forearms as well as 2 pairs of hands that have been wired together with silver wire and one huge, jawless skull.

If the bones are examined it will be noticed that they fit easily together and form a kind of arbor such as might be found at the entrance to a garden. To assemble the bones correctly the characters must roll lower than their Wisdom on a d20 with a -6 modifier (a character with 6 Wisdom would have no chance to assemble the bones). It takes 3 turns to assemble and characters can make an attempt once per hour.

Once assembled the skull fits nicely at the top held between the skeletal hands. When it has all been clicked into place it forms a freestanding arch. Between the spaces of the arch the air becomes still and black; the smell of damp earth pervades the room and a slight cold wind comes from the opening.

The assembled bones form a gate and the gate leads to a point 5 miles from the south entrance to the library. The area is in a small ravine cut by a cold river. The river descends from a waterfall 30 yards to the northwest and runs into a 50ft high wall of stone to the south-east. No matter when the gate is entered it exits at midnight of the following day. The gate is one way. Once through there is no return. There is an old narrow path that leads up the high walls of the ravine, but it has not been used in a long, long while.

The gate of bones will fall to pieces 30 minutes after being assembled. They can be gathered and carried by two M sized creatures or 1 L sized especially if they can be lashed together, bagged or boxed. The loose bones are difficult to carry. The gate will always lead to the ravine. Characters who enter the gate on the same day before the stroke of midnight will find themselves appearing one after the other at exactly the coming midnight, but should one character step through the gate 1 minute after the will not appear in the ravine till the midnight of the next day.

The secret door to the north is cracked. The corner of the large table has gouged a mark down the wall and was moved or thrown with such force that it dislodged the door from its frame. To open the door will require it to be removed, broken in or dismantled.

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 14

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 14

The missing Location (8.1) and Location (14.1)

Location 8.1)

A wheel and pulley system to open the secret door on the south wall. The wood is rotting and the chain rusty. The pulley lifts a counterweight in the wall by turning a wheel with the chain wrapped around it. Triggering the latch to the secret door drops the counterweight and the secret door raises up into the ceiling very quickly. If the secret door is opened the pulley will need a combined strength of 24 to raises the counterweight. 2 M sized creatures can work the handles at one time. The counterweight will rise 3/4 of the way inside the wall before the rotted wooden drum of the pulley shatters and the chain goes flying loose like a flail while the counterweight comes down with a crash. A second chain which is inside the wall and connects the pulley to the secret door will also snap, dropping the secret door into place and wedging it shut. Anyone within 10ft of the wheel and chain must make a saving through versus Dex or receive 1d12 Dmg.

Location 14.1).

This large open room is black with ancient dried blood. There are manacles bolted into the wall. A careful examination will reveal that these are not uniformly at the same height or distance between each other and the iron rods driven between the stone blocks have cracked some of the stones. The manacles are crude workmanship.

A large tree stump is set at the southern end of the room and its surface is also covered in dried blood. It is also chipped and scarred by innumerable cuts of some bladed weapon of device.

A cold wind whistles down the corridor from the east and moans around this room if the characters enter it. The characters will need to make a saving throw versus fear. Those that fail the save will find themselves growing more and more nauseous while in this 30x30 space and will need to leave or vomit till they begin to dry heave. If they do not leave after that they will start sweating and faint for 1d4 combat rounds. This save will need to me made by anyone entering this room as well as each time they leave and reenter even if the passed a previous save.

The wooden stump is extraordinarily heavy, but if it is removed from the room, or any attempt is made to damage it, the stump will begin to shake; roots will sprout from its lower half. In one combat round 6 8ft long roots will have grown and begin waving about. If unmolested they will move the stump back into the room walking on the roots like tentacular legs. If the stump is attacked it will defend itself with the root-limbs. It will follow attackers into Location (14.) or down the eastern corridor for 60ft before turning back toward the open room.

The stump is AC8 with 50hp, each limb is 2HD, 16hp, AC5 1 attack, 1d10Dmg. Both stump and limbs are immune to arrows and piercing weapons. They take half damage from blunt weapons. Fire attacks cause double damage unless the stump saves as a wood item. The stump will interpose its limbs between itself and attackers making it hard to melee with the stump itself. Destroyed limbs will take 2 combat rounds to regrow.

If the stump is destroyed the area will be cleansed of fear and any characters who participated in its destruction will be healed 1d8 immediately and find that a golden aura glows about them, illuminating a 20ft radius and giving them a +1 to their savings throws and AC for 24 hours. 

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 13

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 13

14). The southern door is locked and constructed out of thick wood reinforced with iron bands. There is an iron grill over a small opening about 5ft up from the door and at its center. The opening is only about 1ft square and an iron plate which can be slid aside is latched in place on the other side of the door in Location (8.1).

The hall is very dusty and cobwebs line the ceiling arched about 15ft overhead. A Little Green Man riding a Machine-Spider will be lurking in the small air duct that opens onto this hall from the air-shaft which connects the halls and rooms in this Location. These ventilation tunnels run near the ceiling and are connected with all Locations which mention ventilation shafts unless otherwise noted.

See Location (13.) for the Little Green Man's actions if discovered. (Note: This is will be the same Little Green Man from Location (13.) unless something has happened to him.). If something has happened a second Little Green Man and his Machine Spider will be dispatched to investigate but he will be very wary and will deploy a set of tiny remote sensors that appear to be normal houseflys but are instead devices which the Little Green Man can direct and which allow him to see and hear (in dark or light) everything within an unobstructed 60ft radius. The Servo-Flys can be self-destructed on command by the Little Green Man (he wears the device that sends the command on the wrist of his silver gauntlet.). The Servo-Fly has no hp or attack capabilities. The can be easily destroyed but they are tiny, fast and agile.

The northern opening is a portal blocked by iron bars. The mechanism for lifting the bars is not in this Location, but the gate can be lifted with a combined strength of 40 and the bars bent normally.

14a). The door is slightly recessed into the wall. It's composed of iron and is extremely heavy. There is a hinged opening at the bottom but only big enough to slide a bowl inside. A grilled opening is set at face level in the door and is covered by a metal plate that can be pushed aside and latched open or when shut latched closed. If the grill is opened and a light shined inside it will reveal a small room with two cots but only one is occupied; a withered body in a robe lying atop one of the beds.

If the door is opened (it is locked by a normal lock and can be picked but trying to break open the door will create a great deal of noise) the body on the bed will open its mouth and begin to moan, its mouth will continue to open till its lower jaw cracks and falls off. At this point the body will attempt to rise. First one leg which lifts will shatter, then both arms, and its other leg, and its head will fall to the floor and explode in small puff of dust. The chest and lower will body will all tip over and collapse inward. Nothing will be left but dust. Examination of the room will reveal shackles attached to both beds but no keys to release. There are 4 sets of shackles with only a 1ft and 1/2 chain between the cuffs. There is no key but if opened they will lock automatically if shut.

14b). This room is almost identical to Location (14a) except that instead of a body on the bed, the beds are both overturned and broken. Beneath the rubble is a pile of left arms (9 of them). They have long ago withered and been stripped of almost all flesh. There is a rathole in the east wall, but if examined it reveals that it is clogged with spiderwebs. Someone or thing small enough could enter this passage but they could be no larger than a normal rat. (The tunnel leads through a small warren of dead-ended and collapsed passages for about 30ft then it drops down at a steep angle before emerging into a room in Dungeon Level 1 Location (13.).

One of the arms has a ring on its pinkie finger. The rotted flesh survived the depredations of the rodents because it was under a piece of broken bed-frame and the ring remained firmly lodged on the otherwise denuded digit. The ring is gold and has a small diamond at its center. It allows the wearer to sense the type of card within a 10ft radius, either in a deck, face-down on a table or held in someone's hand. This function is usable 3 times per day and last for 60 seconds.

14c). The door to this room is the same as the door at Location (14a). Inside the room is the body of a man curled on his side. If it is quiet enough he can be heard snoring and his chest rises and falls. If there is a loud noise he will awaken, roll over and rub his head. If questioned he will say that his name is Ogon and he has no idea how he got in the cell. He was travelling with a small group, investigating the entrance to some kind of building carved into a mountain. He is from a settlement about 50 miles distant and served as a caravan guard till joining with a few companions to search out wealth, glory and adventure. There is a large bruise on his temple and he wears normal boots, trousers and a padded shirt that normally is worn under chainmail. Ogon can give little information on the Library and has no idea what happened to his companions. His last memory is pulling open a large wooden door and shining a torch into the black passage it revealed, and then nothing.

Ogon will gladly join the party if asked, and if not he will ask if can join. If rebuffed he will ask to accompany them out of the Library and in the end will simply walk away in the direction of Location (8.1). if attacked he is a Ftr 1, 8hp, AC10, 1 attack, barehanded Dmg 1hp. If killed he has no loot but the clothes on his back. If the characters revisit the cell after at least 24hours have passed they will find Ogon still sleeping in his cell. Unkown to Ogon he was killed some time ago, decades, perhaps longer. He will act as a normal NPC for days, even weeks, or can even be run by as a Player Character, gaining experience and levels like a living human. He will bleed, suffer from wounds and be affected by spells in a normal way, but will have terrible dreams and a very hard time sleeping. Eventually he will stop sleeping altogether and start seeing movement in his peripheral vision, hear voices, then begin seeing ghostly figures.

After some time his wounds will not close properly though he will regain all his hp, His pallor will change to a greenish-black, all his thick brown hair will fall out. A desire to consume flesh will grow, and even if he is able to hide this, he will turn slowly and irrevocably into a ghoul. If at any point he is killed his form will reappear 24 hours later as the human Ogon sleeping on the bed in his prison cell.

14d). This room is lined with manicals bolted into the stone wall. In the center of the room is a pile of bodies that decomposed from the top down. Each has had its left arm removed at the shoulder. The top 5 bodies are skeletal, the next 4 are withered hHusks and the bottom body is somehow still covered in a damp and stinking flesh.

5 (one armed) Skeletons 1 HD 6hp each, AC7, 1 attack, 1hp Dmg

3 (one armed) Husks 2 HD 9hp each, AC5, 2(3) attacks, Claw 1d6 /Bite 1d10 Dmg

Husk

Frequency: Rare

No. Appearing: 1-10

Armor Class: 5

Move: 12"

Hit Dice: 2

% in Lair: N/A

Treasure Type: N/A

No. Attacks: 3

Damage/Attack: Claw/Claw/Bite 1d6/1d6/1d10

Special Attack: None

Special Defenses: None

Magic Resistance: Nil

Intelligence: Low

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Size: M

Language: None

Description:  Husks appear as dry and withered bodies. They are no more than a skeleton wrapped in an armor of flesh turned to a leathery consistency with some fragment of an animating spirit trapped within.

Ecology: Husks are the bodies of humanoids which have been slain in a ritualistic slaughter. Their spirits are chained to the focal point of the ritual be it an item, location, deity, or person. They are the rejected offerings of this ritual; contemptibly weak and ineffectual in comparison with the desired result of the ceremony. Each sacrifice was meant to hold a fragment of some greater power but the Husks are the discarded shells that could not contain the stronger entity. They are abandoned malignant creatures with the desire to kill their only emotion.

The last body absorbed all the blood and effluvia of the other 9 sacrifices but this was the executioner and not meant to be a sacrifice himself. Something struck him down before the ceremony was completed and he had the bodies of the sacrifices unceremoniously piled on top of him.

 He wears a rusted human-sized chain shirt (serviceable if cleaned) and a crystal medallion around his neck. He has otherwise been stripped of valuables (three fingers have been removed which will be noticed if he is searched. The finger bones can be found scattered on the floor of the cell.). The medallion is in the form of an eye with a red stone at its center. It is not magical but acts as key to Dungeon Level 2 Location (3.). 

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.

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 11

The Lost Library of Q'Sh - 11

10.3) The north door to this room is missing. Along the east wall is a disfigured mural. Once it showed a scene of a great hall with several people in blue robes gathered around some central object but over time everything except fragments along the lower 2ft of the wall have been destroyed. There are a number of barrels, boxes, broken weapons and rusty or moldy pieces of armor piled in a great heap against the wall.

This room has become the sleeping quarters for the orcs in Location (10.2) If not on patrol or dicing in that location they will be here sleeping or eating. Normally 3 to 6 orcs can be found in this room.

Among the debris can be found a rusty but serviceable shirt of chainmail, dwarf-sized and three battle-axes of dwarven make. 1 battle-axe is of exceptional quality, though notched in two places. It is a non-magical +1 weapon, but if a natural 1 is rolled the blade will crack and become useless as a weapon.

These orcs tend to keep their best possessions on them since they are so often away from this room, but a huge wooden chest in the south-east corner contains valuable bulky items that they all have a share in. It would take 4 orcs to move the thing.

Inside can be found:

a). A human head incased in a glass globe. The glass is impenetrable but a voice can be heard coming from inside. Close listening can detect it speaking softly in a language which has not been spoken in a thousand years. If it is set upon a silver base (which is also in the chest) shaped like a large hand the voice becomes louder. If listened to while the moon is in the sky the hand glows with a silver light and the words will become clear and in the language of the listener. The head is telling old sagas of a great war between two city states from the far distant past. Some of the names are familiar but only as place names such as Sidok's Gorge or the Bone Palace; the story itself is unfamiliar. The head tells only this very long tale which takes weeks to tell fully. When it has finished it begins the tale once more. It answers no questions and grants no powers or abilities but it does tell an excellent story.

b). A stone sword taken from a statue. The arm was removed at the shoulder but not broken. Instead there is a square projection at the point where the shoulder would fit into a body. The arm is 5ft long and weighs nearly 200lbs. The body of to this arm is on dungeon level 1.

c). Several pyramidal crystals. They are an orange -red color and have a strange feel to them as if composed of flesh rather than crystal. Each will glow with light upon command. They give off an orange glow and if the base is placed against any surface they will stick unless pulled are hit by a strong blow. They can light a 30ft radius and can be stuck anywhere, walls, ceilings, etc... Each is exactly 1ft at its height with a square 1ft base. They do not radiate magic and if damaged will bleed a light red blood. If badly damaged the light goes out and does not return. These lights are actually the larval forms of living creatures and can be found in some profusion on the lower levels of the dungeon.

d) A collection of dwarf made shields. All are badly damaged but they have a sentimental value to the orcs.

See Location (10.2) for the stats of any orcs found here.

10.4). This room serves as both kitchen and larder for the orcs. The door is closed but has no lock and opens with a simple latch. There is a broken area where some lock or handle was smashed away, but so long ago that the wood has worn smooth and looks as stained and scarred with use as the other surfaces.

Against the south wall is a blood-stained wooden table and an old iron stove is set against the secret door on the west wall. The door opens if the stove is tilted forward all the way to the ground. Anything in the stove would come tumbling out especially since the grate in front is missing. The orcs keep the fire going continually.

There is a rack of filthy blades above the table. Two huge butchers cleavers, a mallet and a handful of large knives The cleavers would be awkward weapons -1 to hit and 1d4 damage. The three knives can be used as regular knives, though they could use a sharpening.

Against the north wall are chained three dwarves, two are still living. The legless body of a third dwarf hangs from its wrists above a sticky spill of congealing blood. There are chains enough for 10 people to be bound to the north wall (the orcs are due to receive rations from a hunting party that left the west entrance the previous day and are running a little short on dwarves).

One of the dwarves has gone quite insane. He is red-faced and pulls continually at his chains. Blood drips from his wrists and if released he will attack anyone in front of him. He is a Ftr 1 8hp, AC10, Dmg 1d4+3 (due to maniacal strength). His companion in chains is Bordain a Ftr2, 16hp (currently 3hp) AC10 - If his companion Afar is killed by the characters he won't be happy about it but he won't hold it against the characters. He is from a dwarven mining community about 40 miles distant and was part of a group of prospectors searching for likely places to mine the area. He was completely unaware of the library or the orc infestation. They were ambushed while searching the area about 5 miles away and dragged here mostly unconscious and has only vague memories of orcs and old chambers where they were dumped before being dragged some more. If freed he will offer his services as a guard till he has paid of his debt to the characters (at least till when he feels he has) then he will set off for his own community to inform them of the fate of his companions and the blood debt they will need to collect from the orcs. If he leaves on good terms with the players they will find the orcs to be gruff but faithful allies.