Vault of the Stag

Scale: 10 ft.
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Suitable for 1st to 2nd level characters.

•		A little keyhole icon means the door is locked.
•		A little "S" through the door means the door is secret.
•		The other icon - which is supposed to look like a muscly arm - indicates the door is stuck and must be forced open.

A - Atrium

A1 - Sprite Circle

The northern section of the large space, north of the entry stair, is occupied by 14 Sprite (B43), who are dancing in a circle, creating a ring of stalagmites: with each stalagmite growing almost imperceptibly with each Sprite step which touches it. Between them, the Sprites are carrying 6 gold pieces.

A2 - Fountain of Order

Against the wall of the south space is a semi-circular tiled space, contained by a three-foot stone wall. The bottom is tiled, as though a fountain, and 600 silver pieces lie strewn about within. A character which enters the fountain will feel water - its push, its chill - but will not get wet. That character must - upon leaving the fountain - Save vs Spells. On a failure, the character's alignment is changed one step towards Lawful. Characters already Lawful will feel clean, energized: those characters will not need to eat, nor feel hungry, for 1+1d6 days following the exposure. The silver coins radiate - to magical detection - a slight lawfulness: though it will fade in 1d4 days' time having been removed from the fountain.

W - West Halls

W1 - Statuary

Two statues, both facing north, stand in this room. They depict life-size elk: the antlers of one touch - and seem to pierce - the ceiling.

W2 - The Ballroom's Basement

Thick cob webs line the western portion of this room. In the eastern portion, a mosaic has been placed on the ceiling - a circular piece depicting the perspective of one hidden below a glass floor, looking up at a group of rustic ballroom dancers. 

W3 - The Vault

A fortune in jewelry is locked beneath three thick steel cages in this room.

• To the south east, a sack with 700 silver pieces, an amulet worth 600 gp, and a pair of earrings (an antique style) worth 800 gp total.
  
• To the south west, a matching pair of girdles - laced in platinum - worth 1,200 gp each, coupled with a lone headband festooned with green emeralds and fine chain (worth 1,500 gp).
  
• To the north west - a Wand of Negation (X50) sits upright in an ebony stand. Beside it, a ring - simple exterior, bejeweled with a ruby; but encrusted on the interior with cut diamond: making it uncomfortable to don or doff. Its materials are worth 1,600 gp to a jeweler - perhaps more to a collector (or masochist).

Standing guard in the room are 5 Skeleton (B42) who attack on sight.

W4 - Privy

Fist-sized holes are bored into the floor along the east wall. They are deeper than the light can see. In the southern alcove, the floor is slightly sunken, with a drain in the center: again, seeming to fall into nothingness.

W5 - West Fane

Torn curtains - heavy and thick, but damaged as though in a melee - litter this space. There is likewise some broken furniture - but both have been collecting dust and cobwebs for some time.

W6 - The Root

A root-like structure, similar to antlers, hangs from the ceiling, hanging from which can be found seven hempen pouches. In four of the lower-hanging pouches can be found 100 sp each; in the three remaining pouches, hung higher in the structure, can be found 100 gp each: for a total coin count of 700.

For each pouch removed, however, there is a chance the branch will snap; alternatively the branch can be snapped with relative ease by a determined character. If a branch snaps in this manner, a trap is activated: releasing a paralytic, corrosive mist.

All characters in the room must Save vs Paralysis or be paralyzed for 1d3 turns. Every minute that a character is in the room thereafter - while the mist lingers - suffers 1 point of damage per minute: or 10 points of damage per turn. Characters exiting and re-entering the mist must save a second time or be paralyzed: though subsequent saves in this manner may re-roll their first failure.

A character removed from the mist does not immediately recover from the paralysis - but they will stop taking damage. Organic inventory - such as scrolls, leather, and the like - may be required to save or be destroyed if left in the mist. 

W7 - Huntsman's Hall

In the center of the room is a floor tile mosaic depicting a herd of deer. Along the north and south walls are seven pedestals, four to the north - three to the south. On six of the pedestals stand petrified, desiccated bodies - almost skeletal - wearing the garb of rangers, including dusty, decaying weapons characteristic of the woodland. Each of them holds a single gemstone in both hands. The gemstones are worth 60 gp each. On the last pedestal, there is a mess of bones: as though a skeleton had collapsed.

If an Elf or Halfling walks close to one of the corpse-rangers, it will raise its hands, offering the gemstone. When obliged (the gemstone being taken) the corpse will collapse in a heap of bone and man-leather, emanating a quiet but echoing groan while it does so.

W8 - Foyer

One can see into, but not access, E11 from this space through a wall of iron bars. There is a touch-plate near the bars - a character inspecting them or interacting with them may mistakenly step on it - which electrifies them: any character touching the bars at the time of the trigger suffers 1d8 points of damage.

E - East Halls

E1 - South Fane

Hanging above the door is a simple but elegant cobweb-coated chandelier. It is emblazoned with opals, seven of them, worth 10 gold pieces each.

E2 - Fellowship

In the center of this space, a chandelier appears to have separated from the ceiling, falling to the floor. It is damaged and there are sockets where gemstones might fit. There are five opals hidden in the south-west corner of the room, valued at 10 gp each, having been broken loose and rolled (been placed?) into natural rubble.

E3 - The Hunt King's Coffin

This room contains a central coffin - open: doors split side by side, as butterfly style - with a parched corpse inside. On the walls behind - south-east and south-west - there are portraits of a tall, pale figure - hair long and lank, pale likewise - wearing dark armor.

On close inspection, the parched corpse has petrified bones: examination of which, however, may trigger a trap. A character interacting with the corpse must - if the trap triggers - Save vs Paralysis or be caught as the doors of the coffin close, crushing them inside. A character crushed in this manner suffers 3d8 damage.

E4 - Spider Den

Tattered, dusty clothing are scattered on the floor. Four Crab Spiders (B43) have made their lair in the room. Specie totaling 10 sp and 34 cp can be found among the rags.

E5 - Knob Room

A pedestal stands in the room. Atop the pedestal is fixed a disc - three feet across, horizontal: that its plane is parallel to the floor. Atop the disc, a small platform is supported by a metal ring - independent of the disc - that has two solid rectangular protuberances on top - six inches by three - arranged side by side - as the doors to the north wall. On the disc is a black arrow, emblazoned, pointing north, but not directly at either door in the north wall: the disc will rotate, if a character attempts to turn it.

If the arrow on the disc is pointed at either of the two north doors, the handle on the target door will electrify: causing 1d4 points of shock damage to any who touch it, or 2d4 on a failed Save. If the disc is pointed at the south door, it will unlock.

E6 - North Fane

In the central area of this room, two stag-horn light fixtures hang from the ceiling. In the northern-most section, an altar with a statue of a six-legged stag atop it sits in a shallow pool of water. The water is mundane, but behind the statue can be found a loose brick: removing it will reveal a handle which, if turned, will cause the fountain to spin, facing into E7.

Before the stag altar is a band of 7 Acolytes (B30). The band is accompanied by a single Adept (Cleric, lvl 2) who has the Light spell memorized. The Adept has in his possession a Fire Opal (100 gp value) which he is convinced has some significance in the dungeon. It will not influence the stag altar, on which he is focused when encountered. 

E7 - Ringed Corridor

Ringing the south and west walls is a small rivulet, hewn into the floor, with a small grate along its center. Along the east wall is an inversion as such: a protuberance of equivalent height to the gutter's depth, rising from the floor. If a character steps on, places an item on, or otherwise applies sufficient pressure to this protuberance, it will sink down, releasing a swarm of flying hornets (B37). 

E8 - Priest's Passes

From within these two halls, the doors to E9 are obvious and simple to open. Along the walls to both are relief carvings of faces: worn with time. In E8i, two Fire Beetle (B31) are mulling about; in E8ii, four additional Fire Beetles (B31).

E9 - The Thunderhead Orb

A concentric octagon rises slightly in the center of this room - offset such that its points line the center of the edges of the room's walls. In the center of the room is an orb - held aloft by a glass pillar. The ceiling is domed and painted to resemble clouds. If characters step onto the central dais, the clouds seem to dim, as though a storm is coming.

The orb is worth 1,000 gold pieces and can be used as a crystal ball: however attempting to remove it from its pillar will activate a protective enchantment - striking the would-be thief with a bolt of electricity emanating from a random point in the ceiling. If this happens, the character touching the orb and 1d3-1 additional party members (hapless victims of chance, standing in the wrong place when the arc comes down) take 3d6 damage; a successful Save reducing the roll from 3d6 to 1d6.

E10 - Parishioners' Passes

A whistling can be heard in this space emanating from the direction of E9. If the door to E9 is unlocked, the whistling stops.

E11 - Skeletal Watchers

From this space, one can see into - but not access - W8 through a wall of iron bars. In the corner to the south-east, a handful of skeletons lie chained with manacles affixed to the wall at around waist height on a man. The skeletons will not be caught moving - however their skulls will, whenever gazed upon, be facing the gazer. Additionally, if a character is close to the secret door to W7, they will rattle gently - only once - in anticipation to see whether the party will find it or not.

The skeletons are harmless and cannot cause harm (nor help) to the party.