Thoul Tunnels

Scale: 10 ft.
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Suitable for 2nd level.

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

Image work generated on Craiyon.com; just to try it out.

X - Entry

Six statues stand in this room - slightly larger than life size: four facing inwards from the walls in the non-cardinal directions; two more in the center of the room, facing one another: north and south. The statues in the center portray life-like adventurers - one in heavy armor, one in light - while those on the walls are all armored, albeit in an archaic style, with a thinness to them, a pall almost as though carved in the likeness of a corpse. 

The four corpse statues each bear a silver candle holder - 50 gp value each - and between the two statues facing one another, a crimson buckeye hangs suspended in the air. If taken from its position, it cannot be "put back" and will fall to the floor. The buckeye is worth 140 gp.

N - North

N1 - North Atrium 

The floor is inlaid with a mosaic of long-bones, forming a rectangular "carpet" leading to the East door. The walls are lined with thousands of skulls, stacked. Coins have been placed in most of the eye sockets - a total of 3,000 gp, 2,000 ep, and 10,000 sp can be harvested by a party willing to invest the time. Four Ghouls (B35) guard the space. 

N2 - Snake Altar

The floor to this space steps down - two feet over four stairs which ring the perimeter of the room. In the center of the room is an altar with a red tabard, triangular at each end, draped over it. A Pit Viper (B42) is curled on the floor behind the altar.

N3 - Nephilim's Tomb

An iron cage housing an oversize skeleton is propped up, about 60 degrees, facing the door. It wears a crown of mithril and several teeth are likewise. Before the cage is a case with 200 gold pieces; on the four corners of the case are garnets - each of 10 gp value.

E - East

E1 - Staff Storage 

To the north and south of the dead-ending hall are two statues, relief on the wall, in the shape of muscular, faceless humanoids with robes. In the nook to the East, a Staff of Commanding (X49) is wedged in a masonry stand on the floor. Five Thoul (B43) are talking among themselves about how to retrieve the staff without damaging it. One of the Thoul carries a quiver of 14 magical arrows (+1).

E2 - Canopic Hall

On each of the non-cardinal walls to this room, a nook has been carved into the wall, each containing a large urn, almost an amphora, with an animal head stopper: two cats, one dog, and one falcon. Inside the cats are 500 and 600 sp respectively; the dog and falcon contain only ash. A light spiral has been traced on the floor in the dust.

E3 - Cage

In the floor is a depressed rectangle - eight feet deep, four feet across. It is covered by an iron mesh - six inches to the gap - allowing an unhurried party to easily traverse it as floor without interruption. At the bottom of the pit, coins can be seen - these amount to 300 silver and 500 gold pieces. Clay braziers - three total - are stowed in one corner of the room.

E4 - Thoul Storage

To the north and south, ceramic amphora store long-dried incenses and spices. Collected, the incense is worth 500 gold pieces; the spices have gone stale. Four Thoul (B43) play cards in the room - at stake, 5,000 cp. The leader wears a diamond earring worth 800 gp.

E5 - Beetle Collapse

A rent in the ceiling has dumped rubble onto the floor of this space, allowing 4 Tiger Beetles (B31) to enter and mull about a small trove. A locked wooden chest in the space - partially buried - contains 300 sp, 600 gp, two aquamarines worth 10 gp each, and a garnet worth 100 gp. Two candle holders, five feet in height, have been knocked over and lean against the wall.

E6 - Turning Pool

In the floor is a circular depression, four feet deep, filled with an ectoplasmic imitation of water - incorporeal yet tangible: mildly electrifying to the touch. On the north wall is emblazoned a skull within a whirlwind.

If a living being steps into the depression, the ectoplasm will start to turn: if the being remains, it will accelerate and the skull on the north wall will start to glow. After a number of rounds equal to the hit dice of the being in the pool, there is a sudden bass thrum and the ectoplasm disappears. The being must Save vs Death or be imbued with an essence of morbidity - their skin going sallow, their flesh growing more gaunt. The affected creature or player will no longer require sleep and will have infravision out to 30' (or improve existing infravision by 15', if applicable), but become subject to a -1 penalty to all rolls while in full sunlight, may not cast spells in full sunlight, and must eat fresh foods - nothing preserved, e.g. Iron Rations. If Lawful, the alignment of the character shifts to Neutral immediately and may not return: but may be changed at a later time to Chaos. If killed, the creature will rise as a Ghoul after 1+1d6 days.

This effect can be "cured" with a Remove Curse spell or equivalent magic if administered within 7 days.

W - West

W1 - Halfdan's Horde

Above the locked door, from the view of the hallway, eldritch sigils hang on the stone. They are untranslatable except by magical means - reading simply, "Halfdan the Wise visited this vault". Inside, a wide stone trough is filled with grave goods - which include some archaic weapons, a torque worth 800 gp, a scepter a rubied pommel worth 1,200 gp, a sicle with an emerald handle worth 1,400 gp, and 500 sp and 300 sp in coin.

W2 - Co-Explorers

Internal to the room, six clay pots contain a mixture of spices and oils. Two Nobles (B39) attended by a squire, each (as Veteran), guide 7 soldiers (also as Veteran). They are aware of the trap in W3 and are seeking treasure they believe to be in the catacomb: having bypassed W1, not having a way past the lock.

W3 - Iron Net

Four skeletons in various states of disassembly hang from chains in the ceiling over a steel grate floor. In each of the corners of the room are clay braziers - those furthest East are lit, smelling of burning oil. If characters move through the skeletons, disturbing the chains, there is a chance of activating a trap: further chains drop from the roof, forcing any character affected to Save vs Paralysis or become entangled. It will take 1d4-1 turns to extricate oneself from the mess - but the clamor involved will trigger a wandering monster check for each turn spent.