DEN OF THE BEASTLORDS SHAMAN

THE DEN OF THE BEAST-LORDS SHAMAN is a small set of caverns, with areas of worked stone. Many years past, the cavern portion of the small labyrinth was the beginning of a mining operation by the Cassandra Corporation. However, the veins of strange precious metal turned out to be sentient, infecting the miners and painfully transforming them into something horrendous. Wanting to keep events under wraps, Cassandra Corp had the mine immediately sealed and abandoned before it reached any further significant size.

The great shaman Gorak, as well as beastmen workers and soldiers, were sent by the great Beastlord Of The Southern Wastes to establish an outpost in the mine having caught wind of rumours about strange and precious metals found within. New areas were added by the workers, and now the small complex houses the shaman Gorak and a small number of soldiers. With the outpost established, the beastmen have grown bored with the day-to day monotony of cleaning their weapons and hunting in the nearby woods. Gorak and his kin began raiding a local villages livestock, but as this sport got old they began attacking the villagers at night. There have been three attacks on the villagers to date. In the last skirmish, a family of farmers was killed, but their teenage son and daughter were captured alive and taken back to the beastmens lair to be used in ongoing experiments involving the strange sentient metals. 

Cassandra Corporation has tasked the Undernauts with ridding the countryside of the beastmen,  investigating their operations at the abandoned mine and if possible rescuing the farmers children, though the last is not a high priority and leaves witnesses.

NOTE: This is an old-school dungeon crawl ripe with danger, wealth, and glory for those who navigate it successfully. The careless will join the dead within the evil den.

• [For 1st to 3rd level characters.]

Now let us return to a time when three alignments were enough, when a handful of character classes ruled, and when magic swords had their own ideas about who's boss.

LABYRINTH DESCRIPTION

Area 1: This small (10' x 15'), dank alcove is devoid of anything except for the green slime on the ceiling, waiting to drop down onto any victim that enters the area. 

Green Slime (1) [AL N, MV 3' (1'), AC NA, HD 2, #AT 1, DG Acid, SV F1, ML 12]

Area 2: This empty cavern room is littered with gnawed bones and other refuse. There is a large 10' x 20' crevasse on the south side of the room. Any character who ventures within a few feet from the edge of the crevasse must succeed in a DEX check or slip on the loose gravel near the edge of the pit and fall 15' down to the bottom. Any character that falls to the bottom of the pit will suffer 1d6+2 hit points of damage and will be attacked by a strange humanoid creature made up of liquid mercury with veins of strange brass-like metal. The mercurial horror is able to form blades out of its arms, and its face shifts between that of a young child and crow-like beast. 

Note: The Mercurial Horror is what remains of the farmers children. The other child's gnawed bones litter the ground of the pit.

Mercurial Horror [AL C, MV 90' (30'), AC 5, HD 3, #AT 1, DG drain life energy, SV F3, ML 12, THC XXI]

Area 3: This 10' x 20' alcove appears empty, but any character approaching within 10' of the south end of the alcove triggers a ceiling trap. Heavy stones fall from the ceiling dealing 2d6 hit points of damage to all characters in a 10' radius, centred roughly toward the back of the alcove. At the back of the alcove, buried 1' below the ground, is a small steel box containing 200 sp and 500 gp. 

Area 4: This large, damp cavern contains a group of 5 beastmen guards. These devilish striped and spotted-skinned, red-eyed brutes will immediately attack anyone entering this area. They are wielding short swords. One of the beastmen has a gold necklace studded with precious jewels, and is worth 600 gp.

5 Beastmen Guards (5) [AL C, MV 120' (40'), AC 8, HD 1, #AT 1, DG 1d6 (short sword), SV F1, ML 9]

 Area 5: This room contains a large, aggressive albino ape. It is accustomed to some traffic in this area, so it may be more easily surprised than normal (1-3 on 1d6). A red curtain is draped across the entire width of the western part of the room. Unless the characters are completely silent during their encounter with the ape, Gorak and 1 beastmen guard will be ready and waiting in area 10 to jump out and fight the characters should, they slay the ape. 

Albino Carnivorous  Ape (1) [AL N, MV 120' (40'), AC 6, HD 4, #AT 2, DG 1d4/1d4 (claws), SV F2, ML 7]

Area 6: This portion of the room is curtained off from area 5, and contains a sleeping mat and a few half-eaten carcasses of sheep. This is the sleeping area for the albino ape.

Area 7: This is the beastmen bunkroom. There are currently 3 beastmen in this room, taking their sleep shift. They will be automatically surprised if the characters enter, and they will have to spend one further round gathering their weapons. Grungy clothing, dirty beds, and rotten carcasses are the only other items in this room.

Beastmen (3) [AL C, MV 120' (40'), AC 8, HD 1, #AT 1, DG 1d6 (short sword), SV F1, ML 9]

Area 8: This is a hallway consisting of four cells. All are completely empty except for cells 8a and 8c, which hold the farmers son and daughter, respectively. The doors are locked, so unless the key is taken from Gorak, a character will need to pick the lock. There is a secret door on the east wall of this area, and a character must successfully look for secret doors in order to locate it.

Area 9: This area is Goraks secret treasure room. It holds a small lead chest with 300 sp inside, a chunk of mercurial ore, and a small pedestal with an ornate golden necklace on it. The necklace is gem encrusted and is worth 1,600 gp. The lead chest is locked and has a poison needle trap. Unless someone has the key to this box, the lock must be picked. Even if the key is used, the needle trap is effective unless one knows the secret to opening the box without triggering the trap. A character must successfully detect traps on the lock to learn of the trap. Otherwise, when the key is used or when an attempt is made to pick the lock the character is pricked with the needle, and must succeed in a saving throw versus poison or die.

Alien Mercurial Ore (Orb) [AL C, MV 90' (30') roll, AC 5, HD 3, #AT 1, DG drain life energy, SV F3, ML 12, THC XXI] 

 

*Mercurial Ore/Horrors replicate by draining humans or other humanoids of all life energy (they reach 0 level and will arise as a Mercurial Horror. The victim will retain abilities, including class abilities, which he had in life but will become a chaotic undead being that serves a greater intelligence.  

Mercurial Horror [AL C, MV 90' (30'), AC 5, HD 3, #AT 1, DG drain life energy, SV F3, ML 12, THC XXI]

Area 10: This is the beastmen temple room. On the west side of the room there is a grotesque statue of the male beast-lord god of darkness. His arms are raised in the air and he holds the head of a dwarf by its beard. On the east side of the room there is a statue of the female beastmen goddess of death. She holds a dagger, and five skulls are stung around her waist with a cord. Unless Gorak and the 1 beastmen guard in this room have already been alerted to intruders, Gorak will be kneeling in prayer before the female statue on the west side of the room when the characters enter. The guard will be sitting nearby. Gorak has the powers of a 2nd level cleric, and will use a spell if possible. 

Gorak, Beastmen Shaman [AL C, MV 120' (40'), AC 8, HD 2, #AT 1, DG 1d6 (short sword), Spells (Cause fear), SV F1, ML 9];

Beastmen (1) [AL C, MV 120' (40'), AC 8, HD 1, #AT 1, DG 1d6 (short sword), SV F1, ML 9]

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Area 11: A pit trap in the floor here will cause a character stepping on it to fall (1-2 on 1d6) 10' to the bottom of the pit, suffering 1d6 hit points of damage.

Area 12: These luxurious quarters (for a beastmen) belong to Gorak. A bed is near the east wall, and lush cave bear rugs are on the floor. Human hides are strung about on the walls, along the side of peculiar carvings made of some sort of dense dried mushrooms.