Moving into the larger area of Encounter Area 12. These are the graves of the human sacrifices. There are 666 total graves, from these rise a horde of zombies.
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How many zombies? All of them. The idea here is to overwhelm the PCs to keep them from going forward. Indulge your little black heart.
I have discussed my fondness for the Green cover B3 Palace of the Silver Princess. It is a fun adventure and great for newbie DMs. It came to me just as I needed it. For its ability to run and more lore to Glantri, and (for me) the ability to easily code it into a computer when I was trying to D&D on my little TRS-80 Color Computer.
I like the adventure. A lot. But not this much.
Right now is it going for just a bit over $10k. That is up $1000.00 from when I first saw it this morning.
The adventure is fun, no where near as good as the revised Green cover version. And it is certainly not with $10k except to a serious collector.
Makes me wish I knew what dumpster they were dumped in at the time! I could pay my kids' college tuition with that.
The hallway of Encounter Area #11 opens up to a massive room filled with stone sarcophagi. A plaque as the PCs enter describes this as the Hall of Sacrificed Dead.
These are the final resting places of the followers of the Vampire Queen. She sacrificed them to further her own power and appease her demonic lords.
There are 1,000 sarcophagi here, divided into groups.
This room is guarded by the undead temple guardians, 10 Huecuva. They will wait until the characters enter the room and attack them from all sides.
Huecuva
Armor Class: 3 [116]
Hit Dice: 2*** (9 hp)
Attacks: 2 claws or 1 weapon (1d6 x2 or 1d8), ability drain
THAC0: 18 [+2]
Movement: 90’ (30’)
Saving Throws: D11 W12 P13 B14 S15 SS14 (Cleric 2)
Morale: 12
Alignment: Chaotic
XP: 35
Number Appearing: 1 (0) (see below)
Treasure Type: C
Turn As: Wight (Type 5)
A huecuva is a Cleric who has been cursed to undeath for their faithlessness. It resembles a skeleton wrapped in old, tattered robes or rusting armor. Small points of red light can be seen in each of its empty eye sockets. A huecuva speaks and reads all the languages it knew in life.
A huecuva is a cowardly combatant, preferring to set up traps and ambushes for potential interlopers. It will attack Clerics before anyone else. Those struck by the huecuva's claws must save vs. Poison or contract a terrible wasting disease. Each day the target takes 1d3 points of Constitution damage. Those reduced to 0 Constitution die, and rise as a zombie on the following day, under the control of the huecuva. A cure disease spell must be used to prevent death.
Ability points lost due to a huecuva's disease return at a rate of 1 per day of complete rest. All huecuva can cast spells as a Cleric (level 1d4+1). However, these spells are always reversed.
A huecuva can only be harmed by silver or magical weapons. In addition, it takes 1d6 points of damage from the touch of a holy symbol. A huecuva can be Turned by a Cleric (as a wight), and like all undead are immune to sleep, charm, and hold spells.
They are turned as Wights.
This got me thinking later on while indulging in our other favorite Christmas-time indulgence, our re-watch of Game of Thrones. I was digging around in my notes about Lammasu and Shedu for my One Man's God posts and thought I would resurrect them for today.
Lamassu and Shedu
One thing that bugged me way back when reading the Monster Manual was that many of the monsters were very similar. For example, there are Manticores (Greek), Sphinxes (Egyptian and Greek), the Lammasu, and Shedu, with these last two based on Babylonian/Sumerian/Akkadian myths. Sort of. The Lamassu and Shedu in these myths are actually two different names for the same creature. Also, the name in the Monster Manual has a different spelling ("Lammasu").
I always considered these to be related creatures. Something I would later see in the Forgotten Realms lore. AD&D 2nd Ed made their differences a little more pronounced by making the Shedu the "psionic one."
Lamassu
Large Celestial (Outsider, Lawful)
Str: 16 (+2) Dex: 14 (+1) Con: 15 (+1) Int: 16 (+2) Wis: 18 (+3) Cha: 17 (+2)
Lamassu are spiritual guardians, often in the service of a Lawful Good god or order, who spend their lives on the Material Planes guarding houses and temples. They can be found in the wild, typically warmer climes. They appear as winged lions with human faces. They are loath to attack mortals but will attack demons, undead, and evil creatures with fear or hesitation.
The lamassu can attack with two foreclaws for 1d4+2 hp damage each on a single target. They can also employ the following spell-like powers: Protection from Evil 10' at all times, become invisible, and cast dimension door at will. Additionally, they have the spell-casting and undead-turning ability of a Lawful Good Cleric of the 7th level.
Lamassu are typically viewed as female due to their association with the Goddess Lama. As guardian spirits, though, they are neither male nor female and both at the same time. They are often compared to sphinxes (whom they share areas with and tolerate), manticores (whom they despise), and shedu (qv.). As spirit guardians made flesh, they are not "born" but come into being at the will of their Goddess. Though it could be argued that She is their mother.
Shedu
Large Celestial (Outsider, Lawful)
Str: 16 (+2) Dex: 14 (+1) Con: 16 (+2) Int: 18 (+3) Wis: 16 (+1) Cha: 17 (+2)
Shedu are often considered to be the "male" versions of Lamassu. This comes from observations that shedu typically has thick, curly beards, and lamassu does not. Both, though, are genderless spirit creatures. Shedu have the bodies of great equines or bulls, with hooves of brass, the wings of an eagle, and the face of a human.
Like lamassu, the sheu is loathe to attack mortals of any sort, save for the most evil. The will attacks demons and undead on sight. They can attack with their great forehooves on a single target, each hoof getting an attack. Additionally, they have the following spell-like abilities they can use at will: Protection from Evil 10' radius, become Etheral or Astral, teleport without error. They also can cast spells as a 9th-level magic User (wizard).
Shedu are often found roaming the mortal planes, searching for evil to destroy and lawful good mortals to aid. They are always found in multiples of two. Sheu in their lair are often guarding a larger temple to a Lawful Good god, power, or order. Lamassu and Shedu are rarely found together unless they are working with a more powerful Lawful Good force. Even here, they are always found in multiples of two. When a Shedu is killed on the mortal planes, its spirit will return in seven days.
Greater Shedu: There are shedu that are greater in power and size than the common Shedu. These creatures have 14 HD, and their damage is +3 to each attack. They cast spells as a 13th-level Wizard. Greater shedu do travel and work in pairs, but they are also the only type of shedu that can be encountered alone.
Past the tomb is a long hall leading deeper into the complex. This hallway is filled with traps.
The hallway is 120' long, and there is a trap trigger every 5'. Each trap, once triggered fires 1d4+2 darts. They attack as a 5-HD monster. There are 24 total traps.
Each dart has a paralytic poison. Save vs. Paralysis or fall into a paralyzed stupor. One round later the victim must save vs. Death or die. If the first save is successful then the second save is not needed.
A thief can find the traps easy enough. Each one they discover increases the chance of discovering the next one by 1% for the first 5 and then 5% per addition for each one after.
The traps are not a serious threat once they are figured out. It is harder to deal with if the mummies from Room 10 are chasing the PCs.
This first tomb features the sarcophagi of eight of the Vampire Queen's lesser servants.
These mummies will attack any who enter, such is their anger even after death.
The PCs enter the foyer of the grand tomb. This area is 10 feet wide and 60 feet long. In front of the party at the end of the 60 feet is a large set of double doors. There is no lock and no mechanism for turning to open the doors. As the party approaches the door a voice can be heard and even though it is not loud it echoes throughout the darkness.
"From where does the Vampire Queen gather her true power?"
There are four floor-to-ceiling portraits of the Vampire Queen at various stages in her life. In front of each is a small brass brazier with a small hole in the bottom. Examination will show there are blood stains on and around all the bowls. There is no way to see if one is bloodier than the others.
The four paintings are:
1. The Vampire Queen when she was young and alive. It shows her making her deal with Akelarre.
2. The Vampire Queen at a little older making her deal with Orcus.
3. A portrait of the Vampire Queen alone.
4. The Vampire Queen at the front of a large army of demons and undead, a Death Knight at her side.
The correct answer is #3. The Vampire Queen relies only on herself. A character must cut themselves and bleed into the brazier in front of Portrait #3.
Doing so to any of the others will result in the release of a Bronze Golem fashioned to look like her companion in the portrait (Akelarre, Orcus or the Death Knight).
