Herein is described a sublevel of the Deep Halls, the site of our dungeon exploration in Dreaming Amon-Gorloth. Numbered encounter areas refer to the keyed map in “Keys to the Deep Halls.”
The priests now lie in the mausoleums where sleeps the dreaming god. Through dark magic, they channel Amon-Gorloth’s dreams and restore its power. When wakened, Amon-Gorloth shall make terrible war on the Solar Goddess.
—from “the Myth of Amon-Gorloth”
A schism occurred soon after the priests began to channel the sleeping god’s dream. Receiving instructions to restore Amon-Gorloth’s strength, the dreaming priests started their work according to their respective alignments.
The first task was to locate a suitable cave network with similar structure, if not size, to that of the cyclopean mausoleums beneath the desert, on which to base the construction of a reproduction, where the cult might operate in secrecy.
The lawful priests conducted a systematic search across the dream world. At the same time, the chaotic priests roamed far and wide in random directions, peeking into any place that seemed promising. The systematic search arrived first at the desired results.
Reveling in their success, the lawful priests then set out to plan the construction, first measuring the lengths of tunnels and breadths of the mausoleums, calculating angles, and estimating supported weights.
Meanwhile, the chaotic priests began to excavate in haphazard fashion, irrespective of any plan, only according to memory and guesswork.
As the chaotic priests made progress, the lawful group’s planning was foiled. They were forced to abandon their plan. Soon the construction was complete. By then, the lawful priests formed their own sect within the cult.
Should the chaotic priests succeed to wake the god, the lawful priests feared that they themselves would be relegated to a weak position in the new hierarchy. So, when they knew Amon-Gorloth’s strength was nearly restored, they escaped the Deep Halls and informed the nomarch in Malq-Menat [base town] about the chaotic priests’ activities therein. The nomarch took this information to the Sun King, who, heeding the myth of Amon-Gorloth, dispatched the Radiant Host to destroy the dreaming priests.
The priests of the Solar Goddess interrogated the lawful priests of Amon-Gorloth. Those determined to be good natured were spared, owing to their station. But those priests found to be evil were executed by beheading.
β The smell of lavender permeates the corridor and areas 11 and 12.
9. Dreamguard
The light dims in this room. The floor in the northeast corner has fallen away to form a pit.
Shadow (1)
Shadows serve the Oneiromancer as guards and spies. This one attacks any creature who enters the room.
The pit, 10′ deep, leads to a tunnel.
10. Reveratory
Locked, wizard lock (level 14)
Eight sarcophagi are arranged side by side on the west wall, narrow isles between them. The lid of each sarcophagus is pushed to one side. A table stands in the northeast corner, a few objects upon it.
This is the Oneiromancer’s laboratory, where she studies dream magic. Detect magic reveals alteration, abjuration, and necromancy.
Carved on the upper half of each sarcophagus lid is a glyph in the form of a diamond inside a diamond. On the table are four straight iron bars, tapered on one end.
Object Kobolds (4)
The iron bars are kobolds [described later]. If they are picked up in the Oneiromancer’s absence, they attack. At the Oneiromancer’s command, the four of them together close and open the sarcophagus lids.
The sarcophagus lids are 6′ x 2.5′, length by width, and 2″ thick. Each weighs 400 lbs. Without the kobolds, two strong persons are required to manipulate the sarcophagus lids. Inside each sarcophagus is a small bronze hammer.
When the lid is closed, an engraved glyph of a diamond inside a diamond on its underside glows a soft violet. The occupant is immediately subject to a sleep spell. Sleeping in a sarcophagus for eight hours has one of the following restorative effects by order of priority: neutralize poison, cure disease, remove curse, cure serious wounds.
Common Knowledge
- The diamond shaped glyph in the common language means “gate.”
Research
- A diamond within a diamond represents a gate within a gate. Passing through a gate within a gate, one enters another realm (arcane).
11. The Oneiromancer’s Parlor
The smell of lavender is strong here. In the far corner of this chamber, an old woman crouches on a pile of furs. Strings of colored beads hang from her long greasy hair. Her eyes are bulging dark orbs either side a crinkled nose. She hunches over a bronze brazier before her. Coals glow orange. Against the wall behind her rests a box of drawers. A trio of vials sits atop the box. Near the vials, a candle burns under a small tripod pot, from which a thin vapor rises. On the wall above, a sword hangs from two pegs either side the hilt. On the near side of the brazier, a bearskin rug lays thick upon the floor.
The woman speaks in a raspy voice: “Wherefore enter you into the Deep Halls of Amon-Gorloth?”
Amon-Gorloth’s cult is made up of not only priests but also mages. These dreaming mages work with the priests to restore the sleeping god’s power. One such lawful mage was also evil. She escaped the temple priests’ trials by inciting the captured mercenaries to resist their execution. She fled with them into the Shunned Cairns. Knowing that the vanquished priests would return to the Deep Halls to continue their work, the evil mage entered through 159. Observatory and traversed the dungeon to invest the secluded chambers of the uppermost level.
Oneiromancer: Magic-User 14, Lawful Evil
The Oneiromancer plans to interrupt the chaotic priests immediately prior to their success and defeat them before effecting the waking of Amon-Gorloth herself. The Oneiromancer walks the streets of the town at night, infesting sleeping folk with dreams, calling adventurers to aid in the endeavor. She intends to use the PCs to weaken if not destroy the chaotic priests.
The Oneiromancer wears a ring of plate mail +21 (AC 1) and a ring of regeneration. Assume she has memorized any necessary spell up to 7th level.
Several drawers in the box contain a variety of small objects. One of the three vials on the box contains essential oil of lavender. The others are potions of healing and flying. The tripod pot contains simmering water and a few drops of lavender. The sword on the wall is cursed -1. The forward edge of the bronze brazier is engraved with Sacred Signs:
WAKING INTO DREAM
On their first visit, friendly PCs might learn:
- The Oneiromancer sends the dreams the town folk have.
- Her name is Tausret.
- When appropriate, she reiterates parts of the Myth of Amon-Gorloth.
- This world exists only within the dream of Amon-Gorloth.
The Oneiromancer pretends to know nothing of the whereabouts of the Griffon Fountain, object of Menturoc’s quest. And if they mention Elyriain’s elven party, she warns that the elf leader is not what she seems.
The Oneiromancer’s Quest: The Scroll of Waking
The Oneiromancer can tell them more, but first they must complete a quest.
“From the Grand Hall of Stairs, through the Door of Maat, follow the procession to the crowning of Gor. There, find a papyrus: the Scroll of Waking. Bring to me the scroll.”
12. Oneirrery
Floating in the center of this chamber are two large, flat pieces of silver. Both are diamond-shaped. One floats inside the other, though independent of it. One is 5 feet high, the other 8 feet. They are 5 feet from the floor. The ceiling is 20 feet high. The two diamonds rotate slowly on their axes, the inner clockwise, the outer counter.
The Oneiromancer built this device, which answers questions concerning the dream world. The oneirrery may also open, at the proper command, a portal to anywhere in the dream world or to the corresponding chamber in the cyclopean mausoleum. As the player party has not yet entered this room, I know not more.
Wandering Monsters
While the Oneiromancer is present, there are no wandering monsters on this level.
- See Rings of Armor in “A Curious Assortment of Rules” (Phenster’s). ↩︎