Crypt of Badr Al-Mosak

The Crypt of Badr Al-Mosak was an ancient tomb in Raurin that was repurposed as a stronghold by the efreet Khalitharius in the, shortly after his release.

Location
The Crypt of Badr Al-Mosak was about south by southwest of the Oasis of the White Palm, across a formation of blasted hills. It was most accessible from the north.

Structure
The Crypt of Badr Al-Mosak lay in the middle of some low-lying rocky hills. Above ground, it had a few broken pillars surrounding a terraced bowl. Those who looked upon these pillars reported a feeling of menace.

A midnight-blue stone statue with a pharaoh's headdress stood in the middle of the stone bowl. It was only tall, on a  scalloped base, which was free of sand. The statue had robes gathered in one hand, and a scepter in the other. The base had a scalloped edge, which contrasted with the dead-white stone platform beneath. This platform had three broad steps. The bowl formed an amphitheater with ten rows of seats.

Beneath the statue, there was a vertical shaft leading down towards a lower level. A trap down the shaft would slice along the shaft if it detected any object larger than  going through it. An entrance to the lower levels was on the sides of the shaft, which otherwise continued on down to an underground lake below.

The first chamber in the lower level had four chambers each and  and aligned with the cardinal points. These each held a statue, and all would be animated when triggered by a weight of at least. The western statue was of a fish-headed woman holding six blades that dripped with something, and would rush down the corridor attacking all along the way if triggered. The northern statue was of an efreet, and triggering it would send a fireball into the chamber. The eastern statue was of a being with four arms, each holding a bow: it shot out silver arrows, which would teleport back to the statue after hitting. It was possible to recover those arrows from the statue itself, however.

The southern statue was covered in blades that pointed back towards the hallway; it was actually a secret door leading further into the crypt. Immediately behind it was a room terminated by another statue, this one of a man holding a flail and a crook with his arms folded across his chest. The statue was a secret door. The west door led towards a room with a enchanted dagger, a scroll of protection from elementals, two potions of invisibility and a scroll of three wizard spells. During the rescue of Princess Shadalah, the room also had five wights waiting for a chance to re-enter the tomb proper after a sortie outside. The east door was seemingly empty, but held a secret door. This secret door led to the west-most oracle.

The Malatath, Khalitharius' army of restless spirits, bid their time in the Catacomb of Kings, behind the hidden door; it opened into a wide bridge  long. There was a drop around the bridge, leading to the floor where the undead rested; the place was covered in unyielding darkness. The bridge itself was covered in strands of moss and mold. The walls were away; the chill of death, and soft moaning cries, hung in the air. If the undead were to hear someone crawling on the bridge, they would send forward mummies, wights, a spectre, wraiths, and shadows; the ones that were incapable of flight would climb the moss strands instead.

Beyond the bridge lay an altar room. At the center was an altar room, where a shaft of light shone down on an altar; five different inscriptions on the walls would solicit a sacrifice in the name of Seker. If a magical item was held within of the altar, a voice would call out "Seker Asks". Placing a magical item on the altar would then yield Seker's Harness. The altar room held three hallways east, west, and south; all of them were oracle rooms. A magical effect placed on a tall obelisk on each oracle room would answer all questions randomly, but with a sagely voice. Only the western oracle had no northern exit; the other oracles had doors in all directions, though the doors to the room southeast and southwest of the altar were secret. The southeast and southwestern rooms held hollow cubes of stone; the eastern one held four necrophidi protecting a libram of gainful conjuration. Interestingly, going west from the western oracle, south from the southern, or east from the eastern led to pits of infinite falling, where anything would fall through the bottom only to be teleported back to the top.

The pits of everfall were the only way to access the hidden upper level of the crypt. The western pit held, besides small rocks, only a skeleton in plate mail; the southern pit held debris and several pieces of treasure, including a crystal ball with clairaudience, a helm of alignment change, a scroll of fireball, and two vials of oil of slipperiness. The eastern everfall only held a few creatures of note, namely three mummies. The pits extended below the entrance to the level, and  upwards; the entrance to the upper level was  up.

The upper levels of the crypt were only accessible by climbing up through the pits of everfall. All of them opened unto octagonal rooms where beams of light bounced off the walls; four specific rays were dangerous, dealing cold, electricity, the effects of a disintegrate spell, and a teleport that would send anyone to the southern everfall pit. The beams were susceptible to dispel magic. There were stairs behind all of those portals; all of them led to the room where Khalitharius kept the princess. At the time she was rescued, he was holding a large crystal bottle with a stopper, in which he had imprisoned Princess Shadalah.

If the amulet of the Sheik was held at that time, the efreet would've been struck by a blue beam which caused him intense pain and shock; he would only have been able to continue fighting for a couple of minutes before he decided to flee, leaving behind Princess Shadalah's bottle. Behind the room Khalitharius used, there was another room, which held the Star of Shah-Pelar. A single pillar, bathed in a column of light in the middle of the room, made for the display stand of the huge, cut jewel. The floor was paved with hexagonal flagstones of marble, each five feet across; some of them were illusory, concealing four-foot-deep acid pools. Rays, easily blocked, protruded from the facets of the gem. Those rays, if not guarded against, could cause severe damage. On taking the gem, if its half-pound weight wasn't replaced as it was removed, new rays would shine on all real flagstones; those rays could petrify anyone they touched.

The last room in the crypt, accessible through an arch across the room of the Star Gem, was empty except for scorched, blasted, pitted walls, scraps of cloth, rusted weapons, and other junk.

Defenses
The statue itself was the focus of a permanent fear effect, whose strength was greater than normal; it had been placed by the efreet, and would break if the statue was moved.

Amongst the monsters wandering the crypt were mummies, wights, wraiths, a spectre, giant rats, a gorgon, giant cobras, and giant spiders.

History
Badr Al-Mosak was said to have stolen the gem of Shah-Pelar, which had later been buried with him.

After Khalitharius' release, his minions used the Crypt as a base of operations. Whatever tracks they left after a battle in the desert led in the direction of the tomb, though they disappeared after a mile or so.

Rumors & Legends
Barus Broadblade, after being interrogated by the dervish cultists in the oasis, had come to believe (correctly) that the efreet had taken the princess to his stronghold in the Crypt. Tolnus Granicus, guildmaster of the Sandvoyagers' Guild, had independently come to a similar conclusion.

Inhabitants

 * Khalitharius
 * Princess Shadalah

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Desert of Desolation