House of Khalif Mubrek

The House of Khalif Mubrek was a dangerous house in the city of Phoenix within the Raurin.

Location
The house lay submerged beneath the sands in the city of Phoenix.

Interior
The foyer of Khalif Mubrek was still accessible from the outside streets. It was set apart from the street with pillars and a stone filigree; the floor was a complex mosaic of white and cream-colored stones, while the walls were covered in dark brown baked enamel tiles. There was an entrance door, with an inscription enchanted to render it readable to anyone, stating "My fun is your fun". The entrance was only small enough for one person at a time, and it required a man-sized person to stoop slightly in order to cross. Anyone passing would be struck by a chocolate cream pie in the face. Even those who covered their faces completely while entering would be assaulted by a flying pie as soon as they were inside the room.

Beyond the foyer was the sitting room of Khalif Mubrek. It had walls frescoed in murals of a city with beautiful buildings descending to a large lake dotted with triangular sail ships. The room was appointed with fine couches and chairs, embroidered with pastels and gold. Two five-foot couches inlaid with gold were worth 150 gp, 10 gp for the inlay alone; a small chair encrusted with seed pearls and inlaid with gold was worth 180 gp, 20 gp from the seed pearls and 20 gp from the inlay. A high, bronze-backed throne-like seat with large arms was set with runes that would display "Rule ye all who sit here"; it was a harmless prank device, whose seat dropped out as the arms fell inward if anyone sat on it. Struggling to rise would make the legs spread outwards while the back hinged forwards. The device would return to its shape as soon as its user was extricated from the chair.

Beyond the sitting room was his dining room. It had a 30-foot vaulted ceiling, ornate brass oil lamps hanging from the ceiling, and a floor covered in thick wool rugs colored in fantastic designs. The rug would gently but forcefully remove the shoes of anyone passing by, even if it tripped them in the process. There was a long, low table in the middle of the room for diners to eat seated at the floor, which would seat up to 24.

From Khalif Mubrek's dining room, one would reach his entrance. The entrance would open unto the streets, where a boneless, dessicated husk of a corpse lay across the threshold. The other room led unto his kitchen; the kitchen had three ovens, a hearth, several cleared-out cupboards, and three water taps. These water traps were prank devices; the flow of water on one of them would stop if one attempted to tap them for water, the second one would spew a torrent of water into the fact of the person attempting to tap, and the third worked normally- but it turned the tongue and lips of those who drank black. There was a warning to leave back through the entrance, which would change language as needed; those who used the other door would end in the Hall of Khalif Mubrek. That hallway contained a black obelisk with a sign of a raised palm on the side pointing towards the kitchen, and a mirror of opposition on the other side of the obelisk. Several bodies lay on the other side of the obelisk; there was a door leading outside past the obelisk.

Defenses
The mirror of opposition was an ongoing hazard. The rest of the house was annoying, but not dangerous.

Inhabitants
The phantom of Khalif Mubrek could still manifest. Everyone who entered the duning room would be announced with a gong, followed by the appearance of Khalif Mubrek's own ghost, and the instant serving of a meal of steaming roast meat, fresh fruits, pita bread, three goblets of wine (one gold and two silver), and a decanter full of wine, per person. Anyone sitting at the table would be greeted by the spirit of Khalif Mubrek, a smiling, pudgy, little man dressed in the finest silks and satins, whose fingers were covered in assortments of rings showing pearls, emeralds, rubies and diamonds. He would offer people a toast in the golden goblets; those were actually dribble glasses. If the players did not laugh alongside the man as they toasted, the meal would disappear; upon finishing the meal, one of Khalif Mubrek's rings would appear before them in the table. Those who took the rings would hear a last toast from the apparition, "Long Life".

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Desert of Desolation