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West of the pillared room was a 100' (30.5 m) long hallway, that featured 16 heavy oval-shaped mirrors, divided evenly among the northern and southern walls.<ref name="WDMM-p20">{{Cite book/Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage|20}}</ref> These mirrors were enchanted with magic designed to preserve their silver backing from the room's moisture. Three of these mirrors hung before gaps in which objects could be hidden in. These gaps changed from time to time places and could be behind different mirrors. These mirrors could be destroyed as easily as any other mirror, but destroyed ones were replaced with while ones. One of these mirrors, to be precise the one in the far west, was a ''[[mirror of opposition]]'' that created an aggressive double that tried to kill first the reflected person and then everybody else who was present.<ref name="RU.CGU-p19" /> |
West of the pillared room was a 100' (30.5 m) long hallway, that featured 16 heavy oval-shaped mirrors, divided evenly among the northern and southern walls.<ref name="WDMM-p20">{{Cite book/Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage|20}}</ref> These mirrors were enchanted with magic designed to preserve their silver backing from the room's moisture. Three of these mirrors hung before gaps in which objects could be hidden in. These gaps changed from time to time places and could be behind different mirrors. These mirrors could be destroyed as easily as any other mirror, but destroyed ones were replaced with while ones. One of these mirrors, to be precise the one in the far west, was a ''[[mirror of opposition]]'' that created an aggressive double that tried to kill first the reflected person and then everybody else who was present.<ref name="RU.CGU-p19" /> |
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| + | South of the Entry Well was a giant magical portcullis that shut a corridor.<ref name="TRULM1" /> That one fell from the ceiling at some point before 1371 DR. Somebody actually bent the bars in the center to create a gap trough which people could walk through. The aforementioned magical properties of the portcullis was of reflective nature. Every single spell that was cast on or through it was reflected or dispelled.<ref name="TRUCG-28">{{Cite book/The Ruins of Undermountain/Campaign Guide to Undermountain|28}}</ref> |
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* The first creature to pass through the gate triggered an elder rune. |
* The first creature to pass through the gate triggered an elder rune. |
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* A creature that passed through the gate appeaeds in a room in the west part of Level 10, Murial's Gauntlet.<ref name="WDMM-p22">{{Cite book/Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage|22}}</ref> |
* A creature that passed through the gate appeaeds in a room in the west part of Level 10, Murial's Gauntlet.<ref name="WDMM-p22">{{Cite book/Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage|22}}</ref> |
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| + | * South of the Entry Well was a continuously working ''gate'' that caused people to teleport to the [[Hall of the Black Helm]] in the second level of Undermountain.<ref name="RUCGU-22">{{Cite book/The Ruins of Undermountain/Campaign Guide to Undermountain|22}}</ref> |
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==Inhabitants== |
==Inhabitants== |
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Revision as of 22:25, 20 March 2019
The Dungeon Level was the first level of Undermountain.[1]
Entrance
The dungeon of the Undermountain was accessible via a winch over the the pit in the common room of the Yawning Portal, with a fee of 1 gp per person. It took roughly a minute to lower or raise the rope-and-pulley mechanism that powered the machine.[1] The well descended for 140' (42.7 m) to a floor of rough-hewn rock that was covered by a thin later of sand and the skeletal remains of a number of different creatures, some of which were humanoid in form.[2]
Sixty battered and cracked shields hung on the walls of the entrance chamber. They featured the heraldry of many Waterdhavian familial crests, some of which were recognizable as belong to the noble families of the 14th and 15th centuries DR.[2] These ancient shields were so fragile that they broke when touched. Behind one of the shields was a message written in blood in Elvish:[3]
The "gates" likely referenced the gates required to transport between the levels (although other passages could also be used for that purpose).[speculation]
the Dungeon Level held at least one portal that connected it to Calimport, which was used by an adventurer company called the Black Banners in 1371 DR that met its end at the hand of a group of bugbears.[4]
Notable Locations
This was an archetypical temple to the drow deity Selvetarm,[5] which was found in Undermountain[6] south-south-west of the Entry Well.[7]
- Dead Man's Throne
This throne was found south-west of the Entry Well.[7] In 1371 DR, there were feet-bones at the feet of the throne as though somebody was sitting on it. The rest was floating around on the throne. The skull always faced onlookers. What happened there was that some priest tried to create an undead servant, but the process so hard that it did not just kill him, but made his bones float around. Small objects could be made to join the floating stuff and the entire floating could be made stop by employing dispel magic.[8]
- Fountain of Flowers
By 1371 DR, the white-tiled room decorated with mosaic that held the Fountain of Flowers at its center was in ruin. The actual fountain was made of granite and looked like a pillar made of flowers from which no water came out, because the pipes did not work anymore. At the ground of this fountain was a passage that could be opened with the proper key or through the skills of a competent rogue. The passage led to a destroyed temple of Bhaal. The culprits of its destruction were the Lords of Waterdeep.[9]
- Hall of a Hundred Candles
This room, or more a corridor, was south of the Entry Well.[7] There were a lot of floating candles, not hundred but sixty of them. The effect was fashioned by Muiral, a mad apprentice of Halaster and the developer of the candle spell. The effect allowed the hot candles to perpetually burn, outside of the corridor, they burnt only for ten minutes or so, and made them impossible to put out. However, casting dispel magic on even one of them put out all of them at once. It was believed to be the only place where Muiral's mind could experience some lucidity.[8]
- Hall of many Pillars
A long hallway leading from the entrance chamber opened up to this 20' (6.1 m) long hall, which featured a series of bas-relief sculptures set into the walls, 4' (1.2 m) wide, 9' (2.7 m) tall and 3" (7.6 cm) deep. Each wall depicted different species of demons, including a balor, a marilith and a shadow demon, among others.[3]
A hidden tunnel could be accessed behind the relief of a nalfeshnee on the southern wall,[3] which led south slightly downwards towards a small chamber with a westward-slanted floor, that had been partially flooded by the fetid sewer waters of Waterdeep. A 20' (6.1 m) wide alcove set into the north-facing wall held a life-size statue of a sahuagin, half-submerged in water, shining with a purple glow. The head of the statue could be unscrewed at the neck.[10]
On the northern wall, behind the relief of a dretch,[3] was a small hidden room that contained an unadorned, wooden armor stand. Anyone who entered this chamber heard the echoes of far-away voices that echoed through 10" (25.4 cm) long vents they were set into the ceiling.[10]
The western portion of the hall opened up into slightly wider, larger hexagonal room that housed a number of smooth-stone pillars. On the southwestern wall someone had carved the words: "CERTAIN DEATH, THIS WAY!" in thorass. A large, serpentine skeleton was entwined around the northern-most pillar.[10] The entire room was considered a dead-magic zone.[11]
- Hall of Mirrors
West of the pillared room was a 100' (30.5 m) long hallway, that featured 16 heavy oval-shaped mirrors, divided evenly among the northern and southern walls.[12] These mirrors were enchanted with magic designed to preserve their silver backing from the room's moisture. Three of these mirrors hung before gaps in which objects could be hidden in. These gaps changed from time to time places and could be behind different mirrors. These mirrors could be destroyed as easily as any other mirror, but destroyed ones were replaced with while ones. One of these mirrors, to be precise the one in the far west, was a mirror of opposition that created an aggressive double that tried to kill first the reflected person and then everybody else who was present.[11]
- Portcullises
South of the Entry Well was a giant magical portcullis that shut a corridor.[7] That one fell from the ceiling at some point before 1371 DR. Somebody actually bent the bars in the center to create a gap trough which people could walk through. The aforementioned magical properties of the portcullis was of reflective nature. Every single spell that was cast on or through it was reflected or dispelled.[13]
- Sinister Stairs
These were two stairs in a mist-filled corridor,[14] one in the west, the other in the east,[7] but were neither visible or accessible to each other. The western one consisted actually of two stairs that rose, reached a landing, and then descended again. The eastern side of this pair of stairs had the peculiarity that one of its steps swiftly rose a feet and then descended again, thus tripping people. The landing sported an apparition of an elven warrior that was not dangerous at all, people could simply go through the image. This image did not detect as magical, but could be easily dispelled to disappear for up to forty minutes. The landing also had a magical bracket set by Halaster. By putting a burning torch inside it, the torch started to burn brighter, without using fuel, and dispersed the mist that covered the mist of unknown origin.[14]
The second stair was one that descended to the Black Boudoir in the second level of Undermountain, although the last part consisted of a teleport effect. Halaster set a trap in this place. Namely, the wall, ground, and ceiling started to set themselves on fire, which was naturally harmful to those within the area. It was possible to alleviate the harm by flying instead of walking on the fire, albeit the movement was slowed due to the updraft. While it was possible to suppress the fire by means of dispel magic for two to five minutes. Halaster prepared for this eventuality, when aforementioned happened, an aggressive salamander appeared that was too fearful of the Mad Mage to have a meaningful conversation with others.[15]
This temple was accessible via a teleportation device set by Halaster that was specifically designed to circumvent his ban on such magic.[16]
Exits
Aside from the winch system (see above) going to the Yawning Portal,[1] there was a staircase in the south corner of the dungeon that led to Level 2, the Arcane Chambers.[17] In a room in the south-west part of the dungeon was a magic gate to Level 10, Muiral's Gauntlet. The following conditions applied to it:
- The gate opened for 1 minute when the mirror was touched with a magic wand that had at least 1 charge remaining.
- A would-be traveler must of sufficient experience.
- The first creature to pass through the gate triggered an elder rune.
- A creature that passed through the gate appeaeds in a room in the west part of Level 10, Murial's Gauntlet.[18]
- South of the Entry Well was a continuously working gate that caused people to teleport to the Hall of the Black Helm in the second level of Undermountain.[16]
Inhabitants
15th century DR
- Undertakers
- In 1493 DR, this gang of bandits preyed on gullible adventurers, demanding a toll of 10 gp per person for safe passage on this level. The bandits were failed actors and singers who used disguise kits to appear as vampires. One of the leaders, Harria Valashtar, had a flesh golem.[19]
- The Xanathar Guild
- Nine bugbears (five under the control of intellect devourers) represented the Xanathar Guild on this level. They were supposed to keep adventurers from reaching lower levels.[19]
Appendix
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Christopher Perkins (November 2018). Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 6. ISBN 978-0-7869-6626-4.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ed Greenwood (1991). “Campaign Guide to Undermountain”. In Steven E. Schend ed. The Ruins of Undermountain (TSR, Inc.), p. 18. ISBN 1-5607-6061-3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Christopher Perkins (November 2018). Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 14. ISBN 978-0-7869-6626-4.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1991). “Campaign Guide to Undermountain”. In Steven E. Schend ed. The Ruins of Undermountain (TSR, Inc.), p. 20. ISBN 1-5607-6061-3.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 34. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1991). “Campaign Guide to Undermountain”. In Steven E. Schend ed. The Ruins of Undermountain (TSR, Inc.), pp. 26–28. ISBN 1-5607-6061-3.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Diesel, Steve Beck, and David Sutherland (1991). “Level 1 map”. In Steven E. Schend ed. The Ruins of Undermountain (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 1-5607-6061-3.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ed Greenwood (1991). “Campaign Guide to Undermountain”. In Steven E. Schend ed. The Ruins of Undermountain (TSR, Inc.), p. 25. ISBN 1-5607-6061-3.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1991). “Campaign Guide to Undermountain”. In Steven E. Schend ed. The Ruins of Undermountain (TSR, Inc.), pp. 29–31. ISBN 1-5607-6061-3.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Christopher Perkins (November 2018). Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 16. ISBN 978-0-7869-6626-4.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ed Greenwood (1991). “Campaign Guide to Undermountain”. In Steven E. Schend ed. The Ruins of Undermountain (TSR, Inc.), p. 19. ISBN 1-5607-6061-3.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins (November 2018). Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 20. ISBN 978-0-7869-6626-4.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1991). “Campaign Guide to Undermountain”. In Steven E. Schend ed. The Ruins of Undermountain (TSR, Inc.), p. 28. ISBN 1-5607-6061-3.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Ed Greenwood (1991). “Campaign Guide to Undermountain”. In Steven E. Schend ed. The Ruins of Undermountain (TSR, Inc.), p. 24. ISBN 1-5607-6061-3.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1991). “Campaign Guide to Undermountain”. In Steven E. Schend ed. The Ruins of Undermountain (TSR, Inc.), pp. 24, 69. ISBN 1-5607-6061-3.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Ed Greenwood (1991). “Campaign Guide to Undermountain”. In Steven E. Schend ed. The Ruins of Undermountain (TSR, Inc.), p. 22. ISBN 1-5607-6061-3.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins (November 2018). Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 23. ISBN 978-0-7869-6626-4.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins (November 2018). Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 22. ISBN 978-0-7869-6626-4.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Christopher Perkins (November 2018). Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 13. ISBN 978-0-7869-6626-4.
Connections
Upper Levels: Dungeon Level • Arcane Chambers • Sargauth Level
Sublevels: Citadel of the Bloody Hand
Deep Levels: Twisted Caverns
Sublevels: Wyllowwood • Maddgoth's Castle • Dweomercore • Muiral's Gauntlet • Trobriand's Graveyard • Arcturiadoom
Dark Levels: Maze Level • Seadeeps
Sublevels: Lost Level • Slitherswamp • Troglodyte Warrens • Obstacle Course • Crystal Labyrinth • Vanrakdoom
The Gauntlet Below: Caverns of Ooze • Terminus Level • Mad Wizard's Lair
Sublevels: Runestone Caverns • Shadowdusk Hold