Elder Evils

CHAPTER 10
ZARGON
Adventurers make preparations for an assault on the ziggurat
Illus. by R. Horsley
desired, but by the time the PCs reach the ziggurat, Zargon
should soon be freed, and there’s neither time nor need to
detail every inch of this place.
Before Zargon was sealed in the floor, lower levels provided
access to the Lost City far below. Whether these levels remain
or the Lost City can still be accessed is up to you.
Entrances
Unless you wish to expand this adventure site to include the
upper levels, the PCs have to enter through the front doors
leading to area A. However, 20 feet of sand prevents this.
Characters might use teleportation and divination spells
(subject to the limits imposed by Zargon) to circumvent this
barrier. If not, it takes 20 hours to clear out a passage by hand
(or five hours each for four characters).
Lighting
Lamps that burn human fat for fuel illuminate the main level.
The fuel is poor and gives off more smoke than light. Each lamp
sheds shadowy illumination in a 10-foot radius. The lamps hang
from hooks every 20 feet in the corridors and might or might
not be lit in individual rooms, depending on the occupants.
Doors
Doors throughout are closed and locked. All locks use the
same keys, and each cultist carries a key on his person. The
cultists shut and lock any door they pass through—to leave
one open warns that intruders are inside.
Locked Lead Door: 2 inches thick; hardness 10; hp 60;
Open Lock DC 30; break DC 28.
Walls
The walls between rooms are reinforced masonry, and thicker
walls count as magically treated hewn stone. Lead sheets
have been buried within all walls, ruining certain divination
spells such as locate object.
Thin Walls (Reinforced Masonry): 1 foot thick; break
DC 45; hardness 8; hp 180; Climb DC 15.
Thick Walls (Magically Treated Hewn Stone): 3 feet
thick or thicker; break DC 70; hardness 16; hp 1,080; Climb
DC 22.
Floors
The floors are flagstone. In breached areas, light rubble
increases the DCs of Balance and Tumble checks by 2.
DEFENSES
The cult is ready for an attack, so three sets of guards monitor
the corridors. Each group consists of five guards.
If combat breaks out, the closest guards are entitled to Listen
checks. Those who succeed go to investigate. Guards in room 12
respond to sounds of fighting in encounter 10–3 (page 158).
Dorn and Vanessa will investigate if they hear combat
break out within 50 feet of them. Otherwise, they move to
encounter 10–3 to make their stand alongside Zargon.
Cult Guards (5 per group): 59 hp; see page 156.
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