HS4 The Lost Caverns of Acheron - Hyborian Age - Xoth

HS4: The Lost Caverns of Acheron
16. ENTHRONED SKELETON
The ceiling of this place is unusually high,
perhaps 70 feet at its peak. In the alcove
to the north stands a large throne of
carved stone. On the throne sits a ten-feet
tall skeleton, grasping a jewel-hilted black
axe.
The dead thing glares down from its rocky
throne, while the wavering torchlight
paints life and animation into the withered
skull-face and move the shadows in its
sunken sockets like dark, burning eyes.
The flesh on its huge torso has dried,
shrunk, and split, and now clings in tatters
to naked ribs. The axe it holds is a terrific
weapon, made of blackened iron, not
copper or bronze as might have been
expected from its obvious age. It has seen
many battles, for its blade, although still
keen, is notched in a score of places.
Sorcery protects this Acheronian giant in
death. If the skeleton or its weapon is
disturbed, an ancient spell animates the
skeleton, and it attacks using the axe.
Wielded by the giant, the axe is a onehanded
weapon, but a normal human
must grasp it with both hands. It is exceptionally
keen (the critical hit multiplier is
x4).
17. DEAD LABORERS
This cave is similar to area 1. There are 26
slave corpses here.
18. GROTTO OF THE DEMON IDOL
In the shadowy corners of this cavern lie
what must be the shattered parts of a
great statue.
Closer inspection of the shattered statue
reveals that it must have been some sort
of horned demon-idol, but its face has
been so disfigured by pick-axes and
chisels as to make it unrecognizable.
Likewise, the arms and feet of the statue
have been hewn off, and the torso
crushed by hammer-blows.
This was once a finely wrought idol of the
demon-god that Xaltana worshipped. The
priests of Set who sealed the Witch-Queen
in her tomb also destroyed the idol,
carried the pieces with them to the
Graskaal mountains, and dumped the
broken statue here.
19. TRAPPED CORRIDORS
The PCs need to venture down each of
the six area 19s in order to gain entry to
the Tomb of Xaltana (area 20). At any time
the PCs venture into a passage leading to
one of these areas, read this:
The end of the passageway is blocked by
a pair of purple stone doors, each nine
feet wide and 21 feet tall. From the look
of the hinges set into the stone, each of
these great doors must be at least one
foot thick. On each door are many leering
demon visages in bronze. Weird symbols
form a crabbed tracery around the
border of each great portal.
The gates open outward (4 in. thick;
Hardness 8; hp 60; Break DC 28). After the
doors are open, read the following text.
Beyond the iron doors is a corridor with
walls of white marble. The walls and floor
are polished and dust-free. A thick black
carpet runs from the entry to an ebony
door 40 feet distant, the gleam of silver
hinges, studs, and ring apparent even at
this distance. The arched ceiling is of
black marble shot through with bands of
scarlet. A dim purple glow seems to come
from the ceiling, giving an eerie light
which pervades the entire passageway.
Each of the corridors is trapped with a
different trap to keep intruders out (and
Xaltana in). The traps are as follows:
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