The
Torture Chambers of the High Inquisitor
Background
In a medium sized trade city a large
number of homeless have gone missing. The local governor would
normally pay no mind to this as it relieves the city of what he
considers to be riff-riff. However, the people of the lower districts
have come together to appeal aid and have unwittingly caused a ruckus
in the noble districts in the process. With no recourse but to
investigate or throw the noble district into chaos the governor has
sent out a missive to any foolhardy enough: Find and stop whatever is
taking the homeless and if need be rescue those who can be saved.
Adventure Hooks
Missive of the Troubled Governor.
The missive of the governor has reached the party and eager for the
reward (500 gp) and agree to the quest.
An Old Friend. One of the party
members once journeyed with and formed a fast friendship with an old
dwarf named Bomgi. After the two split to go on their separate roads
Bomgi ran into some troubled times and ended up as one of the
homeless forgotten on the streets of the city. Only recently did the
player discover their old friend's fate but before they could make it
to the city Bomgi was among the many who vanished.
An Old Wound. The party's cleric
or paladin (or both if they serve the same god) receive word from
their order about the recent activity in the city and request that
they investigate. The letter tells the sad story of a Church
Inquisitor who fell to darkness. The Order believes that someone has
found the Inquisitor's dark secret and is copying the fallen
Inquisitor's final, horrible acts. The Church requests that the
copy-cat be eliminated and that any link to the Church be removed.
Book of Secrets. It is rumored
that long ago a great dark mage created a book that in its pages held
every dark secret of any individual alive or dead. All the owner of
the book had to do was whisper the name of the person and that
person's secrets would be theirs to know. The dark mage supposedly
vanished from the city ages ago, leaving behind all his worldly goods
except for the Book of Secrets.
Adventure Set-Up
The Torture Chambers have a grand total
of seven areas. The seventh area is locked away until the players
find the five keys to unlock it. The halls connecting the chambers
are patrolled by the victims of the Inquisitor. Every 500 feet the
characters have a 3 in 6 chance of encountering one of the following:
|
Roll (D6) |
Encounter |
|
1 |
2d4 Pyre Zombies |
|
2 |
2d8 Skeletons |
|
3 |
1d10 Leper Zombies |
|
4 |
1d6 Guests |
|
5 |
1 Shadow |
|
6 |
2d8 Zombies |
Area 1. The Stairs
This area is a stairway that leads up
into the sewers of the city and a door that is locked by five
keyholes arranged into the shape of a pentagram. Once the characters
have the five keys those keys must be placed in the corresponding
holes to the rooms the keys were located in. Should a character not
put the keys in correctly they will be struck by a lightning spell
trap.
Area 2. The Room of the Hanging
Coffins
Dozens of hanging metal coffins dangle
from the ceiling of this area and lay on their sides upon the ground.
The floor and some of the cages have ancient moldy bones. A single
living homeless person, a dwarf named Bomgi, is trapped in one of the
hanging coffins. When the players enter he will tell them to run. As
soon as he finishes speaking four of the coffins will attack the
players. Should Bomgi survive the attack and is freed by the players
he will request that he come along to aid them (treat as hireling by
rules of choice)
Enemies – Hanging Coffins(8):
HD 4: AC 2[18]; Atk Slam 1d6; Move 6; Save 14; CL/XP 5/240; SPC
on a successful attack the Hanging Coffin has a 4 in 6 chance to
attempt to capture its target within itself (save negates). While
trapped the target receives ½ the damage the Hanging Coffin does
from any attacks. While trapped the target cannot move or make any
actions that are not vocal.
Treasure – Approximately 25 gp worth
of gold and jewels litters the ground.
Key Location – rear wall being held
by a skeleton.
Area 3. Room of Desperation.
A richly appointed chamber with fine
carpets and tapestries. A side board against one wall has liquors of
ever y variety available to drink as the players please. However,
these bottles are laced with a poison that will magically over
hydrate the drinker's body until they explode. When the character's
enter this room they are enchanted by a spell that rings the door.
This spell causes them to be overly thirsty. Any supplies they may
have do not sate the thirst they feel. The effects of this spell last
twelve hours. If a character succeeds a saving throw against either
spell three times in a row he is disenchanted and cannot be
re-enchanted in that way for twenty-four hours.
Enemies – None
Treasure – None
Key Location – Resting on the
sideboard.
Area 4. Room of Impalement
Large narrow spikes cover nearly every
inch of this chamber. Hundreds of bones line the floor and a few more
recent bodies slowly rot on the spikes. Once the characters are in
the room the spikes come to life and writhe like snakes as they try
to impale the characters.
Enemies – Living Spikes (50):
HD 4: AC 2[18]; Atk Stab 1d4; Move 0; Save 14; CL/XP 5/240 spc
on a to-hit roll of 20 or better the target is impaled on the spike
and receives 2d4 damage per round until he is removed from the spike.
Treasure – Approximately 50 gp worth
of gold.
Key location – On the floor
carelessly dropped among the bones.
Area 5. Room of Giant Rats
This large pit of the room is a
squirming mass of giant, rats who have grown large and dangerous in
the centuries they have been used as instruments of torture and
death. At the mere scent of human or demi-human flesh the two dozen
or so giant rats will fly into a frenzy and attempt to devour the
nearest character.
Enemies – Giant Rats (24):
HD 3;
AC 6[13]; Atk 2 claws (1d3), 1 bite (1d6); Move 12; Save 14; CL/XP
3/120; Special: 5% are diseased.
Treasure – None
Key location – Stuck in the gap of a
Giant Rat's teeth.
Area 6. Room of the Wheels
This room is a giant sphere made up of
five-foot wide sections of alternately moving wheels. Each wheel has
30 blunt, metal shafts extending from it at a distance of fifteen
feet. The rooom itself spins as well at a rate of every three
minutes, turning to a different angel. If hit by a shaft the player
is knocked off balance for 2d6 damage and must succeed a saving throw
or fall helplessly into the device and receive an additional 2d6
damage for every round he fails a saving throw.
Enemies – None
Treasure – None
Key location – Stuck against the
center most shaft.
Area 7. Inquisitor’s Quarters
This room is richly appointed. The
walls are covered in a velvet wall paper and tapestries. From the
five walls of the chamber a single faucet breaks through the
wallpaper and various other tapestries. If any of these should be
turned on it will issue forth blood not water. The Inquisitor is no
where to be found until the character have explored the whole room.
Once this has occurred the players will be overcome by fog that well
be sucked into the form of the Inquisitor. While happy to talk to the
characters he soon grows tired of it and attacks.
Enemies – The Inquisitor (Vampire)
Treasures – 250 gp worth in jewels
and gold. The Book of Secrets found in a false drawer.
Concluding the Adventure
Should the players be fully successful
in their mission they will find that the city has released a breathe
it did not know it was holding. The Governor reluctantly pays the
characters and sends them on their way with a promise of future
employment if their services and talents are needed again. If the
characters rescued Bomgi he will beg for the adventurers to take him
on as a faithful retainer. The book, while evil, is of little use
unless the owner rolls a critical success. Otherwise the book lies.
With the Inquisitor dead the questions
that still remain are simple. Why did the torture chamber exist at
all, especially if it truly belonged to a good god or goddess.
Further who or what turned the Inquisitor into what he was in the
end?
Monster Index
Giant Rats:
HD 3;
AC 6[13]; Atk 2 claws (1d3), 1 bite (1d6); Move 12; Save 14; CL/XP
3/120; Special: 5% are diseased.
Guest:
HD: 2+2; AC:
6 [13]; Atk: Touch (1d4+level drain); Move: 12; ST:
16 Special: Fear, Level Drain CL/XP: 4/120
Hanging
Coffins:
HD
4: AC 2[18]; Atk Slam 1d6; Move 6; Save 14; CL/XP 5/240; SPC on a
successful attack the Hanging Coffin has a 4 in 6 chance to attempt
to capture its target within itself (save negates). While trapped the
target receives ½ the damage the Hanging Coffin does from any
attacks. While trapped the target cannot move or make any actions
that are not vocal.
Leper
Zombie: HD 1; AC 6[13]; Atk 1 claw or bite (1d6); Move 9; Save
17; CL/XP 3/60; Special: Disease, those slain animate as leper
zombies
Living
Spikes:
HD
4: AC 2[18]; Atk Stab 1d4; Move 0; Save 14; CL/XP 5/240 spc on a
to-hit roll of 20 or better the target is impaled on the spike and
receives 2d4 damage per round until he is removed from the spike.
Pyre
Zombie: HD 2; AC 8[11] or with shield 7[12]; Atk 1 weapon or
strike (1d8); Move 6; Save 16; CL/XP 3/60; Special: Immune to sleep
and charm, immolation.
Shadow:
HD 3+3; AC 7[12]; Atk 1 touch (1d4 + strength drain); Move 12; Save
14; CL/XP 4/120; Special: Drain 1 point str with hit, hit only by
magic weapons.
Skeleton:
HD 1; AC 8[11] or 7[12] with shield; Atk 1 weapon or strike (1d6)
or (1d6+1 two-handed); Move 12; Save 17; CL/XP 1/15; Special: none
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