TEXT: Tower of Life
  and
  Tomb of Death
  Y
  our PCs may find themselves in one or both of
  these sample lairs for two of the races detailed in
  Races of Faerûn. The first details the ancient
  fortress tower of Tiru Tel-Quessir, an elven creation that was origi-
  nally meant to serve as a place where ambassadors of the various elf
  subraces could meet in a friendly environment and discuss the state
  of their empires. The tower was abandoned at one time, though it
  now serves as a bastion of defense in a hostile land. The second lair
  details a Netherese tomb that has been discovered recently and par-
  tially settled by a tribe of unruly orcs.
  Each lair provides a history and a description of the major areas
  of interest within, along with abbreviated statistics for the denizens
  of the lair. You can develop these barebones nonplayer characters
  (NPCs) as you see fit, molding and changing them to fit your cam-
  paign, no matter what world it takes place in. You can also adapt the
  areas for any levels, swapping out creatures as needed to suit the
  level of your player characters (PCs).
  Preparation
  You, the Dungeon Master (DM), need a copy of the Player’s Hand-
  book, the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide, and the Monster Manual to
  use this material. Some of the elements in these two lairs draw upon
  the Epic Level Handbook or Faiths and Pantheons, but these links
  are fairly minor and simple to adjust if you don’t have access to
  these books. 
  Tiru Tel-Quessir
  Tiru Tel-Quessir, translated into the Common tongue, means
  “Tower of the People.” This impressive structure was built during
  the height of Cormanthyr, the Empire of the Elves, as a neutral site
  where representatives of the seven elf subraces could meet and dis-
  cuss political and social matters of the time. Although representa-
  tives of the avariel were present at these meetings only once, and
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  TWO SAMPLE LAIRS FOR USE WITH RACES OF FAERÛN
  1
  
  Tower of Life and Tomb of Death
  2
  
  Tower of Life and Tomb of Death
  3
  though the drow never saw fit to visit Tiru Tel-Quessir, all seven
  subraces were welcome in the tower.
  The building was created with powerful elven High Magic from
  eight ancient shadowtop trees deep in the woodlands of Cormanthor,
  far from any other elven communities and hidden by a small but
  quite powerful mythal. The tower consists of one central structure
  surrounded by seven smaller ones. The seven smaller structures are
  circular platforms placed 70 feet off the ground around the trunk
  of an ancient shadowtop tree. Each of these small houses served as
  a private retreat for one of the elven diplomats, and each was con-
  nected to a circular platform atop the central structure. This saucer-
  shaped central structure was formed out of the largest shadowtop
  tree in the region, and it straddled the trunk of the giant at a point
  70 feet off the ground. A narrow staircase wound down the trunk to
  provide ground access to the tower.
  Since the fall of Myth Drannor, Tiru Tel-Quessir has stood aban-
  doned for hundreds of years, until recently when a small band of
  elves discovered it and chose to make it a base of operations while
  they gather intelligence on the drow that are rapidly infiltrating the
  area. These elves are slowly learning how to use the magic of the
  fading mythal to aid their efforts, and they spend much of their time
  studying the ancient texts they discovered within the tower libraries.
  Tiru Tel-Quessir would make an excellent base of operations for
  adventurers operating in the Cormanthor region, provided they can
  prove their good intentions to the five elves who have moved in.
  Using the Tower
  As mentioned above, several elves are currently at Tiru Tel-Quessir,
  and you may want to send your PCs there so that they can assist in
  some manner. Here are some ideas to get you started:
  • The PCs are sent to Tiru Tel-Quessir at the behest of Shyansylar’s
  leader to see how the elves progress and to give them an item to
  aid the elves in their work. Once there, do the PCs assist Shyansy-
  lar in her quest to find a traitor?
  • A band of drow that the PCs have been following end up near the
  tower and set up camp there. Perhaps one of the scouts of the PCs
  overhears a conversation that details the fact that someone is
  going to betray the elves inside the tower to the drow. What do
  the PCs do?
  • Shyansylar sends out a request for aid that is brief and not very
  clear. The PCs are sent to find out what happened and if they can
  help out in any way. When they get to the tower, they find that
  the drow have taken it over. 
  Tower Layout
  All of the doors in Tiru Tel-Quessir are cleverly hidden and should
  be treated as secret doors. A Spot check (DC 20) is required to locate
  them. Windows are made of glassteel (glass that is as hard and strong
  as steel) and magically bonded to their frames. An elf on the inside
  can cause any of these windows to become ethereal by touching the
  window and willing it to vanish for 1 hour if fresh air is desired.
  sGlassteel Window: 1/8 in. thick; hardness 10; hp 10; AC 5; break
  DC 20. 
  The mythal that cloaks Tiru Tel-Quessir was once quite powerful,
  but now many of its powers have faded to a shadow of their former
  glory. It affects everything within the radius of the seven shadow-
  top trees that surround the tower and has the following effects, all
  of which were created by epic-level casters and function at the 30th
  level of ability. A successful dispel magic can negate one effect of
  the mythal for a number of minutes equal to the level of the caster.
  • It generates a permanent screen on the area, making it appear to
  observers from outside the ring that it is nothing more than a
  ring of large but otherwise unremarkable shadowtop trees.
  • All vegetation (including the shadowtop trees) within the mythal
  is impervious to aging, diseases, and fire. The structures of Tell-
  Quessir, including walls floors, ceilings, and roofs, are impervious
  to fire. These walls are wood, but they have hardness 50 and spell
  resistance 35, and the enhanced hardness and hit points extend to
  floors, ceilings, and roof, too.
  • Anyone who passes into the mythal must make a Will saving
  throw (DC 24) or his mind becomes clouded and he continues
  moving until he exits the mythal on the opposite side. Once he
  exits, his mind clears and he has no memories that anything
  unusual just happened to him. Once a person makes this Will save,
  he can see Tiru Tel-Quessir as it truly is and can enter and exit the
  mythal with ease.
  • All creatures within the area of the mythal are constantly
  affected by a feather fall spell.
  • Each time an elf willingly harms another elf while the attacker is
  in the mythal, he must make a Will saving throw (DC 24) or be
  affected with a feeblemind spell.
  • Many magic tools and items in Tiru Tel-Quessir have been
  enhanced to grant a +2 sacred bonus to anyone of non-evil align-
  ment who uses them. If these items are removed from the room
  in which they were found, they lose their magical properties until
  they are returned to their proper chamber.
  1. UPPER PLATFORM
  The large, upper platform is open to the elements, but it has a thin
  roof of tightly interwoven branches and leaves to provide shelter
  against rain. The elven diplomats used to gather here to watch the
  woods, sunrises, sunsets, and similar displays of nature. Seven sloping
  ramps arch down over the slanting roof of the main structure below
  to connect to balconies (area 23).
  2. STAIRS DOWN
  The stairs are exposed to the open air and sky, and they lead down
  to area 3 of the main level.
  3. ENTRANCE
  In the time of Myth Drannor, a trumpet archon who served as a
  receptionist, a guide, and a caretaker for Tiru Tel-Quessir guarded
  the entrance. The archon has long since left, and this room now
  stands silent and empty.
  4. CONFERENCE CHAMBER
  The doors to the conference chamber are very cleverly hidden
  and require a Spot check (DC 40) to discover; none of the elves
  who have moved into the Tiru Tel-Quessir have discovered this
  chamber yet and they believe it is the trunk of the tree the
  building is built around. Those who discover the doors can open
  them by touching them and willing the doors to become ethe-
  real (but only if the person has elven blood, which includes
  half-elves), or by making a Use Magic Device check (DC 25 to
  emulate race).
  
  Tower of Life and Tomb of Death
  4
  
  Tower of Life and Tomb of Death
  Inside, the heart of the tree’s trunk has a permanent tree stride
  effect upon it; the potent magic of the mythal allows beings to enter
  the tree in a manner similar to the tree stride effect, but those enter-
  ing the area cannot go into other trees.
  Today, all that remains in this chamber are seven comfortable
  chairs arranged in a semicircle around a low platform in the center
  of the room. This is where the elven diplomats retreated to talk
  about matters that affected all of their races. Each of the seven
  chairs is tailored to provide the most comfort to one of the seven
  subraces. A Search check (DC 25) reveals that all of the chairs but
  two have signs of wear (fraying of the upholstery). Of the other two
  chairs, one shows only a little bit of wear, while the other looks
  unused in comparison.
  Anyone who sits in one of these chairs gains a +4 sacred bonus to
  her Wisdom score for 24 hours as they become infused with the
  ancient spirits of the elves who debated long and hard within this
  room. The chairs lose their magic permanently if they are removed
  from the room, and they temporarily deactivate (for 24 hours)
  whenever they grant their sacred bonus.
  5. LIBRARY
  The elves who live often work in the large room that serves as the
  main library of Tiru Tel-Quessir. They spend their time poring
  through the ancient texts and studying the ways of their ancestors;
  Nerissus and Shyansylar are most commonly found here. No magic
  texts exist here, but anyone who wishes to research something about
  elven history or any location within Cormanthor gains a +4 circum-
  stance bonus to a Knowledge check to find the appropriate infor-
  mation.
  An arcane spellcaster who prepares spells in this room may pre-
  pare one additional spell of any spell level the caster normally has
  access to if he or she possesses elven blood. Additionally, the auras in
  this room grant a +2 sacred bonus to any Craft checks used to gen-
  erate written works of art, and scrolls created in here cost 10% less
  than their normal XP cost.
  6. CLOSET
  Nothing remains in this tiny closet.
  7. BANQUET HALL
  The banquet hall contains a large table around which sit seven com-
  fortable chairs. When someone sits in one of the chairs, a set of clean
  utensils and plates is created magically, along with a scented candle
  and a bouquet of fresh flowers. These objects are only partially real,
  and they vanish (along with any food residue left on them) if taken
  from the room. The five elves often take their meals in this room,
  though they don’t always do so. Very rarely do they do so together.
  8. CONSERVATORY
  The conservatory contains several ancient elven instruments, each
  of which magically keeps its tune and grants a +4 sacred bonus to
  any Perform check made with them. Liriealan often relaxes by play-
  ing music in this room.
  9. INSTRUMENT CRAFTING ROOM
  The instrument crafting room contains a large number of tools used
  to build musical instruments; if used, they grant a +2 sacred bonus
  to all Craft checks made to build or repair instruments. Magic
  instruments crafted in this room have their XP cost required to
  create the item reduced by 10%.
  10. SEALED CHAMBER
  The sealed chamber originally served as a recreational alchemist lab
  until a tragic mistake made by a careless wizard resulted in a magically
  enhanced strain of mindfire that requires a Fortitude save (DC 25) to
  resist. The incubation of this virulent strain of the inhaled disease is
  only 1 minute, and those infected must continue to make a Fortitude
  saving throw each minute to avoid suffering 1d4 points of temporary
  Intelligence damage. The elf who created this disease quickly used his
  magic to seal the room apart and informed his brethren of the doom
  he had brought upon himself before he grew too unintelligent to use
  his magic to escape. The elf took his own life before he grew mindless,
  and the room remained sealed as a memorial. 
  If the walls of the room are breached, anyone who enters the
  room must resist the effects of the enhanced mindfire. The elves
  who have moved into this tower discovered the danger inside with
  divination magic and have avoided opening the room. If the
  enhanced mindfire is released, the disease becomes harmless once it
  leaves the confines of the mythal but quickly contaminates every-
  thing within. A dispel magic or break enchantment cast against the
  disease (it has a caster level of 18) defeats it.
  The body of the dead elf still lies in the middle of the room (pre-
  served by the mythal), along with his +3 dagger of spell storing, a robe
  of the archmagi (good), a staff of fire (25 charges left), and a ring of
  wizardry III.
  11. ALCHEMY LAB
  This alchemy lab was set up to replace the lost lab in area 10.
  Anyone using the equipment in this room gains a +2 sacred bonus on
  any Alchemy checks, and potions made in this room cost 10% less
  than the regular XP cost to brew.
  12. KITCHEN
  In ages past, a large group of talented cooks staffed this large and
  well-stocked kitchen. It now lies dormant and quiet. Anyone using
  the equipment in here gains a +2 sacred bonus on any Craft (cook-
  ing) checks.
  13. WINE STORAGE
  The wine storage room’s temperature is magically moderated to
  make it a perfect place to store wine. Unfortunately, all of the wine
  was taken or consumed long ago.
  14. FOOD STORAGE
  The walls of the food storage room contain several magic bins that
  can create food once a day. Each bin is labeled in Elven as to what
  kind of food it can create, and it can create only one type of food.
  Even then, it creates only 1 cubic foot of the food per day. Never-
  theless, the sheer number of creation bins mean that a cook could
  feed a group of several dozen people with ease on a daily basis.
  15. WATER ROOM
  The small water room contains several large empty tubs and basins.
  A pair of decanters of endless water sit on a shelf on the opposite
  wall from the door.
  16. CHAPEL TO THE SELDARINE
  The tiny chapel contains a single padded cushion surrounded by
  small statues of the Seldarine. Each statue is crafted from rare wood
  5
  
  and stone and is mounted on a low pedestal. A single statue weighs
  500 pounds, but if removed from this room, the statue immediately
  teleports back to its proper pedestal. One pedestal is empty, and the
  plaque at its base indicates it is reserved for Eilistraee should she
  ever deign to return to the Seldarine.
  A divine spellcaster who prepares spells in this room may prepare
  one additional spell of any spell level the caster normally has access
  to if, provided he is a worshiper of one of the Seldarine or of Eilis-
  traee. Alauniira often worships in here or works on her statue of
  Eilistraee.
  17. ARCHON’S CHAMBER
  The trumpet archon used this small chamber to relax; it is now
  devoid of anything of interest but a lingering aura of good can be
  detected within still.
  18. LAVATORY
  This small room contains magic facilities that automatically dispose
  of waste products by disintegrating such matter upon deposit. Only
  waste can be disintegrated in this manner.
  19. DEACTIVATED PORTAL
  The deactivated portal room once contained a portal that led to the
  heart of Myth Drannor, but it was deactivated at the time of Myth
  Drannor’s fall.
  20. MAGIC FORGE
  Several magic tools used to craft arms and armor, including a magic
  forge, are in the room. The air in this room is magically ventilated
  to prevent smoke from building up. Craft checks used to create
  armor or weapons gain a +2 sacred bonus in this room, and any
  magic arms or armor built in here cost 10% less the standard expe-
  rience point cost.
  21. MAGIC WORKSHOP
  The magic workshop contains a large number of tools and devices
  used to create miscellaneous magic items such as rings, wands, staffs,
  rods, and wondrous items. Any such item created in this room costs
  10% less than the normal XP cost for crafting the item.
  22. IDENTIFICATION CHAMBER
  The chamber contains a wide variety of lenses, scales, calipers, and
  reference books, and all of these items are organized upon a sturdy
  worktable or upon shelves lining the walls. Anyone using the tools
  or books in here can cast one of the following spells each day upon
  items within the room as if an 18th-level caster: identify, analyze
  dweomer, or legend lore. 
  23. BALCONY
  The seven balconies overlook the grounds of the Tiru Tel-Quessir. A
  graceful hanging bridge connects each balcony to a separate plat-
  form on one of the surrounding shadowtop trees.
  24–30. Chambers 
  of the Ambassadors
  The seven buildings have identical layouts; the ambassadors of the
  seven elf subraces lived in these buildings while they served their
  duties in the Tiru Tel-Quessir. Each building was outfitted to make
  its particular elf inhabitant as comfortable as possible.
  Area A is an open balcony used to relax and watch the world go by. 
  Area B is a lounge where an ambassador could meet with guests.
  A single shield guardian watched over each of these chambers and
  served the ambassador for the duration of the elf’s stay. These
  guardians are all long since destroyed, save for the one in the drow
  building (area 28B).
  Area C is a private balcony that provided a view of the woodlands
  uninterrupted by the Tiru Tel-Quessir. Long ago, a lantern archon
  stood on each of these balconies to provide illumination and to
  guard against approaching troublemakers; the lantern archons are
  all long since gone.
  Area D contains a particularly well-hidden secret door (Spot DC
  35) that opens to reveal a functional portal that could be attuned to
  the current ambassador, allowing her to travel between the Tiru Tel-
  Quessir and her hometown, wherever that may be. You can have any
  number of these portals remain active if you wish to provide access
  to certain elven home towns; the only portal that is always deacti-
  vated is the drow portal, since it was never used.
  Area E is where the ambassador could retire to relax in peace
  after a busy day.
  Five of these buildings are currently inhabited by the five elves
  who have recently discovered Tiru Tel-Quessir and are now using it
  as a base of operations to observe the drow in the region.
  24. MOON ELF CHAMBERS
  The moon elf chambers are currently inhabited by Nerissus Kri-
  ankaria (NG female moon elf Wiz12/Brd2), the friendliest of the
  five elves and the most welcoming to outsiders. She has an owl
  familiar named Kirilan.
  25. SUN ELF CHAMBERS
  Shyansylar Aalantrilu (CG female sun elf Wiz13/Acm2), the leader
  of the group of elves located here, currently inhabits the former sun
  elf chambers. She spends most of her free time studying the history
  books in the library or keeping an eye on her fellow elves. Shyansy-
  lar is somewhat brisk and difficult to get along with unless her
  orders are followed to the letter. She suspects that one of her com-
  panions is a traitor working for the drow, and her current suspect is
  Alauniira. Shyansylar believes Alauniira to be a priestess of Vhaer-
  aun who is greatly skilled at hiding her true nature. Shyansylar is
  right about the fact that one of her companions is a traitor, but she
  is completely mistaken about Alauniira being the one.
  26. WOOD ELF CHAMBERS
  Liriealan Talidinorku (CG male wood elf Brd14) stays in the wood
  elf chambers; he thinks of this assignment as a grand adventure and
  his light-hearted attitude is starting to grate on his companions.
  27. AVARIEL CHAMBERS
  The avariel building is unique in that its walls are enchanted so that
  they are completely transparent from the inside, giving the place an
  open feeling. It has been used only once or twice; a search of area E
  easily procures several large remarkably well-preserved black
  feathers from an unknown bird (they are, in fact, from the one
  avariel who stayed here ages ago).
  Tower of Life and Tomb of Death
  6
  
  Tower of Life and Tomb of Death
  7
  28. DROW CHAMBERS
  Although this chamber was never used during the Tiru Tel-Quessir’s
  heyday, it is now the home of Alauniira Mlezziir (NG female drow
  Clr7/Brd1/Sword Dancer6), a kind-hearted drow who nevertheless
  barely convinced Shyansylar to let her come along; she is doing her best
  to see that any drow the group encounters are treated fairly and kindly.
  The sword dancer prestige class is detailed in Faiths and Pantheons.
  29. GREEN ELF CHAMBERS
  The green elf chambers are currently inhabited by Yiruikar Zis-
  tialakus (NE male wild elf Rgr7/Drd7), who has long been an ally
  of the drow who are invading Cormanthor. He uses magic items to
  hide his true nature and is simply waiting for a chance to strike to
  cripple his “allies” so he can lead the drow to this amazing location.
  30. AQUATIC ELF CHAMBERS
  The aquatic elf chambers are the most unique of the seven, for areas
  B, D, and E are filled completely with cool saltwater. The water is
  magically contained in these rooms, and one can pass easily through
  the vertical walls that delineate its boundaries.
  The Lost Tomb 
  of Amarak
  Many powerful spellcasters lived and died in ancient Netheril. A
  somewhat morbid game that gained popularity in the final days of
  the nation was an informal contest among the wizards of the realm
  as to who could build the most dangerous and most theft-proof tomb
  for their eventual internment. Many wizards used slaves or captured
  prisoners to test out their tombs, and they often placed bets on how
  long their latest victim would survive. One of the cannier of these
  wizards was a master of the element of air: Amarak the Vaporous.
  Amarak built his tomb underground in the Nether Mountains
  nearly fifteen miles directly north of what would eventually become
  the location for Hellgate Keep. Unfortunately, he made his dungeon
  a little too clever, and while he was inspecting the final product, he
  accidentally imprisoned himself alive. His minions, glad to be free
  of his sadistic dominion, quickly finished sealing the tomb and
  burned all maps of its location and moved on to more pleasant lives.
  Centuries later, a group of orcs known as the Skullcleavers stum-
  bled upon the entrance to Amarak’s Lost Tomb. A large nest of
  ankhegs had burrowed out a tangled network of tunnels and caves
  near the tomb, and they had actually broken through its walls in
  some places. The Skullcleavers thought the location of the ankheg
  burrows were in a perfect spot to recuperate after their latest tangle
  with the Tornface orcs, and they decided to hole up in the burrows
  once their leader, a tanarukk barbarian/sorcerer named Gristlegape,
  charmed the ankhegs. Since then, the Skullcleavers have befriended
  the burrowing beasts and have been mounting increasingly bold
  forays into the halls of Amarak’s tomb in search of treasure.
  Gristlegape believes (correctly) that a large stash of powerful magic
  items lies hidden somewhere in the ancient tomb, but he is unsure
  where to look.
  The Lost Tomb of Amarak and the lair of the Skullcleavers
  serves as a classic example of how a tribe of orcs often moves into
  an ancient ruin and uses the traps and guardians found therein to
  their advantage.
  Using the Tomb
  If you need some ideas to get the PCs to the tomb, here are some to
  get you going:
  • A seeker of lore sends the PCs out to find the tomb of Amarak.
  She believes that if they find the tomb, they’ll find a journal that
  Amarak had kept.
  • A local ranger (or leader) is wondering why the Skullcleavers are
  being so quiet, and he worries that the Tornface orcs may have
  destroyed them or are gaining too much time to rebuild their own
  forces while the Skullcleavers leave them alone. To find out what
  is going on, the ranger requests that the PCs look into where the
  Skullcleavers have gone while he seeks out the Tornface orcs and
  gets an idea of how their forces are doing.
  Tomb Layout
  The tomb consists of two main sections: the orc/ankheg warrens and
  the tomb itself. So far, the orcs have explored up to area 22 of the
  tomb and have discovered many potent and useful magic items (all
  of which have been claimed by Gristlegape). They haven’t found the
  secret stone slab in area 15A yet, and they have not dealt with the
  guardian of room 22. Suggested guardians of the tomb are indicated
  in the text, but you should place treasures appropriate to your cam-
  paign and party’s level.
  The warrens are dusty, dirty, and reinforced with thick resins
  exuded by the ankhegs. The Skullcleaver Tribe consists of several
  orcs, a few ogres, a troll, and Gristlegape himself.  
  The tomb itself is much cleaner, drier, and quite stale. Several sec-
  tions of the tomb contain large slabs of rock in lieu of doors. Each
  of these slabs weighs about 1,500 pounds; a couple of orcs have no
  problem moving these slabs aside but they may prove a problem to
  player characters without a high enough Strength to move such
  massive blocks. Some of these slabs (the light orange ones) are clev-
  erly hidden and pass for dead ends unless found by a Search check
  (DC 21).
  1. ENTRANCE
  The main entrance to the Tomb of Amarak is a 50-foot-deep shaft
  plugged by a 5,000 pound boulder. This shaft leads down into this
  room, the walls of which bear intricate bas-relief carvings depicting
  the works of Amarak in ancient Netheril.
  2. HALLWAY
  The stairs leading up and down in this hallway were introduced to
  make it difficult to move the three stone blocks at area 12 very far,
  which prevents easy entrance into the tomb proper.
  3. WARRENS
  The winding warren tunnels are often infested with orcs moving
  from one cave to another. At several points, steep (but not vertical)
  shafts lead up and out of the warren; climbing up or down one of
  these shafts requires a Climb check (DC 10). Four ankhegs wander
  in these warrens. Gristlegape has charmed them all, so they do little
  to bother the orcs.
  
  Tower of Life and Tomb of Death
  8
  
  Tower of Life and Tomb of Death
  9
  4. WESTERN GARDEN
  The western garden is a cave filled with glistening mounds of fungi,
  in which several shriekers and three violet fungi have sprouted. The
  orcs found out about the dangerous fungi the hard way, and they
  now avoid this chamber.
  5. EASTERN GARDEN
  Like the cave to the west, the eastern garden chamber is filled with
  nasty fungi. The fungi in here are mostly harmless, and the orcs are
  actually starting to develop a taste for the stuff.
  6. NORTHERN GARDEN
  Yet another fungus-choked cavern, this cave has several large
  patches of red spotted pale yellow mushrooms known as poxcaps
  growing on the walls. Pjulak the orc alchemist has discovered a way
  to distill the dangerous sap exuded from the caps of these mush-
  rooms into a fairly potent poison.
  Poxcap Sweat: Type Injury DC 15; Initial Damage 1d4 Str; Sec-
  ondary Damage 2d4 Str plus nausea for 6d6 minutes; Price 200 gp.
  7. SLIME PIT
  The slime pit is a large, sunken cavern that contains a small lake of
  green slime. The orcs have been using this room to torture prisoners
  and get rid of particularly foul-smelling garbage; when the slime grows
  too big Pjulak simply trims it back with a few remove disease spells.
  8. WATER SUPPLY
  A large pool of brackish water fills the water supply cave.
  9. FOOD STORAGE
  The orcs store what food they catch in the mountains above in the
  food storage cave and typically allow it to ripen a bit before eating it.
  10. ARMORY
  The Skullcleavers have stashed a large pile of weapons and armor
  looted from their recent victims in this cave. These items are in
  fairly poor condition; all of the really good weapons and armor are
  being used. (Dungeon Masters should come up with a list that suits
  their needs.)
  11. ANKHEG LAIR
  This large cave is the main lair of the four ankheg that dwell in the
  warrens.
  12. STONE BLOCKS
  The stone blocks were transported into place magically to seal
  Amarak in his tomb. Each block weighs well over 10,000 pounds.
  13. JUNCTION
  The Skullcleaver orcs penetrated the tomb via the tunnel that
  breached area 14. They have taken advantage of these four stone
  blocks and rigged them so that if they are pushed incorrectly, the
  block overbalances and topples onto the pusher, causing 4d6 points
  of damage. A falling block also serves to alert the Skullcleavers of
  an intrusion if the trespassers have made it this far unnoticed.
  aFalling Block Trap: CR 3; mechanical; touch trigger; repair
  reset; Reflex save (DC 20) avoids; push correctly to bypass (Search
  [DC 25]); Atk +15 melee (4d6, stone block); Search DC 20; Disable
  Device DC 20. Market Price: —.
  14. WESTERN BURIAL CHAMBER
  The western burial chamber possesses the interred bodies of
  Amarak’s favorite warriors and guards. Gristlegape has had Pjulak
  animate the ten skeletons here as undead guardians; they do not
  interfere with any orcs passing through the room.
  15. EASTERN BURIAL CHAMBER
  Amarak interred his favorite servants and lesser minions in the east-
  ern burial chamber. Now, it serves as the primary barracks for the bulk
  of the Skullcleaver Tribe. The bodies have been pulled from their biers
  and stacked in the northern end of the room, and the tougher orcs use
  the niches in the walls as beds after they pad them with piles of dirt
  brought in from the warrens. No less than 27 orcs are in this room: 4
  orc ragers (CE male northern orc Bar1), 8 orc mashers (CE male
  northern orc War2), 15 orc thugs (CE male northern orc War1).
  16. GOLEM PIT
  The junction to the south was originally guarded by a stone golem.
  Unable to harm it with their weapons, Gristlegape earned the admi-
  ration of his fellows by bull rushing the golem into the open pit in
  this location. This pit is 40 feet deep and the golem wasn’t damaged
  by the fall, but it certainly can’t get out of the pit. Anyone unlucky
  enough to fall in is in dire trouble.
  17. TROLL BARRACKS
  Amarak’s favorite pets were interred in this crypt. It now serves as
  the lair of Lerakshalakus (CE female troll Bbn1), the single troll
  allied with the Skullcleavers.
  18. OGRE BARRACKS
  This crypt houses the remains of Amarak’s favorite mount, a large
  wyvern. It has been all but pulverized by the two ogres that live
  here now.
  19. SWARM TRAP
  The floor of this room is a tangled mess of flagstones that possess a
  variety of shapes. The east and west walls of this room depict the
  scowling visage of a terrible monster. A successful Knowledge (reli-
  gion) check or Knowledge (the Planes) check (DC 25) identifies it as
  a depiction of the demon prince Pazuzu, patron of ancient Amarak.
  Crossing between these two leering faces triggers an ancient trap
  that unleashes an insect plague spell that fills the room and the
  southern hallway to area 13; the insect plague manifests at caster
  level 20 with the exception of the much smaller area of effect. The
  Skullcleavers lost two orcs to this trap and have since learned how
  to bypass it by stepping on only the diamond-shaped stones in the
  floor (which follow a path around the proximity of the trap). This
  trap makes an incredible din, and if it is triggered, the denizens of
  the nearby rooms quickly converge on the hall to prevent those in
  the hall from escaping to shelter in the side passages.
  aInsect Plague Trap: CR 6; magic device; proximity trigger
  (alarm); automatic reset; spell effect (insect plague, 20th-level
  cleric, DC 17 Will save negates for creatures of 3 to 5 HD); Search
  DC 30; Disable Device DC 30. Cost: 50,500 gp, 4,040 XP.
  
  20. CRYPT OF THE DAUGHTERS
  Amarak interred his two daughters in this crypt. Now, the place is
  the lair of the Skullcleaver tribe’s only spellcaster, Pjulak the Ripe
  (NE male northern orc Adept9).
  21. CRYPT OF THE SONS
  Amarak interred his three sons within this crypt. More importantly
  now, Gristlegape (CE male tanarukk Bbn4/Sor8), the leader of the
  Skullcleavers, has chosen this location as his lair. He often stays here
  along with his two wives (CE female northern orc War 2) and his
  loyal group of six barbarian bodyguards (CE male northern orc
  Bbn4). All of his bodyguards have weapons poisoned with poxcap
  sweat, as do Gristlegape’s weapons.
  22. THE INNER GUARDIAN
  This large room is as far as the Skullcleaver orcs have penetrated. A
  large stone statue of Pazuzu dominates it, though this statue is in
  fact a half-fiend stone golem. The terrible monster attacks anyone
  who dares to enter the room with a great fury, but it does not pursue
  the attack beyond the limits of the room.
  23. TRAPPED SLAB
  This appears to be another large slab blocking a tunnel, but in truth
  it is merely a cruel trap that teleports anyone who touches it a mile
  straight up. Those who cannot fly probably fall to their death.
  {{arrow}}Teleport Above Trap: CR 10; spell; spell trigger; auto-
  matic reset; spell effect (teleportation circle, 20th-level cleric, DC 24
  Will save negates); Search DC 34; Disable Device DC 34. Cost: 680
  gp to hire NPC spellcaster.
  24. FALSE CRYPT
  This appears to be an opulent crypt of a powerful wizard. Mounds
  of jewels, gems, and magic items are strewn about haphazardly on
  pedestals, and a golden sarcophagaus sits on a dais to the north
  before a leering bas-relief of Pazuzu. In fact, this is a false crypt
  built by Amarak to destroy unwary raiders. The jewelry and gems in
  this room are all fake, and the apparently numerous magic items are
  actually just regular items with permanent Nystul’s magic auras. In
  addition, the room is guarded by a deadly trap. A minute after the
  entrance to the room is breached, a wall of force cast at the 20th
  level of the caster manifests to the south, blocking off the only exit.
  Then, the bas-relief of Pazuzu on the north wall begins to exhale air
  at an alarming rate into the room. Every minute, the air pressure
  increases enough to cause pressure damage as if those inside were
  100 feet deeper underwater until an effective pressure of 1,000 feet
  underwater is reached. After an hour, the air pressure returns to
  normal and the wall of force vanishes.
  The increasing pressure can be halted by dispelling the 20th-level
  magic on the Pazuzu bas-relief (though the area directly in front of
  the bas-relief is also trapped by the falling block trap, which does not
  hamper the air exhalation if triggered), or by a rogue making a Dis-
  able Device check (DC 32). Destroying the bas-relief also works.
  Unfortunately, if the bas-relief is targeted with magic or touched in
  any way, it summons a pair of Huge half-fiend air elementals that
  immediately attack any intruders.
  sPazuzu Bas Relief: 2 in. thick; hardness 8; hp 60; AC 5; break DC 27.
  aFalling Block Trap: CR 5; mechanical; location trigger;
  manual reset; Atk +15 melee (6d6, stone block); multiple targets
  (can strike all characters in two adjacent specified squares); Search
  DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Market Price: 10,000 gp.
  25. SECRET PASSAGEWAY
  The secret entrance to this long winding passageway has not been
  discovered by the orcs yet. The air in the hall is tainted by the
  unholy fumes issuing from the portal in area 28; anyone breathing
  these fumes must make a Fortitude saving throw every 10 minutes
  or suffer 1d4 points of temporary Strength damage.
  26. DEAD END
  Amarak originally intended to build a complex maze in this area of
  his tomb, but he ran out of time and interest. The passageway ends
  here in an unworked stone wall.
  27. SECOND FALSE CRYPT
  This small room appears to be the humble crypt of a wizard, but it
  is actually just another false crypt. Amarak hoped to trick would be
  robbers that discovered the first crypt into thinking that this second
  humble crypt was the true crypt of the tomb. To further enhance
  the illusion, the stone sarcophagus contains an ancient body (one of
  Amarak’s favored apprentices) along with a moderate amount of
  magic, wizardly treasure (a treasure of Encounter Level 10 in value;
  magic items only). There are no traps here.
  28. PORTAL CHAMBER
  The western wall of the portal chamber is a swirling vortex of reek-
  ing black smoke. This is a one-way portal that leads to Pazuzu’s lair
  on the Abyss; Amarak enjoyed getting rid of his enemies by tossing
  them through this portal. Two vrock barbarians (CE vrock male
  Bbn3) are bound to this room; they attack anyone who enters.
  29. TRUE CRYPT
  The true crypt of Amarak is a large and well-decorated chamber.
  This crypt has three main defenses. The first is the 150 foot deep pit
  in the western portion of the room. Hurricane-force winds blow
  from the ceiling down into the pit, shunted here via portals to the
  Elemental Plane of Air that allow only air to pass through.
  The second defense is the steps in the middle of the room; they
  are coated with magically preserved sovereign glue that holds any-
  thing that touches them in place.
  The third defense is Amyrisu (CE half-fiend/half-invisible stalker
  male Rog8/Asn3), who Amarak eternally bound to this chamber;
  this creature uses the wind pit and the glue stairs to its full advan-
  tage when it attacks intruders.
  Adventurers who overcome the trials of this room are greatly
  rewarded; Amarak’s treasure consists of his magic gear (he was a
  23rd-level epic wizard).
  About the Author
  James Jacobs lives in Seattle, WA, and splits his work days between
  the Sales department and the Online Media department at Wizards
  of the Coast. In addition to co-designing Races of Faerun, he
  designed about two dozen monsters for the upcoming Fiend Folio.
  He also writes the monthly feature “Far Corners of the World” for
  the Wizards website and has written numerous articles for DRAGON
  Magazine and DUNGEON Magazine. He spends his free time devis-
  ing new ways to forget his dice and character sheets for the five dif-
  ferent campaigns he’s currently playing in.
  Tower of Life and Tomb of Death
  10
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/D&D 3rd Edition/WOTC Web Archive/Web Enhancements/Tower of Life & Tomb of Death.pdf