Dungeon's #9 Ivory Tower maps, readjustments and expansion
by RobinOk The following descriptions of Dungeon 9 adventure The Djinni's Ring by Vincent Garcia I used to determine the archtectural layout of the castle
Beware the below text contains spoilers, even though I tried to keep to the architectural descriptions!!
The architectural descriptions given together with normal architectural "laws' decreed the underground structures (Temple-like Auditorium and newly added Dungeon are actually based underneath the lower structures (Stables/Smithy/Well, and Barracks)
The adventure does not give a treu original date of the Ivory Tower, yet corruptable remains are rotten, while the structure is mostly intact. the archtecture reveals a non-Nithian design(which is more rectangular). However the Immortal Ranivorus is clearly depicted here. So Abu Iblis as being an Efreet must be a follower of said Immortal. As even Effrreet and Djinn do not live forever, and their awareness is somewhat faltering it can be determined that the Ivory Tower was created after the Nithian Era, and most probably before Al-Kalim (800BC). So somewhere between 500AC and 800AC, most closely to 800BC would deem most logical. Abu iblis was clearly an explorer of the nearby city ruins of Nubt and there he discovered a Book of Souls and other items (including the stuff I placed in the extra new top level). He however never expected that his own soul would pe captured within the book by his enemies.
These enemies were probably either Thyatiam occupiers or followers of Al-Kalim on his conquest trail. As he conquered Ctisephon in 826AC and Ylaruam in 825AC
So Raffi and Abu Ibliss , this act could best be placed just before in 826AC as determined by distances to said locations
So this is generally 175 years ago
Start and Notes to the City
Beware the below text contains spoilers.
Start
But first the Adventure suggests you start in Serendib (which is placed in Minrothad). This is actually not really required, and the location you start on can be any where in the neighbouring countries of Ylaruam.
As such this note31 has to be changed a bit
31-Hour after hour passes, a look down it seems as though you have been flying over the sea forever, (Replace this text, "for you're certain that you detect waves and whitecaps below" with;"for mountains and other terrains have passed and you are certain that you now detect hills below") Finally, however,the first signs of dawn appear ahead, and in the pale light yo realize you have (Remove this section;been crosssed the sea and have) been flying over an expanse of rolling deseret.The carpet still fiies well, and as the sun begins to appear on the horizon, you notice the remnants of some sort of city lying below.
Notes to the City
2=As you near the city, it becomes clear that once many people must have lived here, for there are remains of quite a few structures, although most of the smaller buildings have fallen to rubble from the long period of n neglect. While passage is somewhat difficult as most streets are filled with rubble, the wide stone avenue you are now approachingh extents almost unobstructed to the intact pyramid.
These above adventure notes I combined with all the information we have on Ylaruam, Nithia, Mogreth combined which enables us to determine the location of the city and the Ivory Tower. First it was an ANCIENT city with a clear Promenade and Pyramid(so Egypt-style religious importance is suggested), with the Ivory Tower East of it. This enables us to determine that the city must have been Nithian, also because at the writing of the Adventure, there was no fanon/canon information on Mogreth yet. So scanning the map with a Nithian City facing east. Several locations become usable. The Wikipedia information on Real worls Nubt declares it to ghave been a town with Set(snake) and Sobek(crocodile) as Immortal patrons, combining this with the Fanon/canon on Nithia/Ylaruam, this is the only location falling within all given parameters. So using my 1-mile hex maps here is the location on the Ivory Tower of Dungeon Magazine's adventure; The Djinni's Ring"
As to the Ivory Tower maps Use the Download button in deviantart for best results
The following notes are to the Ivory Tower (actually palace) itself
6 Heading East
3= the carpet, meanwhile continues toward the rising sun(East), and eventually heads downwards, landing upon a sanddune. (so located west of the manor)
40- The heat of the sun is almost blistering, but you trudge onward for almost an hour.(this is used to determine the average distance from the city to the Ivory Tower keeping movement rates and envirinment in check. ) then you climb a large hill and pause to look down (This is the same hill as above and revealed in the small overall picture) resting in a valley below the sanddune you now stand upon is awhite palace, a wall surrounds its perimeter, with a pair of tall, slim towers at the two corners nearest you. a gateway at te cenrtre apparently allows entry on the ground faced the domed palace itself, which is set back 100' from the wall
33-On approaching the gateway in the wall, you discover its thick iron portcullis has been battered down and lies on the ground befoe you. As you step through the opening, you feel a magical tingle play all over your skin. (This is peculiar, detecting magic without an active Detect Magic Effect, yet It can be presumed to be the defensive magical measures to prevent allies of Abu Iblis from entering the Area. As such Chaotic or Evil Characters cannot enter the area.)
Beyond the fallen portcullis, a long pool faces the palace, reflecting its silver dome within shimmering blue waters. ringing the pool are several stone benches(These benches I did not map, preferring to maintain to the actual architecture). to either side of you, two wings of the palace fronted by open roofed galleries, extend up to the towers in the wall. Each tower hads an entryway at ground level through which you can see a flight of winding stairs.
51 Towers-The left (N) tower has an unglazed window that looks back into the palace grounds, providing a good view of the entire complex. from your lofty perch, you can see 2 more wings of the palace extending out to the rar of the two story structure (This important information enable me to determine the general shape of the overall shape of the structure..being an X-shape with the towers and wall forming a triangular entry area with pool and Archway galleries
44-The pool glistens in the sweltering heat like a sparkling blue jewel reflecting the palace as though its surface were a mirror. (This is most likely not intednded as being a trap, yet waterscarcity and grand aluure combined required this illusion to be created (similar to the real world Taj-Mahal ; media.istockphoto.com/photos/t… )
Left Wing
36-Through an open archway in the left wing of the Palace you discover a well filled with water 53-an opening next to the well leads to the stables and a blacksmith (this sparse information as well as general use/shape of said structures determined the overall appearance and use as I have mapped out.)
Right Wing
47-Moving towards the rightwing of the palace, you note that quite a bit of rubble litters the walkway, as though varius items were dumped onto the tiles for inspection.It's shady here (so west as low 1 hour ago rising sun is still mostly east , projecting the shadow of this low wing westwards). As you move to peer to a door slighly ajar...
48 You decide the rightwing of the Palace was once the barracks for Abu Iblis's men at arms
Main Building
50-The main palace is octogonally shaped, and you enter through an archway. its interior is an open pavilion richly tiled in green and yellow mosaics beneath a huge silver dome. Four sets of bronze double doors. You quickl peek through the crack between each set of double doors. Behind the Northwest and southwest doors lead upward to the second floor. the other two doors, on the northeast and southeast, lead to stairs going down. (this reveals that the stairs are placed close behind these doors)
Across from the pavilion's entryway, a fifth exit leads through an archway to the back of the palace grounds. through the arch you see two more wings, each two stories high.56Between the left and right wing of the palace lie the remnants of a garden and vinyard, long withered away
58-southwing right 71 it becomes apparent that this portion contained kitchen (This area was not further detailed, and i esitmated thisarea as equal in size as the further detailed other wing, while incorporating a heart (without Chimney as the room is open through the archway) and water entry (from the pipe room) facilities, including a functioning well with a small winepress and enty wine storage room
58-northwing left62 Walking through an archway, you emerge into a long dining hall, once richly furnished.......running down the centre of the dining chamber is a sunken area, three steps below floor level. a short stairway at either end leads down. Here meals were enjoyed, as you descern from the remnants of cushions, low tables, dishes and serving pots
60 secret door70small door reveals a small compartiment
It was only the upper level which gave the second measurement required to enable mapping this structure.
The Lower Level
The Pool
44-The pool glistens in the sweltering heat like a sparkling blue jewel reflecting the palace as though its surface were a mirror.
55-Twenty feet below the lip of the pool you reach the bottom At the eastern end of the pit, a passage leads forward toward the pavilion. to eatherside of this tunnel, stairs lead up to the courtyard. The ilusion above is not visible and the sun clearly shines through. (this suggests that the pool was not really intended as a trap, but an Illusion over a large rectangualr depth/pi to more enhance the beauty of the structure, similar like the waters of the Real World Taj-Mahal do)
100- The passage leads forward about 100' to a small room with pipes you are certain some are drains, while others must serve purposes unknown. (this is apparently a small pipe room, with as possible unknown quality to generate the Pool Illusion) This area also holds the pumping mechanisms to draw upon water from below, directing it to the variant pond/pools and leaking areas required; Kitchen, Stables, Auditorium, Dungeon)
NE Stairs Down
73-81-You enter a chamber containing a large marble pool set into the floor. To one side, another staircase leads upward--back you are certain, to the pavilion above. (this actually did puzzle me greatly. The bends in the stairways are described similarly, and thus it can be ascerned they are equal in shape. yet architecturally the stairways thus could NOT be ending at the same location. There was made an architectural flaw made by the equal corridors. So this had to be readjusted. I kept the stairways as the text dexribes yet the other stairway was redirected up to new areas).
Pool=102=The water in the pool is fresh and clear, revealing skeletons at its bottom (ie spoiled) Steps lead down into the water, and the bottom may be clearly seen 4' below. two small drains are set into the tiles on the bottom, one at ech end of the pool (thus stoppered or clogged else the water would flow out, it will probably be connected to the piperoom at the illusionary pools end)
Across the room a pair of Brass doors block entry to the room beyond.88=You sense magic from these doors (that is interesting sensing magic without an active Detect Magic spell). 92 The doors begin swing outward....Beyond the doors, a huge chamber is revealed, lit only by the eerie glow of the fire pit nestled in the hands of as 15; tall statue of a jackal-headed man. columns surround the temple like auditorium, possibly hiding other areas in the shadows.(actually nothing is hidden in the Shadows but the adventure bere build up some tense. The statue is clearly Anubis/Yeenoghu/Ranivorus)
If you explore the other stairway up got 88 and use the following Add-on
88 add-on Explore the other staircase leading upwards, goto AA
AA- The 5' wide staircase twirls around its axis with steps of only 2' width and 5' altitude. It ends at a locked bronzen lid which is locked. Try open lock succes, goto BB, fail open lock back to 88
BB-You push up the vbronzen Lid and see the stairway continues forward. You estimate it goes along the dome of the pavilion towards its top hidden within the decorative stone arches holding the ceiling. At the end it opens onto a single bronze door which is locked. Try open lock succes, goto CC, fail open lock back to 88 over AA
CC-You push open the door inward revealing a golden and bronze decorated round chamber without windows. Along the wall several racks with stacks of scrolls are stored. In the middle of the room is a summoning circle, a bit burned and singed. seven standing 5' candelabras are placed around the summoning circle, making you think it is a magical doorway to a very hot place, able to summon very hot creatures.
If reading magic; the summoning circle opens a temporary doorway to the Plane of Fire to the Efreet Castle of Abu Iblis, enemy of the Elementals and Primals
If examining scrolls; there are 107 scrolls of ancient papyrus. If wanting to read one roll 1d20, if lower than 3, goto DD, if 3 or higher goto EE
DD The fragile scroll remains intact as you carefully open it. You need a Read Magic to read the scroll. Roll a 1d20. If the roll is 1 to 5 the scroll holds a random 1st level magic user spell, if the Roll is 6-9 the scroll holds a random Protection spell (1d10=Undead/Lycanthropes/Fire Elemental/Water Elemental/Demons/Air Elemental/Earth Elemental/Vs Good/Vs Evil/vs cantrips), if the roll is 10-17 the scroll holds historic information on some undiscovered parts of Nithian History and is valued at 3d20gp.If the roll is 18, 19 or 20 the scroll holds a random 2nd, 3rd and 4th level magic user spell respectively (as per Rules Cyclopedia). A DM may place a special scroll here hinting to the awareness of 10th level spells, and may hold information on locations were this was experimented/used/stored in before 1500BC in the Nithian Era. This of course can lead to a special long lasting campaign of exploration in Ylaruam, to search / recover and possibly destroy or use of said knowledge. You may try another scroll if available. go to CC
EE the scroll falls apart in seperate flakes, all you could read was a faint notice of some interesting spell or clue, yet not enough to be able to use in any way.") You may try another scroll if available. go to CC
SE stars down
67-81 (ok this is the same description as mentioned above, and as we already determined this is an archtectural flaw this is a new area and hence new descriptions)
67 change; After skeleton is found on the stairway you continue down, go to HH.
II The pool not only smells acrid, it has a familiar crust you remember seeing from experiments or your local Alchemist. The pool contains dangerous polluted acid. If carefully testing the Acid go to KK, If Touching the acid go to LL
JJ- Above the pool you see rotten arms still in the shackles, the rest of the body is 'eaten away' by acid, and lies probably in the pool the shackles hang above. On one finger is a golden ring, untarnished. If intending to examine ring go to MM
KK- carefully you grab a stick, or some fabric and stick one end into the acid. it bubbles somewhat, yet not as strong as expected. The acid is still active, yet clearly less dangerous due the pollution and saturation by organic matter. It is very clingy to the object you use, the object loses its function in a few moments, eaten away by the siruppy acid. You drop the object and step away. Go Back to HH.
LL- You touch the acidic liquid and it instantly bites through your skin. You sustain one point of damage each round. You can wash it off in the murky water on the floor. Substract 1 damage for each round you do not wash it off. If Your Hit points reach 0 goto 108
MM- You try to reach the chain yet it is too far away. Make a check against Dexterity. If you succeed go to OO. If you fail go to PP
OO- You almost fell into the murky pool, yet you succeed to grab and tear the half-eaten rotten hand from the shackles. The golden ring has an ancient symbol on it. If you want to research it later tuck it away and return to HH to choose another action. When and if you examine the ring you discover it has an Hieroglyph of Fire on it. The ring will give you a +1 bonus to all saving Throws vs Fire and reduces damage by 1 for each Die used.
PP- You fall into the acid. You may try to leave the instant burning liquid, you must succeed a dexterity check to exit the pool(each attempt takes 1 round), Substract 1 damage for each round you do not wash it off. If Your Hit points reach 0 goto 108
QQ the door is soo rotten you can tear it apart and enter the area beyond. This is a dungeon. Left and right you see the iron barrs of several cells. They are all empty, and the bars are corroded by the water. In the far end is a torture chamber and alchemy bench. Whoever worked here has apparently tortured the prisoners, and experimented upon. If you search the remnants, you can find the following; a functional slighly coroded dagger, a tarnished and darkened oaken mallet which can be used as a common mace, three empty potion bottles, 1 bottle of unholy water with the Holy Symbol of Ranivorus(does Lawful and good persons 2d4 damage), an unopened still waxsealed Keoghtom's ointment of ancient origin, a wedge and 3 iron nails, and a wooden club. Beyond that is is all shards, and debris of various nature.
RR-This iron wheel was originally used to hoist the shackles and victim up and down into the acid pool. Due the water which leaked in from the piperoom underneath the pavilion, the wheel became so corroded it is now useless. Goto HH for anoher choice
The Upper Levels
Ok this book requires some more detailing to become dangerous and logical in the Mystara setting. So I created the Mystara version of these books...books?? yes bookS...many more exist. These very powerful semi artifacts lurk in various evil necromancer libraries or in forgotten tombs. and they are proof for the Followers of Al-Kalim that the Nithians were a vile race.
Stories of a powerful Nithian necromancers created these books that could entrap souls so they could perform experiments on the undead. They say he would perform horrendous experiments that were a worse fate than damnation. Some say some of them achieved immortailty. In Glantri and Alphatia these books would be valuble itens selling for over 10.000 gp, to 150.000gp In most other countries using this book is as an attempt of murder or sacrilege, yet like most weapons it might be sold and bought. (especially in illiterate regions or with non-magious aptitude/understanding of taxofficials/license givers/buyers). Selling anywhere but Glantri or Alphatia these books are valued at 100gp to 5000gp (1d100x50) at best and will draw attention to seller and buyer.
Each Book of Souls has the following random properties:
Soul trapping. You can snatch the soul of a humanoid as it dies within 60' of you and trap it on a page of this book. The book has 100 pages. A stolen soul remains inside the book indefinitely unless you destroy the book, which releases every soul tapped inside. This book gives the user a total of 6 of the following powers per any one captured soul, which is then released.
Anyone who opens the book will see the soul standing before them based on what page they turned to. The soul always appears the way the creature did when it died.
While you have the book open to a soul's page, you can converse with it as you would normally as if speaking the same language. The soul has all the memories and knowledge of when it was alive and will interact with you accordingly. While a soul is trapped, the dead humanoid it came from can’t be revived.
Any other creature that can see invisibility or truesight can also see the soul. Otherwise, the soul is invisible to anyone not touching the book.
Destroying the Book of Souls. If the Book of Souls takes 45 fire damage or less magical sparks flicker visibly/audibly away from it. If burning for more than 45 fire damage, the book is reduced to ash releasing all of the trapped souls in a necrotic explosion. Each creature within 30 ft. of the book must make a Saving vs Dragon Breath. On a failed save, each creature takes damage equal to the amount of souls that were in the book when it was destroyed by the entropic force released, or half as much on a success. This lasts 1 round per soul contained. The book will regenerate all cutting/shearing/inking damages directly afterwards. The book is immune to all other forms of damage.
In an alcove directly behind the altar a 10; tall stone statue of a jackal-headed man holds a skull-shaped scepter, (again this seems to be Ranivorus/Anubis/Yeenoghu especially as the adventure decrees the evil nature of the temple)
HH- Dungeon. The whole area is submerged by 3 inches of foul water. You see a pool elevated a foot above the floor with an acrid smelling turbid yellowish liquid. Around the edge you see rings of corroded metal, as well as a pair of shackles hanging on a chain above the pool. There is a corroded wheel on the wall clogged in the water.You see a rotten wooden door. Examine pool; goto II Examine Chain Goto JJ Examine rotten door goto QQ Examine Wheel goto RR
NW stairs Up
54-Through these doors a stairway winds up and around the northern sidee of the Pavilion, emerging onto a Hallway. Several doorways lead to bedrooms, all ransacked and abandoned.
At the Hall way's end lie a pauir of Broken Bronze doors leading into what you presume was Abu Ibliss's bedchamber
75=Secret door behind the bed; 84=at your touch, part of the wall slides away to reveal a small chamber at the back of this wing. the outer wall is only half-dozen feet in front of you(i.e. 6 feet), but the chamber extends at a right anglre nearly 30' , the width of the wing itself. This is the most important information, as it gives away the secondary requited measurement. From these we can now shape the whole building
SW Stairs Up
69-Through the door a stairway winds up and around the southern circumference of the palace, ending in a pair of brass doors inscribed with many designs and symbols. You discover that the doors are either stuck or barred from within 64 Read Languages is used to enale the PC to read (So this can be written in Ranivorus own language; Gnoll, or ancient Nithian, as well as common Ylari, all unknown to then pregenerated elf PC)
86-The magical held doors burst open to reveal a temple of some sorts, with twin rows of pillars running down its length. no pews such as you've seen in more conventional trmples are present, instead, many prayer rugs are spread about the room. Along the walls, tapestries, that rach from floor to ceiling depict creatures of fire and the nether regions. (similar to a Mosque)
Atop an alter in the far end of the chamber is a large black book illuminated by scarlet shafts that beam through a series of stained glass windows near the roof.72You discover the altar is of black obsidian. The blue-black lether cover glows with a series of magical runes
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Based on this)
Book of Souls
Wondrous Item, mortal artifact
2 minor beneficial properties; Proection from Good 10' radius (in attuned temple also Bless), See Invisible 1 Turn(10 minutes)
1 major beneficial property; No undead will attack user for 24 hours after reading book
2 minor detrimental properties; Rotting corporeal Stench (concheck within 5' or revulsion =CO-1), Loss of Taste
1 major detrimental property; Alignment shifts 1 step to Evil
All detrimental properties will resolve over time (20-current constitution x 24 hours) if getting rid of the book.
Steal Life from Soul. 1d6+1
Question Soul; truthfully at best known
Drain Level to add to user
Eyes of the Dead; Send soul to place known by Soul on Prime Plane relaying vision to the user of the book for 10 minutes(60 rounds total) The soul can be seen by Treusight, second sight and detect invisibility.
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