Sekarvu’s Lair

SEK ARVU’S L AIR

Sekarvu is a typical beholder. It spent much of its youth exploring underground realms and killing everything it found. One day, it came upon a large cavern fi lled with violet fungi. At the edge of the cavern, it found a small band of adventurers who had all but succumbed to the toxins of the fungi’s tendrils. They offered little resistance to Sekarvu as it approached and began to feed on their still-writhing bodies. With its fi rst bite, the beholder’s life changed forever. The feeble struggling of each victim it consumed was rapture to Sekarvu. It quickly ate the bodies of the adventurers, and Sekarvu spent the next several months charming monsters and bringing them back to the cavern for food preparation. When Sekarvu tried this tactic with a well-armed band of svirfneblin explorers, though, its taste for fungi-tainted fl esh nearly cost the beholder its life. After escaping, Sekarvu decided to build an underground lair where it could raise a farm of violet fungi and to which it could lure new food with ease. It wanted to maintain terrain advantages over any victims that proved especially diffi cult to eat. The beholder found the perfect site at the base of the Skitterrift, a narrow but deep subterranean gorge fi lled with monstrous centipedes. Sekarvu spent several days killing the centipedes before settling in. Since then, it has charmed a gnome illusionist named Ilirik Jadewhisper, whose mapmaking skills have proven quite a boon in luring would-be treasure-seekers to their doom.

ADVENTURE HOOK

The best way to lure the PCs to Sekarvu’s lair is for them to discover one of the false treasure maps that Ilirik has prepared and scattered throughout the region. The map shows the best underground route from a fairly well-known surface entrance to what is reputed to be the lair of a powerful medusa. The map shows areas 1 and 2 of the lair, but it doesn’t show the passageway leading south from area 2. It also indicates that the medusa lives in area 2 and that she has amassed a huge mound of treasure within.

1. ENTR ANCE CAVERN

This long, dry cavern is free of stalagmites and rubble. The fl oor is smooth and covered with a thick layer of pale yellow fungus. Dozens of humanoid statues lie in a jumbled heap against the walls. At the far end of the cavern, a 10 -foot-wide circular passageway opens into the rough cavern wall.

The forty-seven statues piled along the walls of this cavern are indeed petrifi ed humanoids, victims of Sekarvu’s fl esh to stone eye ray. Each statue is badly damaged and missing suffi cient parts that any victims restored to life immediately die. If a body is resurrected, the victim can warn its rescuers that a beholder petrifi ed him or her. Characters who do not learn this information can still obtain a clue as to the possible nature of the creature that lairs within by studying the smooth, circular tunnel that leads to area 2. A DC 26 Spellcraft check confi rms that disintegrate spells were used to dig the tunnel. The tunnels of Sekarvu’s lair remain fairly level, except for the numerous vertical shafts. The beholder can navigate these easily, but it knows that its enemies and prisoners cannot. The walls of the shafts are extremely smooth and can be climbed only by creatures that have a climb speed, use magic, or use a rope or similar climbing tool. A PC who uses a rope or tool can climb a shaft with a DC 5 Climb check. The depth of each vertical shaft is indicated on the map; the directional arrow shows in which direction the shaft descends, and the number indicates the shaft’s depth.

2. FOOD TR AP (EL 10)

This circular room glitters and shines, illuminated by fi ve freestanding torches along the edge. The fl oor is hidden from view by a veritable carpet of coins—copper, silver, gold, and even some platinum pieces sparkle invitingly. Strewn among the coins are the odd gemstone, necklace, ring, and work of art. A large golden divan sits against the far wall, and lounging upon it is a fi gure with writhing hair and terrible, glowering eyes.

The majority of this room’s contents—the coins and treasure, the divan, and even the reclining medusa—are illusions. Only the fi ve torches are real. At Sekarvu’s command, Ilirik placed the illusion here with a permanent image spell (DC 22 Will save to disbelieve). The real threat that lurks in this room comes from the three charmed driders that Sekarvu has guarding this chamber. These driders cling to the ceiling 30 feet above. Once they hear the PCs approach or spot their light sources, each drider casts invisibility on itself. One then casts major image to make it seem as if the medusa stands up to attack the intruders. The other two driders position themselves so that one can cast a web in the hallway to the east while the other casts major image to make it seem as if the vertical shaft to the east has just collapsed in a cave-in. Sekarvu has ordered the driders to catch “food” alive if possible, so they use spells like ray of enfeeblement and web to catch the PCs and suggestion to keep them from fl eeing if they escape. If the PCs look relatively healthy, the driders use magic missiles to soften them up. Once their spells are spent or the PCs are caught, the driders levitate down to attack, using their bites and heavy maces to make nonlethal attacks (taking a –4 penalty on attack rolls as a result) and beat the intruders into submission. If their tactics are successful, one drider skitters off to alert Sekarvu, while the others carry the unconscious prisoners to area 5. There, they strip the PCs of their equipment, which they leave piled in the center of the room for Sekarvu to look over, and deposit the characters in separate pits. The passageway leading south from this room is hidden by an illusory wall placed here by Ilirik (DC 20 Will save to disbelieve if the PCs interact with the wall). Numerous other illusory walls placed by Ilirik protect the lair, as indicated on the map.

Drider (3): hp 45 each; Monster Manual page 89. All three cast spells as 6th-level sorcerers and know the same spells as listed on page 90 of the Monster Manual except that lightning bolt is replaced by major image.

3. DINING ROOM

This large room is empty except for a bowl-shaped depression in the middle of the fl oor. A narrow channel runs from this bowl down the passageway to the southeast. The inside surface of the bowl and the channel are stained a dark red-brown and smell of rotten meat.

This is where Sekarvu eats its victims. After the mess that resulted from its fi rst few meals, the beholder used its disintegrate eye ray to create the bowl-shaped depression and channel to capture blood and other material. Once Sekarvu fi nishes eating, it uses telekinesis to sluice the remains down the channel and into the violet fungi farm in area 4. If the PCs manage to infi ltrate the lair this far without alerting Sekarvu, there’s a 20% chance that the beholder is here, eating one of the still-living prisoners from area 5.

4. THE SKI T TERRIF T (EL 15)

This massive rift in the surrounding stone stretches up into the darkness. Below, a softly shifting and slightly phosphorescent violet mass seems to writhe. Several ledges protrude from the edge of the rift at various heights. A thick stink of rotting meat wafts up from below.

This large rift is where Sekarvu grows its precious violet fungi to satisfy its hankering for fungi-tainted fl esh. To prepare a meal, the beholder uses telekinesis to lift a prisoner from a pit in area 5, carries him out to this area, and dips him into the fungi below until he’s nearly dead. Sekarvu then retires to the dining room (area 4) to eat. Waste left over from the meal is drained back into this room to feed the fungi; as a result, the plants are particularly thick in the northeast end of the chasm. In all, twenty-four violet fungi grow on the rift fl oor. A cautious party should be able to avoid the hazard these fungi present, but anyone who comes within their reach is in deep trouble. The beholder is terribly protective of its fungus farm and has posted three charmed ropers on the ledges that overlook the bulk of the fungi. These ropers are located at the areas labeled A, B, and C on the map (there is no roper at location D). The ropers have been commanded not to attack the violet fungi, driders, ethereal fi lchers, Ilirik, the beholder itself, or anyone Sekarvu accompanies, but any other creatures they spot are fair game. Ledges A and C are 50 feet above the rift fl oor, ledge B is 20 feet above the rift fl oor, and ledge D is 180 feet above the rift fl oor. Squares shaded in tan indicate a square of the rift fl oor that the ropers can attack with their strands. Ropers A and C can attack any adjacent square on the rift fl oor (these squares are colored a darker shade of tan). Since roper B is 30 feet closer, it can reach any target in any of the shaded squares. The rift’s ceiling stretches nearly 400 feet up, but there are no other exits from the chamber larger than a few inches in diameter. The ropers have no treasure, nor is there anything of value hidden in the mulch below the violet fungi.

Violet Fungus (24): hp 15 each; Monster Manual page 112.

Roper (3): hp 85 each; Monster Manual page 215.

5. PANTRY (EL 8)

This large chamber is ringed by six 10 -foot-wide pits. Stacked in the center of the room are six large wooden discs, reinforced with bands of metal. Several 1-inch-wide holes are drilled into the center of each disc.

Sekarvu keeps its captives here, trapping no more than one creature per pit if possible. Each pit is 50 feet deep, so the beholder can observe the contents of the pit with its darkvision. The walls of each pit are smooth and cannot be climbed by creatures without a natural climb speed. The wooden and metal discs in the middle of the room are lids; each weighs 300 pounds. Whenever Sekarvu drops a prisoner into a pit, it uses telekinesis to move a lid and cap the opening. When the PCs reach this area, they might fi nd prisoners in the pits—perhaps someone they’ve been looking for or characters caught by the driders in area 2. As a general rule, Sekarvu keeps prisoners in a pit for only one or two days before eating them, since to keep them any longer requires the beholder to feed them. In the rare cases where it wishes to keep a prisoner alive, either Ilirik or the denizens of this room provide food and water as necessary. Sekarvu has managed to charm fi ve ethereal fi lchers, and these creatures stay here as guards when not out on duty. Their ability to ethereally jaunt makes them valuable gatherers for the beholder, which sends them out to distribute more of Ilirik’s false treasure maps or to gather food and water for the other creatures in the lair.

Ethereal Filcher (5): hp 22 each; Monster Manual page 104.

6. ILIRIK’S QUARTERS (EL 11)

A single freestanding torch leaning against the west wall ineffectively lights this chamber. The contents of the room include a single bed, a desk and chair, and a large barrel that seems to contain water.

This is the home of Ilirik, the illusionist Sekarvu charmed several years ago. Ilirik’s long servitude to the beholder has left him a hollow, joyless gnome who spends his free time studying magic and slowly researching new spells. Sekarvu collects these notes on new spells as they are completed, promising to keep them safe and return them when the gnome’s servitude to the beholder ends sometime in the future. In truth, Sekarvu uses Ilirik as a constant source of new magical writings to observe and absorb. It also uses the gnome to shore up the defenses of the lair with illusions, and

as an envoy on the rare occasions that it needs a humanoid representative with which to conduct business. Ilirik is encountered here unless the beholder has commanded him to aid in the defense of the lair elsewhere. If caught alone in this room, he panics. He knows that if Sekarvu discovers that intruders have penetrated this far into the lair, he will never see his spell research again (at best) and will be eaten (at worst). Thus, he does his best to fi ght the PCs. If it looks like the PCs are about to defeat him, his last act is to seal off the northeastern passageway with a wall of stone. Sekarvu will be able to escape at any time with its disintegrate eye ray, and hopefully the wall of stone can slow the PCs down long enough for the beholder to get away. If the char m person effect on Ilirik is dispel led, his attitude changes from unfriendly to indi f ferent, and the gnome is inclined to f lee the scene. He doesn’t think that Sekar v u can be beaten, and he fi gures his best hope to avoid death or reenslavement is to run far and fast. He does not stay to help the PCs unless he is awed by a show of competence and confi dence or persuaded with skillful diplomacy.

Sekarvu prepares dinner Ilirik Jade whisper: Male gnome illusionist 11; CR 11; Small humanoid; HD 11d4+22; hp 42; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 13, touch 13, fl at-footed 11; Base Atk +5; Grp +0; Atk or Full Atk +5 melee (1d4–1/19–20, dagger) or +8 ranged (1d4–1/19–20, dagger); SA spell-like abilities; SQ gnome traits, low-light vision; AL CN; SV Fort +5*, Ref +5*, Will +8*; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 19, Wis 8, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Concentration +16, Craft (alchemy) +6, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +12, Knowledge (geography) +18, Listen +1, Profession (cartographer) +13, Spellcraft +18; Brew PotionB, Eschew Materials, Ex tend SpellB , Improved Counterspell, Iron Will, Spell Focus (illusion), Scribe ScrollB . L a n g u a g e s : G n o m e , Common, Draconic, Elven, Goblin, Undercommon. Gnome Traits: Gnomes have a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids. Gnomes have a +4 racial bonus to A r mor Class against giants. *Gnomes have a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions.

Illus. by D. Crabapple