The Tower of Malenkin: All 21 Levels
The tower contain twenty-one levels, each a single large chamber linked by stone stairs leading to the next (unless otherwise stated). Some of the levels are not actually on this plane of existence...
2. The second level – used primarily for storage by the orcs at this time. Contains Getana’s wardrobe, as well as orcish provisions.
3. The Chamber of the White Statue – a columned chamber filled with ghosts. A portal in the ceiling deposits valuable items periodically into the water bowl held by the twelve foot tall image of Malenkin in his living prime. The statue contains a hole from the bowl that drops coins down into a lower pit, which opens into a special “Portable Hole” that opens into a treasure chamber in the Dead City of Moil. The ghosts are harmless unless attacked.
4. The Infernal Alley Level – an alley in the backstreets of the City of Chains, with a altar that demands sacrifice. A victim on the altar will open the portal to the city. The walls show rotating images of events in the City of Chains.
5. The first library – a chamber of moldering tomes and study desks, where Malenkin’s apprentices once studied before he slew them all and reanimated them. Abaondoned save for the homunculi that infest the tower. A balcony contains a ladder that leads to the balcony on level 6. The normal stairs go right to level 7.
6. The Hidden Homunculi Chamber – a room where homunculi gather to commune with one another and feed. The chamber contains large homunculi of Amesteri and Caratea, formed after Malenkin tried to determine what happened to his imprisoned souls with a Pattern Weave spell more than a decade ago. Also contains a entrance to the elevator hub for the homunculi caretakers.
7. The Chamber of Spiders – currently occupied by one Phase Spider, contains only the stairs up, and some victims. The walls of this tower if damaged reveal that the entire level is in the Demiplane of the Spider God Arachne. The exterior of the tower “slice” in this plain holds a large spider altar which is actually a teleporter that will randomly deposit local spiders into the level to act as guardians, then teleport them out when not needed.
8. The Chamber of the Round Table – a bauble stolen from another time, with impressive suits of armor in alcoves along the wall facing each of thirteen chairs upon the floor, with the lead throne chair holding the homunculi of the Minotaur who calls himself “Naught,” for he is naught but a copy of both Minhaurous and Mardieur Mardieux, another creation of Malenkin’s pattern weave. The table itself comes from an ancient era of Chirak history when the table was forged for the Order of the Knights of Chaos, who served a lost god of old known as Sarpathagas, a predecessor to Ga’Thon nearly eleven thousand years ago.
9. The Chamber of Mind Flayer Caryatid Columns – this chamber is filled with a vile altar to the mind flayer god of knowledge, Hadastar (Maanzecorian in other languages). A sacrifice of truly impressive worth will summon the god forthright.
10. The Second Library - A chamber of what may have been the second library, largely looted of any worth. Contains mostly penny dreadful novels, and some random notes which appear to be “enemies lists” Malenkin has produced over the years.
11. The Gear Chamber – walls of gears and mechanisms on the walls, requires a special invocation or key and will turn into a gate to Mechanus.
12. The Shadow Plane Level – here the level opens up to a beautiful panaoramic view of darkness, a slice of level locked in the plane of shadow. Long platforms stretch out into the night and impressive nightgaunts land, obediently waiting to ferry guests to the city of Gloomwrought.
13. The Limbo Level I – opens up onto a tumultuous realm in Limbo that appears to be a chaotic graveyard of worlds. A ghostly presence is visible in the vats windows that open up to reveal the terror and madness of limbo. A watch station protrudes which provides a variety of viewing instruments on a large brass machine, and they are currently focused on what appears to be a vast dead form of colossal size in the distance, the dead god’s body of Minhauros. The next floor up is in this same dimension, and a master staircase can be seen stretching up along the side of the building…
14. The Limbo Level II – This second part to the limbo level includes what appear to be magical “sun plates” that are in fact a defense mechanism against the potential enemies of limbo, as well as two large iron golems that stand watch. A landing with an Astral Skiff is visible, and the elder githyanki Meridias stands watch over the level. He admits that he has been here for days, and had not been told that the lord of the tower was now gone….he received a missive but three days ago, by normal time, that he would have a pickup to take to the Damned City of Vaag in limbo, though he knows not who the passenger was to be…
15. The Third Library level – this library level is all spells, all the time. A student here realizes that all spells can be found and learned within this room, but any book that they attempt to remove is teleported back to its proper place. Any tome they attempt to copy, the copied version bursts into flames or turns to ash when they leave. Persistent efforts to do this will cause the Librarian to appear, a powerful beholder who calls himself only “The Librarian.”
16. The Observation Level – this level opens onto the valley of Malenkin’s territory and includes brass viewing scopes on mounts and large spacious open windows for viewing the area. A large center table provides a miniature map of the region, on which one can see the actual movement of all entities in a fifty mile radius around and outside the tower. The windows/viewing area is disguised from outside. Four helmed horrors stand silent watch in the center of the chamber, and will attack any who do not speak the code phrase “To Live is to Learn.” The code phrase is known by the homunculi as well as recorded in the second library level.
17. The Sky Chamber – Similar to the prior chamber, this one opens out into the blue sky. It appears to be a slice of tower situated along a floating piece of rock with a lush garden with trees to one side, and a perpetually replenishing fountain of water. Several Elohim women and lizardfolk are visible here, relaxing in the tiny paradise, but the elohi will take flight if threatened while the lizard men will charge to attack. To the tower-side is a rocky escarpment is the observation lounge, with telescopes trained across the world. A single brass telescope in this room is locked in place and appears to show a lush tropical island with a large volcano and a ruined city along its shores (Isla Esrosania). Others are trained on Capitol Barcen, one on the tower itself, a third on the mountain known as Piscrael’s Blight where it appears an army of monsters swarms south, and the final telescope is trained on the Correnstalian capitol of Dryfar. The space chamber is guarded by a manticore and two nothics, who will arrive flying on the manticore in 1D3 rounds when intruders are sensed. A DC 12 perception check will let PCs notice orcish bones in the garden area.
18. The Laboratory Level I – here’s where Malenkin did all his research. A vat for creating homunculi is here, as well as four tables on which are strapped recent experiments, four homunculi slowly changing to the forms of what appear to be each of the kings of Dragos (Forethus Dom, the Black King), Mercurios (Iron Dukat), Correnstal (Urso Vanasas) and Espanea (Marcus Darego). Each one is tethered to a crystal ball showing actions and events in the lives of each ruler. The chamber is guarded by a determined flesh golem called Drom, who will attack any who try to disturb the incubating homunculi. Balconies look out on the landscape, but two gargoyles at each balcony defend it from any who would seek to enter or leave….and they are quite shocked at any who appear.
19. The Laboratory Level II – Malenkin’s second lab level, which is nearly three stories high in its own right, contains a fabulous amount of useful and interesting arcane items, shelves of books, tables full of alchemical concoctions, and lurking near the ceiling are three spectators who will attack any that disturb the chamber. If the spectators are slain, the Librarian beholder will appear to continue the attack. Assuming they are all destroyed/removed then the chamber may be looted….but all items have a curse upon them in which they are teleported to the hole in level 3 to drop into the secret treasury of Moil.
20. The Armory – A misleading title, for the armory seems to contain only four weapons. One is a curved long scimitar (great sword), the second is a wicked looking dagger with the pommel of a jackal’s head, the third is a staff which crackles with lightning and is covered in crystal shards, and the fourth is an impressive great axe with a blood red jewel at its heart. Each is a weapon wielded by one of the gods during the Final War, collected and preserved here. To get at each one must make a Wisdom save DC 18 to overcome the compulsion to push someone who seeks to grab a weapon away from their podium. Then, grasping the weapon requires a CON save DC 18 to avoid taking 75 points of disintegration damage. Finally a STR DC 20 to lift the weapon from where it has been tethered. If all three tasks are accomplished or somehow defeated, the weapon can be wielded….each one requires attunement. Here are the details:
The Dagger of Shaligon: one of thirteen such daggers, this is a +2 dagger which on a successful his required a DC 15 CON save or the target is poisoned, taking 10 damage per round until they make three consecutive saves. Whenever a 1 is rolled in an attack the wielder is subject to a poison attack, however. As a secondary effect the bearer of the Ares stone always knows where the wielder is, and will likely want to find the dagger.
The Great Axe of Malib: This +3 axe deals necrotic damage and also saps CON, dealing a -1 to the stricken target against their CON mod. Someone slain with the axe or reduced to -5 CON immediately becomes undead: D20+hit dice of target: 1-10 a zombie, 11-14 a wight, 15-16 a specter, 17-18 a ghoul, 19-20 a ghost, 21+ a vampire. This item also has a curse: the wielder also turns into an undead if slain while wielding it
The Staff of Akquinarios: A powerful ancient wizard’s weapon, the staff is a +2 weapon which can release lightning bolt three times per day as a level 9 spell. The staff also lets the bearer utilize three special slots which can be used to cast a spell in memory of up to 9th level. The staff also has a curse, such that whenever an adjacent ally is injured (within 30 feet) by any magic that did not also target the wielder, he must make a WIS check at DC 18 with disadvantage or he instead takes the strike for the intended target.
The Great Scimitar of Pallath: The sword of the sun god is a resplendent weapon with a +3 legendary bonus, and can create light at will, as well as burst into flame as a free action for an extra 1D6 fire damage (or 2D6 against evil beings). Targets not immune to fire damage will also take the damage, however. The weapon has a special ability to teleport the wielder to the City of the Sun at will. The weapon has some problems, due to the fragmented nature of the Pallath Stone: those wielding it feel an overwhelming compulsion to gather the shards of the stone to heal it. In addition, if an evil being wields the scimitar then the weapon ignites in a burning blaze the second it is touched, and will deal 2D6 fire damage per round to the target.
21. The
Tower Roof – the last stretch opens on a wide roof overlooking the local
area. The ceiling contains a large wooden perch, which is where Malenkin’s
undead dragon will land to carry him off (but it is absent). There is also an
ordinary telescope and mount pointed at the valley Gate entrance. Any who make
it to the top and close the hatch will find that nothing short of a dispel
magic will remove the enchantment which seals it back up….on the roof, only
Malenkin’s touch will open the hatch. Fortunately, the descent from above is
only for a seventy foot tower, as many of the tower’s levels are nestled in
other planes of existence…..
Breaking the Walls: Anyone breaking the walls of the tower or using a planar portal while inside risks revealing a random plane of existence beyond the wall; every level of the tower is coterminous in some other plane of existence. If a planar gate is created without Malenkin's secret passwords then a DC 20 check vs. Arcana must be made or the gate opens onto a random location.
Choose or roll randomly if this happens....
D20/Result
1-Limbo
2-Shadowfell
3-Demiplane of Infinite Spiders
4-Demiplane of Vengeful Wraiths
5-A Remote Desert in the Outlands
6-Sigil's Bazaar
7-The Plane of the Black Obelisk
8-The Deep Wilds of Arborea
9-The Silver Plane of Mirrors
10-The Demiplane of Happy Gorgons
11-The Plane of Infinite Portals
12-The City of Moil
13-The Dreamlands of Ethenur
14-The City of the Sun
15-The Black Garden
16-The Prison Tower of Zvaggas
17-The Dead Sail Barge of the Githyanki Queen
18-The Rotting Body of Minhauros in Limbo
19-The City of Chains
20-The Iron Fortress on Acheron
Good stuff here, Tori.
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