Imhalder’s Lair

The Palace:

Rests on bottom of lake. Dome of air shimmers like ice from a distance. Can walk or swim through with momentary sense of tugging on something. If swimming, will immediately fall to ground/roof level.

Exterior Guards: 2 giant crayfish and 12 merrow, dwell in areas 21 and 30, evenly divided. Constant patrols, attack without question. Send strange bird-fish with alert into bubble.

Imhalder: L21 lich

Str 15

Dex 14

Con 19

Int 19

Wis 15

Chr 14

AC 15 and Stoneskin (8 layers)

Imhalder is entirely fixed on his own interests and pursuits. He seeks a way to travel back in time. He desires to go back to a time before the fall of the first empire, in fact even to before its rise, and to become the most powerful god-emperor ever to rule. He knows that his ancestors destroyed knowledge which could make him that powerful, and he has focused all his energy on that task. The PCs interest him not at all. However, if they agree to perform tasks in his service, he might be convinced to allow them to rummage through his library. He will not answer questions about Aulindo himself; the mage visited the Imperial Palace during his great-grandfather’s reign, some hundred and fifty years before Imhalder was born. The mechanical bird which Aulindo made is still in the palace, preserved by Imhalder’s spell of keeping.

Neither does he know anything about Malinha or St. Michael or the order of the Leveler’s Knights. He has heard of Asheseth, but his interest in the PCs is so insignificant as to mean he will not bother to discuss it with them.

Spell Casting:

L1: 10

L2: 10

L3: 9

L4: 8

L5: 7

L6: 6

L7: 5

L8: 4

L9: 3

Favored Spells:

L1: Magic Missile,

Magic Items:

Staff of Power (continual light, magic missile, lightning bolt, ray of enfeeblement, levitation, cone of cold, fireball, shield 5’ r, globe of invulnerability, paralyzation ray

Slippers of Spider Climbing

Ring of Fire Resistance

Cloak of Displacement (+2 AC , first attack misses, +2 S.T.s at wearer)

Bracers of AC 8

Brooch of Shielding (101 points)

Interior:

L1:

1. Entry doors: locked, trapped with Sepia Snake Sigil - whoever touches door sets it off

2. Guard Room: spiders in webs - small

3. Guard room and armory: more spiders

4. Hall of Greeting: once this was where guests of the Emperor waited before their private audiences. There are benches and fine mosaics of mythical scenes, including one of a beautiful castle flying on a cloud, with winged elf-like people around it.

Double doors into area 7 are trapped - lightning bolt for 6d6 if lock picked

5. Trio of chambers - and stairs going up: chambers are guarded, no treasure, stairs are trapped

6. Empty pair of rooms

7. Minor Hall: very fine mosaic floors, walls. Doors into 8 trapped again, any living being stepping into 8 sets off cloudkill

8. Emperor’s Greeting Hall: very fine marble floors and walls. Pillars gold-leafed. Throne on platform at end. Very fancy. 4 floor golems arise on command of Imhalder: “Lay on”. Here is where he will bring captured guests.

Secret door into 14 is trapped from this side with Sepia Snake Sigil.

9. Guest Chambers: Trap on whole chamber (middle room) - anyone who enters must save each round vs spell to avoid falling unconscious. Still furnished.

10. Garden of the Empress: Large planters and pots still sit empty in this room. Benches, beautiful carved chair of jade and ivory. On floor is trapper. Wide, arched windows all along outer wall. Glassteel.

11. Chambers of Empress: Series of beautiful rooms, all doors locked, minor electrical and fireburst traps on doors - 1d8 to each failed removal/pick. Furnished in white and gold, nicknacks of jade, ivory, marble, onyx worth 5,000 sp.

12. Empress’ Bedchamber: perfectly preserved, in green and gold, carpet, wallhangings, bed with netting, Glassteel over arched windows - white netting curtains. Lying in the bed is a mummified “corpse” - animates and attacks as a mummy if room is disturbed.

Jewelry here on dresser is worth 3,000 sp easily - turquoise and silver, diamond and emeralds set in gold, star sapphire tiara.

13. Long passage - trapped - distance distortion/maze - PCs seem to travel for hours - cannot escape (Will Save DC 25 to avoid effect) - only way to break effect if fail save is to walk with eyes closed - at x is pit trap, drops PCs into nets - coated with very sticky substance, sleep effect - save each round (DC 30 Fort) or fall unconscious.

If trapped, PCs find themselves in throne room with Imhalder on throne (disguised as normal old man), still bound in webbing (DC 30 Str to break).

14. Entry to Imhalder’s personal rooms above. A wall of solid blackness fills the doorway into these chambers (from 13 or from courtyard). The wall is the beginning of absolute blackness. No darkvision nor light spell will function within these chambers. These rooms are bare, dust-free and feel cold. The chambers are guarded by a stone golem. The only way to pass is to say Imhalder’s name.

15. This pair of side chambers were once a guest suite. They are now dust-filled and nearly vacant. Door into second chamber is trapped. Sepia Snake Sigil. Room beyond holds nothing of value.

16. Main chamber is empty. Dusty tracks on floor lead to left door. In that room is a scrying glass. This is how Imhalder and Peter Summerwood communicated. Peter (or anyone) fills a bowl with water from the pitcher next to it (decanter of endless water), and speaks Imhalder’s name. If Imhalder wishes to be bothered, he will appear in the bowl (appears as normal old man, not lich). Imhalder WILL speak to PC’s. Abrupt, condescending, demanding, but not quite violently rude. He will first demand PCs leave, then if they beg hard, will hint that they may do something for him (go to Asheseth Montarn and investigate).

17.Lesser entrance to throne hall.