Dungeon of Deception

General Summary

12 Marpenoth, The Year of the Duplicitous Courtier (1496 DR)

Tomb of the Nine Gods, City of Omu, Chult

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As the adventurers ventured deeper into the ancient tomb, they found a bronze plaque on the wall. It read...

The ring is a path to another tomb.

The dead abhor sunlight.

Only a jewel can tame the frog.

Bow as the dead god intoned.

Into darkness descend.

Continuing on, they soon stood before a massive stone door. The nine-foot wide and nine-foot-high door was adorned with intricate carvings and symbols that had faded into obscurity.
At head height for a human, three oval holes had been carved into the door, each barely large enough for a head to protrude. The group paused, their torchlight and magical light flickering across the cold stone surface. As they drew closer, a horrific sight emerged from the darkness. Three humanoid heads jutted out from the holes, their features twisted with agony and decay. The putrid flesh that clung to their skulls reeked of rot, and their eyes, clouded with death, stared blankly ahead. Each head was held in place by an iron bit bolted to a chain bridle, the chains disappearing into the unseen mechanisms within the door. The heads gnawed mindlessly on the iron bits, the sound of grinding metal adding to the eerie atmosphere.
Sein, the paladin, stepped forward with determination. His sword gleamed in the dim light as he raised it high. With a swift and powerful swing, he lopped off the heads, one by one. The decayed remains fell to the ground with a sickening thud, leaving the iron bits and chains dangling from the door.
Mask, ever nimble and resourceful, donned his Slippers of Spider Climbing. He effortlessly ascended the stone surface, reaching the oval holes with ease. Carefully, he reached inside, feeling the cold, rusty chains now freed from their gruesome restraints. Inside, he caught a glimpse of a skeleton. Its skull was adorned with a crown or helmet, like the previous one they encountered. This one's crown was shaped as a square, which matched the carved symbol they saw at the top of the stairs leading down to the next level below. The skeleton looked towards the rogue's direction, then faded from view behind a corner inside the room.
Mask told the others what he saw. Then, with a firm grip, Mask pulled the chains through the holes, exposing their full length.
The adventurers quickly devised a plan. They tied the chains together, securing them to a sturdy rope from their supplies. Working in unison, they heaved and pulled, the sound of grinding stone echoing through the tomb as the heavy door slowly budged. Inch by inch, the door yielded to their combined strength until it finally slid upward, revealing room beyond.
To ensure the door remained open, they hooked the rope to a rail of the grand staircase that spiraled into the tomb's depths. The stone rail held firm under the tension. The adventurers stood back, catching their breath as they gazed into the newly revealed room.



Inside, the room contained six glass cauldrons brimming with humanoid bones lining the walls of this tomb. At the center of the chariot stands an ancient chariot bearing a bronze sarcophagus with treasure strewn atop it.
Paintings on the chariot's body show a tall bird with a long, sharp beak. On the south wall, a bronze shield bears the embossed image of a Chultan warrior carrying a spear below an inscription that read, "Bow before no one."
Four bronze statues stood on pedestals to either side of the shield. They depicted Chultan warriors: one holding a sword, two with spears, and one missing its face.
The crowned skeleton Mask saw earlier was nowhere to be seen, not even within the glass cauldrons.
It was agreed that, just as the last crowned skeleton did, the square-crowned skeleton may have gone through a secret door hidden in the room. They agreed to search the walls for a secret door while trying to avoid touching the cauldrons, statues, and the large bronze shield.
But Mask had other ideas.
The rogue quietly climbed the chariot and, opening his backpack, slid the treasure atop the sarcophagus into his backpack.
Just then, two skeletons began climbing out of each glass cauldron.
Meanwhile, the embossed Chultan hunter began to move within the large bronze shield. The hunter's muscles coiled with tension, his spear raised high, ready to hurl it into the room.


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Report Date

14 Jun 2024