Tomb of Diderius

The Tomb of Diderius and its magic pool are hidden within a complex of chambers carved into a towering cliff in the Plane of Half-Shadows. Originally part of the manse the wizard Diderius built around the mystical divination pool, the complex was converted to a crypt only after his death. The crypt looks down over the ruins of the town that grew up around the magic pool to cater to those who came seeking Diderius's wisdom.
The town once nestled into a canyon between two bluffs, but only a few ruined stone structures and the slab foundations of administrative and temple buildings now remain. Cave entrances dot the bluffs, marking former residences and simple tombs. None of the ruins hold anything of value or interest, but the caves offer safe places for the party to rest.
Knowledge of the settlement that once stood here has been lost to all except Ilda, a ghostly librarian in area 9 of the crypt, who has answers to many forgotten questions. As well, though few seek the pool these days, a small yuan-ti colony known as Ss'tck'al has arisen behind the crypt. The yuan-ti use humanoid sacrifices to power the divination pool's magic, learning dark secrets that fuel their insidious plots.

General Features

Unless otherwise specified, the floor and walls of the dungeon are sandstone blocks and flagstones. The walls are cool to the touch and the air is cold. The tomb's ceilings are 10 feet high. There is no light inside the tomb.

Regional Effects

When Diderius died, those who honoured him in life transformed him into a special mummy lord whose magic pervades his tomb. Since Diderius is neutral rather than evil, the area lacks dark magic common to other mummy-lord tombs. A few chambers of the tomb have the appearance of opulent and well-kept rooms suitable for a noble archmage. This effect is an illusion, however, failing to cover the rank scent of dust and decay. Diderius's magic also guides those who show proper respect.

Entrance Plaza

The entrance to Diderius's tomb stands in what was once a large paved plaza. The remains of a fountain are now little more than a stone circle set around a crumbling hole in the ground leading to a well deep below. Two stone statues stand in the courtyard, rising twenty feet high. Behind them, a forty-foot high edifice is carved into the cliffside, dominated by relief columns carved with strange, otherworldly scenes.
The left-hand colossus is a bearded human male wearing exotic clothes, but its face is smashed beyond recognition. It holds a balance in its right hand and a cudgel at its side, its left hand raised as if in warning. The colossus to the right of the entrance is a young human male wearing similarly exotic clothing, the left half of its head cracked off and lying at its feet. The statue holds a shepherd's crook in its left hand, its right hand raised in warning as well.
The relief-carved scenes around the entrance depict things Diderius glimpsed in the divination pool, including other worlds and planes that never came to be. Use your imagination when describing these scenes. The entrance to the crypt is 30 feet up atop a stone stairwell that stops 10 feet short of a platform jutting out from the cliff face. Varram's cultists have left a ladder leaning against the edifice that allows characters to climb up to the entrance.

Maps

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  Tomb of Diderius

RUINED STRUCTURE
4120

Founding Date

3012

Type

Dungeon

Parent Location

The Plane of Half-Shadows

Owning Organization

Dragon Archivists