Wyr'palja's mausoleum
Tomb of Wyr'palja. Murals outside. Very steep, narrow stairs to entrance.
Top Level
- Aviary: Glass bird scultptures, animate like obsidian butterflies (but peircing) when anyone enters the space between the steps. Statue and pool filled with coins; might also be a Grimtooth-style "spear dips down into the pool to electrocute anyone messing with the coins" trap to discourage mortals (tomb built by dragon-blooded, after all).
- False Tomb: Find three fire pots, one five colors of jade, one moonsilver and starmetal, one orichalcum. They have faint scents. Rack of potions without labels on the outer aviary well, can match by smell or with serious botantical/alchemy skill. Disks for each circle of magic. When pots filled with correct stuff, and put in correct location, then lit, smoke swirls around white circle. For one hour, those who step on circle are teleported to second level. If mixed wrong, lethal gas. Sarcophagus itself trapped (essence explosion). Meaningful murals on all, including one map of pre-Contaigion Creation (possible hint to Parlainth-type lost cities). Hints on founding of city.
- Mosaic of First Age Creation
- Lots of birds
- A winged Wyr'palja's holds a caduceus up to a hideous dragon that appears to be made of shadows of people.
- Standing on the tip of a tree, Wyr'palja raises a city from the forest.
- Wyr'palja surrounded by strange symbols (salt, quicksilver, gold, etc.)
- Numerous small paintings of Wyr'palja's life and exploits. Fighting various creatures, lecturing, teaching alchemy, spell craft, etc. In one, she stands over an apparently dead woman, channeling energy into her mouth while others battle a dark force in the background.
Second Level
Vestibule
Automaton, possibly something like the Feathered Serpent (which would be right in character with Wyr'palja), but more lethal. Maybe two or more. Animates when door opens. Murals with hints.
Hall of Mist
when all in room, door shuts, room fills with mist. Those inside teleported to random locations in room. Pitch dark and filled with mist. Like simulacrums of smoke. Each round, essence darts fly around, dealing damage. Pits as well. Possibly a Cloak of Deadly Automata (guardian) defends the place, scary in the smoke. Basically, best defense is not to enter.
Alchemy Workshop
The Dragon Blooded who built Wyr'palja's tomb constructed two workshops for themselves within, to hide some of her treasure from other terrestrials. One of these was an alchemy workshop which, while a pale shadow of Wyr'palja's real alchemy cathedral, remains an impressive facility.
While small, this well-stocked workshop acts as an advanced workshop (Savant & Sorcerer, pg. 32) for alchemy, complete with First Age tools. In addition to a large assortment of jars, beakers, magical braziers, pots, steam works and inscrutable apparatus, the following can be found within this room:
Salt
This leather bound book, written by hand in High Realm by Wyr'palja in black ink, introduces readers to mortal alchemy, providing step by step instructions to master salt circle alchemy. While most of the book is extremely clear, roughly every tenth page is written in some kind of code, and strange symbols litter the margins throughout the book. Products of this circle are the weakest of potions, but also the easiest to make. This circle focuses on the "three essentials" of alchemy -- salt (the contractive force), sulfur (the expansive force) and quicksilver (the integrative force) -- so is sometimes called "sulfur circle" or "quicksilver circle" alchemy.
Those who follow this book's instructions and make all of its formulae can learn the thaumaturgical science of Alchemy ● without a trainer. This book includes the following formulae:
- Blood-Staunching Compress: Bandages that stop bleeding
- Hallucinogenic woad: Pain killing hallucinogen
- Court poison
- Venom-Allaying Draught (several versions): Allows mortals an automatic roll to resist poisons.
- Wound-Cleansing Unguent: Prevents infection during surgery
- Draught of Blessed Respite: Sleeping potion
- Maiden tea: Contraceptive and abortifacient.
- Philtre of Desire: Improve social interaction with a specific target.
Aether
Similar to Salt, this sharkskin bound book was also written by hand in High Realm by Wyr'palja in silver ink. This volume details the aether circle, a more advanced form of mortal alchemy. Its formulae are more complex, but also more effective. This circle focuses on the "elements" of alchemy: air, earth, fire, water and wood. More coded pages are scattered throughout this volume as well.
Those who follow this book's instructions and make all of its formulae can learn the thaumaturgical science of Alchemy ●● without a trainer. This book includes the following formulae:
- Eagle's Eye Potion: Improve eyesight.
- Final Vengeance: Allows mortals to ignore all wound penalties and succeed at Valor tests.
- Ghost flower: Allows communication with ghosts.
- Ice fern: Dream enhancer, mild divination enhancer.
- Munificent Antivenin: Counteracts poision.
- Seven bounties paste: cures disease.
- Valiant Warrior Formula: Allows an extra to be treated as a normal character.
Gold
The last of Wyr'palja's tomes on mortal alchemy, the gilded pages of this book are bound between gold covers. The gold circle described by herein represents the perfection of mortal alchemy, symbolized by the most perfect of mundane metals. Coded pages appear about twice as often in Gold.
Those who follow this book's instructions and make all of its formulae can learn the thaumaturgical science of Alchemy ●●● without a trainer. This book contain a number of so-called "Heavenly Transmutation Processes" for transmuting mundane materials into more noble, yet still mundane, materials:
- Glass into a transparent material that resists hammer blows.
- Lead into gold
- Raw iron into flawless steel
- Wood into ivory
Alkahest
The universal solvent, described in the book Alkahest.
Berith
The philosophers stone, described in the book Berith.
Celestial Phoenix Cauldrons
These two cauldrons are wide-mouthed orichalcum vessels held up by the undulating coils of a dragon with crimson gems for eyes. The the 2,000+ pound body of each is about a yard across at its widest point, with a two foot wide mouth standing about five feet tall.
These cauldrons can produce alchemical products of up to berith circle alchemy, provided the correct ingredients are added and motes committed. Nearly any alchemical recipe known to the First Age can be produced, but the cauldrons themselves provide no knowledge of these recipes whatsoever, so the user must have a formula to make something.
Instances
A pair of these are held in the vault of the Forgotten Manse.
Game Information
Summary: Large vats that mix potions
Rating: ●●●●
Commitment: 0
Activation: 5
Repair: ●●●
Materials: orichalcum
Resplendent Satchel of Healing
A rectangular green case 12"x12"x3", containing healing items. It is described in Wonders of the Lost Age, pg. 69. Contains:
- Rod of Cleansing the Body
- Wound Mending Needles
- Jade implements giving +4 Medicine
- Instrument of Regrowth
Potions & Reagents
Scattered in various cabinets, drawers and shelves are a number bottles and other containers filled with dusts, liquids and various raw materials. These are all labeled in Old Realm, but not otherwise explained. All told, you find:
- "Ash Devourer - Ashia" - 1 box containing 12 star topaz, shaped like very large teeth
- "Ash Devourer - Baramini" - 1 box containing 12 star topaz, shaped like very large teeth
- "Ash Devourer - Chiruku" - 1 box containing 12 star topaz, shaped like very large teeth
- "Black Jade Dust" - 1 tiny bag
- "Black Jade Ink" - 6 vials
- "Black Jade Oil" - 8 vials
- "Black Jade Water" - 10 vials
- "Blue Jade Dust" - 1 tiny bag
- "Blue Jade Ink" - 6 vials
- "Blue Jade Oil" - 9 vials
- "Blue Jade Water" - 13 vials
- "Briardust" - 5 vials - coarse greenish-grey powder
- "Cage Sweat" - 3 vials - clear liquid
- "Clarity Spirit" - 2 vials - thin, pale turquoise, slightly carbonated liquid
- "Dragon Walker" - 1 vial - like champagne, with a slight greenish tinge
- "Eight-Scream Devil Powder" - 2 parchment bags, sealed with beeswax - dusty red powder
- "Elemental Memories" - 1 box containing 7 small, but flawless, emeralds
- "Empty Canvas" - 3 small jars - viscous brownish paste
- "Firedust" - 5 vials - coarse reddish-black powder
- "Forest Mimic Horn" - 1 jar - coarse white powder
- "Green Jade Dust" - 1 tiny bag
- "Green Jade Ink" - 6 vials
- "Green Jade Oil" - 6 vials
- "Green Jade Water" - 14 vials
- "Green Jade Whiskey" - 1 vial - whiskey with a slight green tint
- "Hound's Tongue" - 2 vials - thick purple liquid with swirls of black
- "Moonsilver Dust" - 1 tiny bag
- "Moonsilver Ink" - 4 vials
- "Moonsilver Oil" - 4 vials
- "Moonsilver Water" - 22 vials
- "Nitric Acid" - 50 gallons
- "Omen Juice" - 6 vials - bright pink liquid
- "Orichalcum Dust" - 1 tiny bag
- "Orichalcum Ink" - 5 vials
- "Orichalcum Oil" - 7 vials
- "Orichalcum Water" - 20 vials
- "Quicksilver" - 3 gallons
- "Red Jade Dust" - 1 tiny bag
- "Red Jade Ink" - 6 vials
- "Red Jade Oil" - 7 vials
- "Red Jade Water" - 16 vials
- "Skin-Like-the-Mountains Oil" - 3 vials - metallic blue-black oil
- "Skydust" - 5 vials - coarse bluish-grey powder
- "Starmetal Dust" - 1 tiny bag
- "Starmetal Ink" - 10 vials
- "Starmetal Oil" - 3 vials
- "Starmetal Water" - 24 vials
- "Stonedust" - 5 vials - coarse grey powder
- "Tree-singer Urine" - 1 gallon jar, one-quarter full - golden/yellow liquid
- "Vinegar" - 50 gallons
- "Waterdust" - 5 vials - coarse black powder
- "White Jade Dust" - 1 tiny bag
- "White Jade Ink" - 9 vials
- "White Jade Oil" - 9 vials
- "White Jade Water" - 15 vials
Artificing Workshop
Once a serviceable workshop for artificing, this room was consumed by fire when the death of the terrestrials who used the tomb released the fire elemental under service within. This spirit is long gone, but left behind a ravaged room. Remnants of books, wooden racks, barrels and so on are in evidence, but all reduced to an ashy shell. Even metal tools have been warped by heat. Standing in stark contrast to these are a number of items that, though slightly scotched, remain in good condition, obviously magical. They are:
- One Hand of the Mountain, with lines of mystical runes down its arms and legs, which indicate to occultists that it is built to be animated by a fire elemental. It is from this automaton that the elemental that torched the room escaped. This automaton stands in an alcove evidently built for the purpose. Originally, it was intended to do heavy lifting and tasks that required hands capable of withstanding high temperatures or dangerous chemicals.
- Five Folding Servants, folded into six inch cubes of steel and jade (one of each color of jade). These were originally intended to act as artificing assistants, as well as handling mundane tasks in the workshop, such as cleaning. These are stored in shelves within the same alcove as the other automaton.
- A large crystal Unconsuming Forge dominates one side of the room. It is unlit.
- One one of the stone workbenches, surrounded by piles of ash, is a pair of Forge-Hand Gauntlets, casually dropped there by their last user.
- Five ingots of blue jade
- Five ingots of black jade
- Five ingots of green jade
- Five ingots of red jade
- Five ingots of white jade
- Seven ingots of adamantite
- Five ingots of orichalcum
- Three ingots of moonsilver
- One ingot of starmetal
Acid Rainforest
- Acid Rainforest: Forest of crystal trees. When far door touched, unless trigger hit, starts rain of acid.
Reality Engine
like Wonderous Globe of Precious Stability, but bigger and draws power from the wyld itself, not a hearthstone. Section of floor hides stairway to lower level.
Lower Level
Stairs
The floor section reveals a five foot drop onto a landing from which marble stairs lead down. The ceiling continues only five feet above the stairs, leading into a short hallway, also with a five-foot ceiling. All but the shortest characters must crouch, putting them at a -2 penalty for any Dexterity based tests.
On each side of the two yard hallway are extremely realistic paintings men and women in ornate jade armor, apparently portraits of dragon blooded. Each kneels on one knee, their swords at rest like crosses, point down with a hand resting on the pommel. All bow their heads, more in shame than reverence. At the end of the hall is a door, ornately decorated with the five colors of jade. A theme of wings and birds is consistent throughout, with the solar imagery on the right giving way to lunar on the left.
Perceptive characters who understand Old Realm may notice the design contains a subtle inscription:
Beside her, in death as in life, lies the silver rain that saved millions by killing one.
The door has a complex mechanical lock (Dex + Larceny (4)) and opens outward. Touching the door triggers a magical trap, causing the paintings to sprout phantom arms that thrust phantom swords into the hallway. These blades are intangible and can hit unmanifested spirits. They also completely ignore all armor and cannot be parried by physical weapons. Unless the trap was detected (with Essence sight, for example), the attack is likely unanticipated, working as an attack from behind (meaning 0 dodge dice without charms, no shields). The attack is as if made with a jade daiklaive thrust, made with seven successes, for a total of 12L damage. In addition, each blade hits as if backed by Dragon Graced Weapon (db.208) of the element of the dragon-blooded in the painting. There are two of each type of element. On the right side, from the stairs to the door they are: earth, air, water, wood, fire. On the left side, the order is water, wood, fire, earth, air).
Inner Hall
Featuring another low ceiling, this hallway is also packed full of four foot ceramic jugs, amphora and other vessels, all painted to look like jade. These fill the hallway so completely that most need to be removed to gain entry. These a grave goods, filled with foodstuffs of various kinds. The jugs are all well sealed, but most of the food is spoiled, fermented, or otherwise foul. The low ceiling continues to cause the same -2 to Dex for those crouching. Long weapons at another -1.
Hidden among the jugs are fifteen Grave Hornets, which will awaken and attack any who move the jugs. They will attempt to do so with stealth at first, but will swarm if intruders put up a fight.
If enough jugs are cleared out, the walls can be seen to be covered with paintings. All have a very macabre tone, as if intended to scare away intruders. Many scenes of death, destruction, and callousness. Among the scenes:
- Wyr'palja turning a neighborhood into glass.
- Wyr'palja fanatically engrossed in an experiment while mortal servants helping her are being burned and crushed to death in the background.
- Wyr'palja idly watching while vicious creatures stalk and savage mortals in the back alleys of a city.
- Wyr'palja officiating a ceremony where lizard men sacrifice hearts cut out of living victims to the Unconquered Sun.
- Wyr'palja in radiant glory in front of a crowd of people with unnaturally vacant, adoring stares.
- A series of paintings showing Wyr'palja casting a flashy spell in front of a hundred children. As the sequence progresses, the children rapidly age until dead, while Wyr'palja becomes slightly more youthful.
- A large painting of a naked half-man, half-parrot, kneeling on a bed, pointing a silver sword to his own belly. His clawed hands are covered in blood. Behind him, a dead Wyr'palja is tied naked to the bed with golden silk rope, bleeding from eviscerating wounds to her abdomen.
Lunar Tomb
This ten yard radius tomb is crammed full of grave goods and effigies. Many of the goods are real silver, though now tarnished, and include furniture, silk clothing, weapons (some silver, some painted to look like jade), wooden coins painted gold, sculpture, gems (glass and real), even an alabaster bathtub. Like the hallway that precedes it, the ceiling is only five feet high. The walls, floor and ceiling of the room are painted as rich forest, with many birds, particularly parrots.
The room conceals five doors behind the plaster of the walls. The only visible indication of the doors are very slight cracks that can only be noticed by close examination (Per + Awa (5)). Some forms of magical sight will see the doors for what they are. When the doors open, most of the plaster on and around the door will crumble. The doors are plated with moonsilver covered in ornate designs with deep details (designed to support the plaster).
The doors open into perfectly spherical rooms about four yards in diameter. The doors are set at the equator of the spheres, with half the room above and half below.
Full Moon Door
Two royal warstriders are crammed into this room, sitting back to back, with limbs folded to take up most of the sphere's remaining volume. It is unclear how these massive artifacts came to be in this room, as the door is too small even to fit one of their limbs through it. (In reality, Monsoon placed them here prior to his death using Elsewhere manipulating magic. Wanting to keep them out of the hands of the terrestrials, he also did his best to destroy the machines' AIs.)
- Luminous Talon Rain - An orichalcum royal warstrider. Holds firelance, small essence cannon and flight apparatus.
- Molt-Defying Plumage - A moonsilver royal warstrider. Holds protean gauntlet, small essence cannon and flight apparatus.
Half Moon Door
A colorful forest fills this sphere, made entirely of jade. More peculiarly, the jade is of nearly every color of the rainbow, from brown bark, leaves in all shades of green, and fruits and flowers of all colors. (This jade is the result of Quintessence Circle Alchemy.) Throughout the forest are a number of preserved animals, mostly parrots and other birds, but also forest cats, wolves and even a bear. These animals appear to have been once alive, now preserved with taxidermy.
Knowing he intended to die, Monsoon put his pack to death and had them enshrined here, to accompany him in the Underworld.
New Moon Door
The walls of this sphere are pure white marble, covered with a strange writing in silver ink. The writing is clearly a code, combining Old Realm with strange scratches. Any who use one of the Monsoon Needles recognize the languages and be able to read it. Contained in this writing are spells known by Iron Monsoon:
- Becoming the Wood Friend
- Blood Lash
- Calling the Wind's Kiss
- Commanding the Beasts
- Eye of Alliance
- Hound of the Five Winds
- Personal Tempest
- Thunder Wolf Howl
- Virtuous Guardian of Flame
- The Faithful Ally
- Summon the Army of the Wyld
Waning Moon Door
This sphere is packed with terracotta sculptures of men and animals in all shapes in sizes. The largest stand in the center of the room, nearly scraping their heads on the ceilings, with the sculptures getting smaller moving away from the center. These are all very detailed, with gemstones for eyes.
These sculptures have little real purpose, other than to act as a formidable entourage in the Underworld.
Waxing Moon Door
The walls of this room are a slick stone, enchanted to display a moving image of the sky, complete with clouds, night and day and weather. Floating in the center of the sphere is a large sarcophagus, stylized from moonsilver and many colors of jade to suggest the shape of a flying parrot.
The moonsilver on the sarcophagus is coated with contact poison. Within seconds after touching this poison with bare skin, it is absorbed into the bloodstream and spreads through the body, causing the target's skin to start liquefying. The target must make a Stamina + Resistance (5) test or take three unsoakable lethal health levels and loose a point of Dexterity and Appearance. If they succeed, they still take one health level of damage. Attribute damage is healed like aggravated damage. This poison is invisible to human senses, but magically enhanced smell will detect it automatically (Monsoon wanted lunars to know it was there). The poison looses its potency within minutes when not in contact with moonsilver.
Within the tomb are the remains of Iron Monsoon. Though once wrapped in silk, nearly all organic material has decayed, leaving only dust and some portions of the skeleton behind. Those with good eyes will notice the nine Monsoon Needles that the lunar inserted into his flesh before taking his own life.
Solar Tomb
Like the lunar tomb, the main chamber of the solar side has a low ceiling and is packed with grave goods. These goods focus more on solar imagery and those made from precious metal are made from gold, not silver. The painting in this room contains an exact likeness of Q'in Sanizaj, from the point of view of the tombs original position in the city, as if the walls were transparent and looking out onto Wyr'palja's creation. Like the lunar tomb, the wals conceal five doors which open onto spherical rooms. Unlike the lunar rooms, all five of these rooms have the same appearance, except for slight changes in material.
Each sphere is largely empty, the walls covered with strange patterns. Those making Perception + Occult (7) rolls will get the impression that the patterns have something to do with a particular material. This difficulty of this test is reduced by two for any who have read Alkahest. Within the center of the sphere, held up by a pillar of the same magical material referenced in the patterns, is a sarcophagus made from a mixture of jade of all colors and orichalcum. Sculpted birds of all varieties line the sides of the coffin, giving the impression that they are holding it aloft. Each sarcophagus is sealed with a complex mechanical lock and heavy lid, requiring a Dex + Larceny (5) check to open and a Strength + Athletics of 11 to lift. The sarcophagus is not trapped.
Four of these sarcophagi, however, contain lethal contents in the form of Ideal Visage Minions. These automaton give the impression that they are Wyr'palja, forming perfectly preserved likenesses of her. They are nearly completely drained of energy, but will attempt to convince people who find them that they are Wyr'palja and they need to get out of the tomb as soon as possible.
The minions are extremely dedicated to Wyr'palja, and horrified that they were unable to prevent her death. Though originally intending to make Wyr'palja's tomb function differently, the terrestrials who buried her were dissuaded by the Minions, who refused to leave Wyr'palja's side and poisoned several of the terrestrials who attempted to force them out of the way. With their primary purpose gone, the minions dedicated themselves to protecting her dignity and secrets in death.
Orichalcum Room
This room's mandala patterns and symbols represent the internal nature of orichalcum. A very thin rod of orichalcum grows from the floor, blossoming into a sunburst pattern to support the sarcophagus. The Ideal Visage Minion in this tomb wears orichalcum Wings of the Raptor and matching earrings. She has a small orichalcum caduceus on a chain around her neck and white silk robes enchanted to resist the passage of time. Within the extra dimensional space in her body, she holds Wyr'palja's Spellbook.
Moonsilver Room
This room's mandala patterns and symbols represent the internal nature of moonsilver. Vines of moonsilver grow from the floor, gathering to support the sarcophagus. The Ideal Visage Minion in this tomb wears moonsilver Wings of the Raptor and matching earrings. She has a small orichalcum caduceus on a chain around her neck and white silk robes enchanted to resist the passage of time. Within the extra dimensional space in her body, she holds Wyr'palja's Workbook.
Starmetal Room
This room's mandala patterns and symbols represent the internal nature of starmetal. A branching, fractal-like abstract tree of starmtal spreads up from the floor to support the sarcophagus. The Ideal Visage Minion in this tomb wears starmetal Wings of the Raptor and matching earrings. She has a small orichalcum caduceus on a chain around her neck and white silk robes enchanted to resist the passage of time. Within the extra dimensional space in her body, she holds Wyr'palja's Stylebook.
Jade Room
This room's mandala patterns and symbols represent the internal nature of jade, and is much more robust and colorful than the others. Five smooth columns of jade , one of each color and arranged like the poles of creation support the sarcophagus. The Ideal Visage Minion in this tomb wears jade Wings of the Raptor and matching earrings. She has a small orichalcum caduceus on a chain around her neck and white silk robes enchanted to resist the passage of time. Within the extra dimensional space in her body, she holds Wyr'palja's Notebook.
Salt Room
This room's mandala patterns and symbols represent the internal nature of mundane salt. A solid block of rocksalt supports the sarcophagus, and absorbing all moisture in the room, making it extremely dry. The sarcophagus in this room holds the actual remains of Wyr'palja. In the extremely dry environment of this room, her body has been mummified and mostly intact. She is dressed in white robes that appear to be enchanted to resist the passage of time and is wearing orichalcum Wings of the Raptor. She wears rock salt earrings and a small orichalcum caduceus on a chain around her neck. Unlike the jewelry on the minions, this is actually an extremely powerful artifact: the Wyr'paljan Caduceus.