Mission Title: Zylana's Forbidden Vault
Here is your populated dungeon template, including its text-based map:
[Area 12 (Sealed Vault / Objective)] | [Area 11 (Guardian's Antechamber)] | [Area 10 (Chamber of Ancient Wardings)] | [Area 9 (Scribe's Rest)] --- [Area 8 (Forgotten Scroll Repository)] | | [Area 7 (Sunken Reading Nook)] --- [Area 6 (Collapsed Archway)] | | [Area 5 (Main Catacombs - Library Undercroft)] --- [Area 4 (Dusty Alcoves)] | | [Area 3 (Chamber of Echoes)] ----------- [Area 2 (Disused Storage)] | [Area 1 (Hidden Library Entrance)]
--- Area 1 (Hidden Library Entrance) --- Description: Concealed behind a sliding bookcase in a seldom-used section of the Grand Library, a narrow, dusty passage descends into cool, still air. The scent of old paper mixes with the dampness of the earth. Exits/Connections: To Area 2 (East), To Area 3 (South). Features: The passage is barely wide enough for two abreast.
--- Area 2 (Disused Storage) --- Description: This small, cramped chamber is filled with broken furniture, discarded crates, and stacks of rotted, unidentifiable materials. Thick cobwebs hang from every surface, and the air is heavy with dust. Exits/Connections: To Area 1 (West), To Area 4 (North). Creatures: It has creatures (type: undead).
--- Area 3 (Chamber of Echoes) --- Description: A circular room where every sound seems to linger and reverberate unnaturally. The walls are bare stone, and faint, unsettling whispers can sometimes be heard, seeming to come from nowhere. Exits/Connections: To Area 1 (North), To Area 4 (East), To Area 5 (South). Trap: It contains a trap (type: sonic burst glyph). A hidden glyph on the floor, almost indistinguishable from a natural pattern, triggers a deafening burst of sound when stepped upon. Perception DC 14 to spot the faint arcane glow. Potential Damage: Non-damaging, causes Deafened condition for 1d4 rounds/T1, 2d4 rounds/T2, 3d4 rounds/T3, 4d4 rounds/T4.
--- Area 4 (Dusty Alcoves) --- Description: A long, winding corridor lined with numerous shallow alcoves, many of which contain crumbling sarcophagi or empty pedestals. A pervasive chill fills the air, and disturbed dust motes dance in the gloom. Exits/Connections: To Area 2 (South), To Area 3 (West), To Area 5 (North). Creatures: It has creatures (type: undead). Encounter Type: Battle Area
--- Area 5 (Main Catacombs - Library Undercroft) --- Description: The main expanse of the undercroft, a vast, oppressive space where countless shelves of petrified scrolls and ancient tomes line the walls, many turned to dust. The weight of forgotten knowledge is palpable. Exits/Connections: To Area 3 (North), To Area 4 (South), To Area 6 (East), To Area 7 (North). Secret Passages/Areas: A section of the bookshelf, seemingly jammed with crumbling tomes (Perception DC 16 to find), slides back to reveal a hidden passage leading to a small, private study chamber.
--- Area 6 (Collapsed Archway) --- Description: A once-grand archway has partially collapsed, creating a dangerous passage over a pile of rubble and broken statuary. The air here is noticeably colder, and a faint, sweet, cloying smell lingers. Exits/Connections: To Area 5 (West), To Area 7 (North). Trap: It contains a trap (type: noxious gas vent). A small, cleverly concealed vent releases a cloud of sleep-inducing gas when triggered by movement through the rubble. Perception DC 15 to spot the faint hiss. Potential Damage: Non-damaging, causes Unconscious condition for 1d4 rounds/T1, 2d4 rounds/T2, 3d4 rounds/T3, 4d4 rounds/T4. Creatures: It has creatures (type: undead).
--- Area 7 (Sunken Reading Nook) --- Description: A circular depression in the floor, surrounded by water-damaged reading stands. The air is heavy with dampness, and bioluminescent fungi glow faintly along the edges of the pool. Exits/Connections: To Area 5 (South), To Area 6 (West), To Area 9 (North). Creatures: It has creatures (type: undead). Encounter Type: Battle Area
--- Area 8 (Forgotten Scroll Repository) --- Description: A smaller chamber filled with tightly packed, deteriorating scroll tubes and brittle, unrolled parchments. The air is dry and dusty, and a pervasive silence hangs heavy, as if the very air holds forgotten whispers. Exits/Connections: To Area 9 (North). Secret Passages/Areas: A loose floor tile beneath a heavy, overturned desk (Perception DC 17 to find) conceals a small, deep cavity containing a few intact, but extremely fragile, ancient scrolls.
--- Area 9 (Scribe's Rest) --- Description: This chamber appears to have been a rest area for ancient scribes, with crumbling stone benches and crude tables. Faded murals on the walls depict robed figures poring over massive tomes. Exits/Connections: To Area 7 (South), To Area 8 (West), To Area 10 (North). Creatures: It has creatures (type: undead). Encounter Type: Battle Area
--- Area 10 (Chamber of Ancient Wardings) --- Description: This room radiates a powerful, oppressive magical aura. Intricate, glowing arcane runes cover every surface, pulsating with a slow, rhythmic beat. The air is thick with latent energy, and the path forward is clearly protected. Exits/Connections: To Area 9 (South), To Area 11 (North). Trap: It contains a trap (type: magical energy discharge). Stepping on any unwarded section of the floor triggers a burst of raw magical energy. Perception DC 16 to spot the gaps in the runic patterns. Potential Damage: 1d8/T1, 2d8/T2, 3d8/T3, 4d8/T4 Force Damage.
--- Area 11 (Guardian's Antechamber) --- Description: A grand but desolate antechamber leading to what appears to be the vault itself. Empty pedestals line the walls, and the air feels charged with an ancient, watchful presence. Exits/Connections: To Area 10 (South), To Area 12 (North). Creatures: It has creatures (type: undead).
--- Area 12 (Sealed Vault / Objective) --- Description: A massive, unadorned stone vault door dominates this final chamber, etched with complex, fading wards that hum with a deep, resonant power. The air here is unnaturally cold and still, hinting at something immense and long-dormant within. This is the ancient, sealed vault Zylana hopes to open, believing it holds forbidden knowledge. Exits/Connections: To Area 11 (South). Creatures: It has creatures (type: undead). Encounter Type: BOSS FIGHT! Objective: The objective is to help Apprentice Zylana bypass the ancient wards and open this sealed vault, believing it contains forbidden knowledge. The vault's true purpose or potential dangers are unknown to her, and the final challenge involves interacting with or overcoming its powerful, ancient magical defenses.
