The Dormitory of the Forgotten Academy
Dormitory Entrance
There is a "bridge" passage from the Main Hall to the Common Gathering's entrance. A set of double doors where the bridge meets the Dormitory building are closed, and two planks of wood have been hurriedly nailed across them to keep them closed. These planks are obviously newer than the Academy construction, though the rust on the nails suggest it's been a few years since they were placed.
The doors were barred by a prior adventuring crew to deal with the creatures within. After allowing the party a couple of minutes to examine the doors, add the following:
As you examine the ancient door and the obviously newer barricades, you begin to hear snarling, slathering sounds coming from the other side of the door. And then, the sounds of scratching - tentative at first, but growing more frantic and determined.
There are two ghouls behind the door, and they sense the "fresh meat" of the party. Assuming the party gets the doors open, deals with the ghouls, and enters to investigate...
Common Gathering Area
A trapezoidal room - or perhaps hallway? - opens into a larger, essentially circular area. Ancient portraits, all apparently slashed to ribbons by claws long ago, line the walls. A pile of debris lies near where the hall enters the wider, circular room. The room itself has the rotting remains of several large padded chairs and sofas arranged around a few low tables. Rotted carpet covers parts of the elaborate polished stone tile floor.
Besides the hallway you entered from, there are nine equally spaced archways leading out of this room. Each appears to open into another, smaller seating area, though there is a circular staircase barely visible against the back wall of each.
Besides the hallway you entered from, there are nine equally spaced archways leading out of this room. Each appears to open into another, smaller seating area, though there is a circular staircase barely visible against the back wall of each.
The debris pile is the remains of a hapless adventurer. Cracked bones with their marrow sucked out lie amid shredded leather armor. A backpack has also been rent to bits, but many of its contents lie in the pile: flint and steel, candles, a now-rotting ball of twine, several pieces of chalk, and four caltrops. There is also a small bound book with unadorned black leather covers. This is a spellbook containing three spells: X, Y, Z. A leather pouch with 15gp, 8sp, 12cp - all recognizable as coins of the Tyrnabay realm.
Abjurers' Commons
Peering into this room from the central room, you see it contains another few armchairs arranged around a low table - all covered with webs and showing advanced signs of decay. A banner hangs from the wall. Though its silk threads have been ravaged by time and insects, and what remains is almost covered by a sheet of cobweb, the green background and gold shield emblazoned in its center are still discernable.
But as you attempt to step through the archway into this area, a semi-tranparent kite shield, as large as the passage, suddenly appears and blocks your way.
The shield will appear, and will prevent anyone from passing that does not possess an Abjurer's Talisman. One that has a talisman can pass through the apparition; others are blocked by it. There is nothing stopping the party from passing a talisman back and forth for all to gain entry. The talisman can be picked up in Master Spangrove's quarters.But as you attempt to step through the archway into this area, a semi-tranparent kite shield, as large as the passage, suddenly appears and blocks your way.
Alchemists' Commons
This room contains another few armchairs arranged around a low table - all covered with webs and showing advanced signs of decay. A banner hangs from the wall. Though its silk threads have been ravaged by time and insects, and what remains is almost covered by a sheet of cobweb, the four-quartered background of white, red, brown, and blue and the gold image of a flask emblazoned in its center are still discernable.
Diviners' Commons
This room contains another few armchairs arranged around a low table - all covered with webs and showing advanced signs of decay. A banner hangs from the wall. Though its silk threads have been ravaged by time and insects, and what remains is almost covered by a sheet of cobweb, the blue background and white eye emblazoned in its center are still discernable.
Enchanters' Commons
This room contains another few armchairs arranged around a low table - all covered with webs and showing advanced signs of decay. A banner hangs from the wall. Though its silk threads have been ravaged by time and insects, and what remains is almost covered by a sheet of cobweb, the pale purple background and black outline image of an eyes-closed face emblazoned in its center are still discernable.
Evokers' Commons
This room contains another few armchairs arranged around a low table - all covered with webs and showing advanced signs of decay. A banner hangs from the wall. Though its silk threads have been ravaged by time and insects, and what remains is almost covered by a sheet of cobweb, the red background and yellow flame emblazoned in its center are still discernable.
Illusionists' Commons
This room contains another few armchairs arranged around a low table - all covered with webs and showing advanced signs of decay. A banner hangs from the wall. Though its silk threads have been ravaged by time and insects, and what remains is almost covered by a sheet of cobweb, the background seems to shimmer and change color depending on the angle from which it is viewed. There is no blazon on the banner's field.
Necromancers' Commons
This room contains no furniture at all, and no signs that the stone tile floor was ever carpeted. A banner does hang from the wall, though, as it does in all the other rooms off the central one. A deep purple skull on a black field can be made out through the translucent sheets of cobwebs that cover it.
Summoners' Commons
This room contains another few armchairs arranged around a low table - all covered with webs and showing advanced signs of decay. A banner hangs from the wall. Though its silk threads have been ravaged by time and insects, and what remains is almost covered by a sheet of cobweb, the black background with a rune-marked ring emblazoned in white its center are still discernable.
Transmuters' Commons
This room contains another few armchairs arranged around a low table - all covered with webs and showing advanced signs of decay. A banner hangs from the wall. Though its silk threads have been ravaged by time and insects, and what remains is almost covered by a sheet of cobweb, the yellow-gold background and black silhouette profile of a head with two faces - one male and one female - emblazoned in its center are still discernable.
Abjurers' Private Rooms
You descend the spiral staircase down one level and find yourself in a hallway. Floor and walls are wooden; and judging from the musty odor, are probably rotting in some places. The floor does seem a bit spongy in places. The corridor narrows as it leads to a branching left and right about 15ft (4.5m) from the foot of the stair. The angles of everything here are odd; there are no 90 degree corners. There are a total of seven wooden doors along the short corridors, some right, some left; one is in the junction place where the three branches of corridors meet..
There are six private rooms in this area, the sleeping and private study places for the Academy's students of Abjuration. This space is haunted by a Mourning Spirit, the ghost of one of the students who laments their inability to defend the Academy against some dire threat long ago. The spirit will appear when the party attempts to enter a randomly determined room (other than the custodial room) along the corridors. Roll a d6 to determine which. This is the spirit of Adonariel Tingalion, an Elf from the Elven Firsthome lands.
Adonariel's spirit can be spoken with, but it will not reveal very many specifics about what befell the Academy. References to "dead that walk", "the Art of death", and similar expressions that clearly suggest necromancy, though that word is never used, are interspersed with the creature's Mournful Wail, which is capable of inflicting psychic damage upon the Adventurers. It has no other attack forms, but it will become agitated and sound more threatening if the party attempts to disturb Adonariel's bones or any of his belongings. It will also Wail repeatedly. The Spirit can only be harmed by magical weapons. If defeated, it is not destroyed; it will merely dissipate, only to reform an hour later.
There is nothing the party can do to "free" Adonariel's spirit from its torment. If asked how this could be done, the spirit will respond, "Eliminate the taint that lingers... that resides far below."
Each room is furnished with a bed (with rotting bedclothes), an iron-strapped wooden chest, a desk, and a chair.
The door to Abjurer #1 stands ajar. You see a bed, an iron-strapped wooden chest, a desk, and a chair. A skeletal figure lies motionless on the bed, a silk-ribboned Talisman affixed to its skull. Tatters of rotted silk lie around the bones. Something lying within the ribcage glints in the light of your torch/lantern/whatever, and a silver ring can be seen on one of the fingers. The desk contains a pile of paper that crumbles when disturbed, and a long-dried inkwell. Three leather-bound books also lie on the desk. These appear to have been spellbooks, but the pages were destroyed long ago by age and decay. As one is opened, however, a small round item - a pearl? - drops out. The chest is locked.
This room contains the bones of Adonariel Tingalion lying amid the rotting bedclothes. A Talisman of Peaceful Repose is affixed to the skull, and an Abjuration Student Talisman lies within the ribcage amid the tatters of the clothing the elf wore. There is a ring on one of the finger-bones; a signet ring of silver bearing the Tingalion family crest. There are three Spellbooks on the desk, but all are rotted and worm-eaten to the point that they simply crumble if handled. Between the covers of one, a small, round object that looks very much like a pearl can be found. (This is the coccoon of a dormant bookworm!) The chest is locked. (The key can be found amid the tatters of clothing around the skeleton.) Within the chest are the rotting remains of clothing - a mix of traveler's clothes and silk robes. A dried, cracked leather pouch with coins lies beneath the rotting fabrics; it contains 38gp, 12sp, and 6cp that are not too badly corroded.Diviners' Private Rooms
You start to descend the spiral staircase, but after only a few steps, your lead person hears sounds coming from below. They are the sounds of doors creaking open or closed... scraping sounds... and a faint moan.
There are four zombies in the halls and rooms on the Diviner's chamber level. These are the undead remains of an adventuring party (a Chittiki, a Felisean, an Orc, and a Human) - earlier hirees of the same noble that hired the current party. Two will be wearing a backpack that contains a few bits of loot that had been collected before its wearer met their demise. (The other two backpacks will be discoverable elsewhere.)
Continuing your descent, you reach the bottom of the stairs and see the figure of a Chittiki shuffling down the corridor toward you. It's fur is patchy... in fact its skin appears to have rotted away in places. It is dressed in leather armor over clothing quite similar to your own. Its milky white, dead eyes stare at you unblinkingly, and saliva begins to drip from its snoutlike mouth as it approaches. A door behind it swings open, and another figure emerges - this one appears human, but it the same state of decay as the Chittiki. It moans as it turns toward you and approaches as well.
Chittiki and Human Zombies will appear and attack first. After the first combat round, the Orc and Felisean Zombies will appear from around the corner at the end of the hall. The Chittiki and Felisean are wearing backpacks.
After the fight...
Floor and walls are wooden, the former a bit spongy from decay. The angles of everything here are odd; there are no 90 degree corners. There are a total of seven wooden doors along the short corridors, some right, some left; all are open except the one in the center area of the tower. This one is locked.
There are six private rooms in this area, the sleeping and private study places for the Academy's students of DIvination. Each room is furnished with a bed (with rotting bedclothes), an iron-strapped wooden chest, a desk, and a chair. Diviner #1 contains... Diviner #2 contains... DIviner #3 contains... Diviner #4 contains... Diviner #5 contains... Diviner #6 contains...
Illusionists' Private Rooms
You descend the spiral staircase down one level and find yourself in a hallway. Floor and walls are wooden; and judging from the musty odor, are probably rotting in some places. The floor does seem a bit spongy in places. The corridor you are narrows as it leads to a branching left and right about 15ft (4.5m) from the foot of the stair. The angles of everything here are odd; there are no 90 degree corners. There are a total of seven wooden doors along the short corridors, some right, some left; one is in the junction place where the three branches of corridors meet. All but one of these doors are open somewhat - some wide open, others enough to slip through.
Wandering around the Illusionist's floor are the Apparitions of two of the former students. These will move about between their bedrooms and the common room above, sort of reliving things they did in life. They might be resting on a bed, sitting at a desk in study, or wandering. They will pay no heed to adventurers unless they are struck with either silver or magical weapons, in which case they will "notice" the attacker and respond.
There are six private rooms in this area, the sleeping and private study places for the Academy's students of Illusion. Each room is furnished with a bed (with rotting bedclothes), an iron-strapped wooden chest, a desk, and a chair.
Evokers' Private Rooms
You descend the spiral staircase down one level and find yourself in a hallway. Floor and walls are wooden; and judging from the mustsy odor, are probably rotting in some places. The floor does seem a bit spongy in places. The corridor you are narrows as it leads to a branching left and right about 15ft (4.5m) from the foot of the stair. The angles of everything here are odd; there are no 90 degree corners. There are a total of seven wooden doors along the short corridors, some right, some left; one is in the junction place where the three branches of corridors meet..
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