Necropolis, Week 1: North Quarter

Catacombs under the city are an extremely prosaic theme for a dungeon level. A cliche, even. The idea here is to play it straight (it’s a big scary underground labyrinth full of skeletons), but make it interesting – solid level design, including some weird traps, ratcheting pressure, alternate paths, and a great big shiny treasure lying tantalisingly out of reach the whole time.

Silent, dark. Events are fuel use, panic/disorientation, and wandering skeletons (they simply rise from tombs or peel themselves off the walls).

Apparent trunk line leads past the pit, but the trap there may close the path. Alternate paths: down the pit, down from the tomb with a view, or through the horrors of the Midden.

1: Temple Stair

• A spiral stair and long hall of close-fitted stone.
• (?) Links to the temple arcade in the city.
  

2: Pit

• A winding stone corridor, featureless aside from the black pit in the floor. On the West side of the pit, the corridor turns aside from a giant stone death’s head carved in the wall.
• (!) The pit blocks the path, 10’ long and 60’ deep, ending in the chest-deep water of the sump.
• (!) Stepping on the pressure plate flagstones past the West edge triggers the moving wall (death’s head), which shifts quickly forward until it is flush with the edge of the pit.
• (??) Uneven flagstones on the Western side of the corridor.

3: Path of Bones

• The walls of this deep, winding tunnel are made of human bones.
• (??) There is the faintest breeze moving toward 1: Temple Stair.

4: Looted Tholos Tomb

• A beehive-shaped tomb of fitted stone, 20’ high at its peak. In the centre is a raised limestone sarcophagus. The open lid is shaped like a youth in silken finery.
• (?) Inside is nothing but bones.
• (?) Small brass darts scattered about the room’s edge. The tips are smeared black (with a crippling blood poison, adder’s kiss).
• (??) Sarcophagus base is ringed by little holes.

5: Dead End

• The desiccated remains of a person, huddled foetal against the dead-end wall.
• (?) No signs of injury. Rotted clothes, 1 coin, and a dagger.

6: Tomb with a View

• Another beehive tomb with sarcophagus as per #4.  An open portal looks over the Prince’s Tower of the Central Tholos, with its jade sarcophagus and golden urns.
• (!) Dart trap is armed. Until the venom is neutralised, a wound weeps black ooze and the affected area begins to rot.
  
• (?) Corpse has a golden torc and a fine sword with sapphires in its hilt (100 coins each).
• (?) The sump is 60 feet below.

7: Bone Stair

• A narrow stair made of human femurs, leading up to the Midden. A faint but hideous smell of rot and burnt flesh drifts from the opening.