Ziggurat Plaza, Week 2

Finally, a dragon in my dungeon. And a magnificent one, by Ivan Belikov.

8: West Guard Tower, Lower

• Wreckage of a bulbous invigilator, spilled across the room.

• (??) Random mechanical wreckage – lenses, gold wire, a weird crystal – worth a few coins. Maybe something useful for a tinker?

9: West Guard Tower, Upper

• Musky and strange air.

• (!) Lair of the Wyvern, Gyezlakur

  • 50% chance to be home. If away, test for return each tick of the clock.

  • mien: venomous, playful; a flying housecat-scorpion

  • wants: entertainment

  • needs: fresh meat

  • fears: the demons in the spa – they compete for food, and it can’t fight them all at once

  • knows: the everything that happens in the open below

  • treasure: a pile of worthless sentimental baubles; beneath which, an antigravity harness, still on the skeleton of the unfortunate victim, along with their gilt dagger.

10: Great Stair Arcade

• Tiles mostly intact. Marble columns wrapped with gods and beasts, carved in relief.

• (?) The arcade provides a covered path between the two courtyards, so that people can pass from the plaza door to the temple stair with only a small chance of being spotted by the guard towers.

11: Anatomical Theatre

• A small theatre or stadium with a stone table in its centre.

• (?) Old surgical instruments.

12: Food Market

• Airy vaulted hall, lit by the courtyard.

• (?) Smashed amphorae.

• (??) Two intact amphorae are filled with dates and saffron, respectively.

13: Crippled Invigilator

• (!) A rotund robotic invigilator with broken legs. Its death ray still works.

  • Mien: it’s a robot cop

  • Wants: to destroy intruders

  • Needs: repairs to its legs

  • Fears: the wyvern

  • Knows: everything about this level

14: Arms Market

• Short vaulted hall. Brass gates are held with a huge padlock. 4 large hardwood chests lie beyond.

• (?) The lock is rusted and can probably be broken or cut.

• (?) The chests are locked, and have classic poison needle traps laced with blood poison.

  • chest #1 = an antigravity harness, leather straps with shining metal globes and a brass dial on the belt to adjust the gravity.

  • chest #2 = masterwork suit of custom plate armour, polished to a mirror finish, engraved with amaranth leaves, lined with crimson velvet. ⅙ chance of fitting you without alterations.

  • chest #3 = a stack of 6 vicious-looking daggers

  • chest #4 = an energy rifle with silver and mother-of-pearl casing.