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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Phineas Crow" data-source="post: 1279800" data-attributes="member: 15347">4. Scriptorium of the Damned    The entrance is a locked and trapped iron door. Scratched into the door’s surface are numerous intricate runes which appear to have been meticulously clawed into the door by some nefarious beast. The runes are in Abyssal and looks to be a list of assorted vile rites and the times that they are to be performed each day.    Locked iron door:2 in thick; Hardness 10; hp 60; Break (DC 28); Open Lock (DC 30).    Horrid Wilting Trap:CR 9; magical device; touch trigger (alarm); automatic reset; spell effect (Horrid Wilting, 15th-level wizard, 15d6 damage, DC 24 Fortitude save half); Search DC 32; Disable Device DC 34.    A foul mixture of the smells of parchment and demonic sweat fills the air. Along the eastern and western walls are rows of small tables and tiny stools. Piles of parchment paper, bottles of ink, and an assortment of pens litter the tops of the tables. Against the northern wall is a pair of crudely built shelves choked with bundles of scrolls. Another table, this one bigger than the others rests against the southern wall near the door. Unlike the other tables this one is orderly with a neat stack of parchment and a row of different colored bottles. Pulled up to the table is an ornate chair made with a black polished wood with crimson cushions.    This room is used by one of Blasphemy’s lieutenants as a workshop to scribe demonic literature and the occasional magical scroll. The head scribe is Lorantus a dark elf wiz13 and its his job to keep the 6 lowly quasit scribes in line.    A portion of the room’s ceiling is actually an Illusionary Wall that leads to a 20 foot by 20 foot cubic space where a Retriever is stationed. If combat occurs in the room, on the following round the retriever will drop out of the ceiling to help defend the scriptorium.Lorantus, male drow, Wiz13:CR 14; SZ M Humanoid (Elf); HD 13d4; hp 34; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +6; Grp +6; Atk +2 dagger +8 melee (1d4+2 /19-20); Full Atk +2 dagger +8/+3 melee (1d4+2 /19-20); SQ darkvision 120 ft, drow traits, spell-like abilities; SR 24; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +9; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 8, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 14.Skills: Concentration +15, Craft (Alchemy) +10, Decipher Script +16, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (Arcana) +14, Knowledge (History) +10, Knowledge (The Planes) +8, Listen +5, Search +6, Spellcraft +14, Spot +8.Feats: Dodge, Empower Spell, Greater Spell Focus (Evoc), Improved Initiative, Quicken Spell, Spell Focus (Evoc), ToughnessSpells prepared (4/5/5/5/5/3/2/1; save DC 14 + spell level, or DC 16 + spell level for Evocation spells): 0 -- daze, detect magic, mage hand, mending; 1st -- burning hands, chill touch, color spray, mage armor, magic missile; 2nd -- blur, cat’s grace, ghoul touch, hideous laughter, shatter; 3rd -- dispel magic (2), Empower ray of enfeeblement, fireball, haste, protection from energy; 4th -- dimension door, ice storm, stoneskin, summon monster IV; 5th -- Quicken magic missile, passwall, wall of stone; 6th -- Quicken mirror image, true seeing; 7th -- mage’s sword.Possessions:dagger +2, amulet of natural armor +2, bracers of armor +4, potion of cure moderate wounds (2), arcane scroll of true seeing, spellbook, 35sp, 28gp, 51pp, bloodstone gem (50gp).Description:Lorantus is a wizened drow of insurmountable age which has yet to slow the dark elf down. He always wears his dark ink-stained robes which hang loosely on his gaunt frame and he keeps his long white hair braided in an ponytail.Motives:The drow knows most of his life is behind him and unlike many of his brothers of the dark arts, he doesn’t relish the thought of becoming an unliving pile of bones to cheat death. Instead he made a demonic pact, for his help in running the Scriptorium, the demons give him a supply of a magical drug that stops the aging process. While he spends his free time grumbling about doing petty scribe work, secretly he enjoys the work. Its a lot better than being back in the underdark and under the bootheels of the drow maidens.Quasit (6): CR 2; SZ T Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil); HD 3d8; hp 13; Init +7; Spd 20 ft, fly 50 ft; AC 18 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 15;  Base Atk +3; Grp -6; Atk Claw +8 melee (1d3-1 plus poison) and bite +3 melee (1d4-1); Full Atk 2 claws +8 melee (1d3-1 plus poison) and bite +3 melee (1d4-1); SA Poison, spell-like abilities; SQ  Alternate form, damage reduction 5/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft, fast healing 2, immunity to poison, resistance to fire 10; AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +4; Str 8, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10.Skills:Bluff +6, Diplomacy +2, Disguise +0 (+2 acting), Hide +17, Intimidate +2, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Search +6, Spellcraft +6, Spot +6Feats:Improved Initiative, Weapon FinesseSA -- Poison (Ex):Injury, Fortitude DC 13, initial damage 1d4 Dex, secondary damage 2d4 Dex. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.SA -- Spell-Like Abilities:At will—detect good, detect magic, and invisibility (self only); 1/day—cause fear (as the spell, except that its area is a 30-foot radius from the quasit, save DC 11). Caster level 6th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.Once per week a quasit can use commune to ask six questions. The ability otherwise works as the spell (caster level 12th).SQ -- Alternate Form (Su):A quasit can assume other forms at will as a standard action. This ability functions as a polymorph spell cast on itself (caster level 12th), except that a quasit does not regain hit points for changing form, and any individual quasit can assume only one or two forms no larger than Medium. Common forms include bat, monstrous centipede, toad, and wolf. A quasit in alternate form loses its poison attack.Retriever:CR 11; SZ H Construct (extraplanar); HD 10d10+80; hp 135; Init +3; Spd 50 ft (10 sq); AC 21 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +10 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 18; Base Atk +7; Grp +25; Atk claw +15 melee (2d6+10) and eye ray +8 ranged touch; Full Atk 4 claws +15 melee (2d6+10) and bite +10 melee (1d8+5) and eye ray +8 ranged touch; Reach 10 ft; SA Eye rays, find target, improved grab; SQ Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 5, low-light vision; AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +3; Str 31, Dex 17, Con --, Int --, Wis 11, Cha 1.SA -- Eye Rays (Su):A retriever’s eyes can produce four different magical rays with a range of 100 feet. Each round, it can fire one ray as a free action. A particular ray is usable only once every 4 rounds. A retriever can fire an eye ray in the same round that it makes physical attacks. The save DC for all rays is 18. The save DC is Dexterity-based.The four eye effects are: Fire: Deals 12d6 points of fire damage to the target (Reflex half ).Cold: Deals 12d6 points of cold damage to the target (Reflex half ).Electricity: Deals 12d6 points of electricity damage to the target (Reflex half ).Petrification: The target must succeed on a Fortitude save or turn to stone permanently.Tactics:If Lorantus or the Quasits are alerted to the PCs, the quasits will go invisible and Lorantus will start casting buff spells in the following order: haste, mage armor, stoneskin, and cat’s grace.Lorantus is willing to talk if the PCs don’t act hostile, but he is quite aware that as a dark elf in a demon lair he doesn’t give the greatest of impressions to goodly adventurer types. If the PCs do strike up a conversation with Lorantus he will claim to be just an old scribe working on copying an endless supply of texts, which is pretty much the truth. The quasits, if invisible will try to sneak past the PCs and take up positions behind them, possibly near any obvious spellcasters, two will fly off and try to find some backup. If the quasits are visible and the PCs are still willing to talk then the quasits will sit at their tables and try to act non-threatening by chewing on their pens, shuffling papers, and pretending to be asleep.If battle erupts Lorantus will first use his spell-like ability to create a sphere of darkness to conceal the room and then move away from the PCs.The quasits, if not already invisible, will go invisible and surround any obvious spellcasters in an attempt to disrupt spellcasting. The retriever in the hidden ceiling space will wait till the room is cloaked in darkness then will drop down into the magical darkness and guard the drow wizard. In the following rounds Lorantus will cast haste if not already hasted, then will use his scroll of true seeing.The drow is very aware of his severe physical weakness and will try to keep the retriever between him and any tough looking PCs. While the demons are fearless and will fight to the death, Lorantus is deeply afraid of death and if things go badly will try to escape, hiding in one of the other occupied rooms.Treasure: The scrolls on the northern shelves are all mundane in nature and are written in Abyssal. They mostly deal with demonic worship and are worthless. However a search check (DC 24) will uncover 5 manuscripts written in Abyssal that could be important.Manuscript #1: The History of Forbidden MagicA crumbling heap of parchment paper bound together with rough twine.Clarity: The text is unclear due to significant damage and missing parts. (Int check DC15 to understand)Appraisal: DC 24. If someone makes an effort to read it, they will find it has a lot of useful information.Reading Time: 2 weeks (provided the Int check succeeded)Reading Benefit: The text contains spell formulas for the spells enervation, finger of death, and symbol of pain.Value: 450gpManuscript #2: Chronicles of the Blood WarLooks to be an unfinished work that is written on some pieces of parchment and stored in a bone case.Clarity: The text is very clear.Appraisal: DC 15. It’s easy to determine that the manuscript has no useful information.Reading Time: 2 daysReading Benefit: None, but the text is fairly interesting.Value: 625gpManuscript #3: Theology of the Unbound DemonSeveral pages of parchment rolled up and held by a cord made from the sinew of some creature.Clarity: The text is hard to understand (Int check DC 10).Appraisal: DC 25. With some work, a person can make sense of the book, which will reveal it is reasonably useful.Reading Time: 1d6 days (provided the Int check succeeded)Reading Benefit: At the cost of 400xp the reader gains +2 to Knowledge (Religion) skill checks.Value: 100gpManuscript #4: Common Superstitions Regarding DemonsA damaged, but still readable scroll which details various myths about Demons.Clarity: The text is of average clarity.Appraisal: DC 20. A small study will show that the text contains no useful information and is factually wrong.Reading Time: Immediate, mostly because there is apparently nothing to study.Reading Benefit: None, and the writing is bad and uninteresting.Value: 5gpManuscript #5: The Complete Guide to the AbyssThis appears to be only a torn page from a book which features a crude map of the 586th layer of the Abyss with some writing on the reverse side.Clarity: The text is nearly unintelligible due to having an author that was apparently suffering from mental illness (Int check DC 25).Appraisal: DC 28. If someone somehow manages to make sense of it, they will find it reasonably useful.Reading Time: 1d4 months (provided  the Int check succeeded)Reading Benefit: At the cost of 300xp the reader gains +4 to Knowledge (The Planes) skill checks.Value: 750gp</blockquote>

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