Hall of the Ancestors

The Hall of the Ancestors is the next Monument of Mennara. This hallowed hall is the repository for the Dwarven dead.   LOCATION OF THE HALL   The Hall of the Ancestors is not meant for the eyes of outsiders. It is a secret place, hidden deep beneath the roots of mountain containing Thelgrim, the Dwarven capital of Dunwarr. The bones of the greatest Dwarven heroes lie here, their tombs chronicling their greatest deeds.   While the main hall is lit with large, massive braziers, the catacombs and individual mausoleums are lit with more practical crystal starglobes (such as those used in the city far above) providing a dim, gentle glow.   When a Dwarf dies, they are first put in one of the open sarcophagi of the hall. The corpse is left in the temporary tomb for 734 days. After this time, the bones are taken into the catacombs to join the dead of their families or guilds (quite literally). Individual tombs are reserved for monarchs of Dunwarr or great heroes as recognized by the king. For these individuals, their individual tombs are works of art with images and poems to tell the stories of their greatest deeds and chronicle their family lineage. Massive metal doors of the finest Dwarven alloys are set in beautifully carved doorways into the rock of the caverns, ensuring their rest goes undisturbed.     HISTORY   The hall has existed since the Dwarves first started building Thelgrim. The catacombs have existed even long before they came. Dwarven legends hint at the cavern where the hall now stands, was once the lair of a mighty Dragon. While many rumors exist regarding a legendary battle, the actual Dwarven archives state the lair was empty of the drake, but filled with treasure, and covered in the dust of the ages. This long-lost treasure trove became the fuel which drove Dwarven expansion into the rest of the Dunwarr range. Once the treasure was removed, the cavern was reworked and carved as the hall it is today.   A SECRET ENTRANCE   Unbeknownst to the Dwarves (or anyone else), there is a secret entrance into the catacombs from outside the areas controlled by the Dwarves. There are numerous cavern complexes within the mountain. Some connect, others do not. One of the original architects of the hall (his name lost to time) saw fit to have the connection to further tunnels sealed, but still openable should further expansion be needed. To ensure it would remain secure against any wandering nasties within the mountain, he constructed a secret door, along with a mechanism to open it, for Dwarves he trusted, as long as they remembered the means to open it. On the opposite side of the Dwarven catacombs, a Dwarven limerick is carved (in Dwarven runes, so one must read it) into the rock of that side of the secret door. Under the limerick, there is a lever and a valve wheel. The lever is set in the middle and seems as if it can go up or down. The valve can be turned right or left.   The moment anyone gets close enough to read the limerick, a stone door comes down behind the party, and the entire area starts to fill slowly with a poisonous gas. The first round of exposure, a character must make a Hard ( three purple ) Resilience check or suffer 2 Strain and add black die to any other skill checks. The second round of exposure, a character must again make the same test (with the penalty if they failed the first check). Failure indicates suffering another 2 Strain and adding another black die to skill checks (total of two black die). Additional rounds of exposure cause the same effect, but the penalty maxes out at two black die.   The solution to the puzzle is in the limerick. Each line of the limerick states the direction to push the lever or turn the valve. Following these instructions will turn off the gas and open the secret door into the catacombs. Solution = Up, Up, Left, Right, Left, Down, Up   INHABITANTS   The hall is largely empty during most times of the day or night. Typically, only a lone griever or two or maybe one of the Dwarf coroners is roaming about. After all, as far as the Dwarves know, the only way in is through the many guarded halls leading down from Thelgrim, so there is little need for more security here. Any Dwarf encountered here is likely to have the same statistics as the Dwarf Guilder as listed on page 191 of the REALMS OF TERRINOTH supplement.   ADVENTURE SEEDS   The Hall can be used in a campaign in a variety of ways. The following Adventure Seeds provide ways to introduce the location.

• fine weapons and other treasures ripe for the picking by unscrupulous characters.
• The group is traveling to Thelgrim and the hall to lay a Dwarven comrade to rest, honoring his or her final request.
• Magical portals exist all over Mennara; in long- forgotten temples, libraries, and tombs. The six Monuments of Mennara are likely destinations for such portals, and the group could find themselves at the hall after using such an unknown portal. If they do, there may be nobody around to ask for directions.
• The Player Characters find or obtain a map in some other way, leading to the secret entrance to the catacombs near the hall. While magical items are often handed down from generation to generation, many Dwarves are buried with.

  It should be noted non-Dwarves are never given access to the hall for any reason. The Dwarves will be grateful to receive a slain Dwarf to be interred, and will treat such emissaries well, but they will not allow access to non-Dwarves.