L2-08. Beltar Pit — The Sealed Maw

Priests of Wee Jas sealed this Beltar-tainted shaft long ago. It is a sacrificial maw aligned to pits and malice; the Mortarch is prying it open to feed the crypt army. The room enforces silence, measured pace, and sealing the drains before you cross.

If entering through the south metal door:

If crawling in via the drain grate:

What careful players can read (no checks needed)

• The breath: a faint suction → release from the shaft every six heartbeats. Gravel on the inner curb creeps during the pull.
• Floor seams: six pie-slice plates on the ring can tilt inward.
• Priests’ warning: on a bronze plaque by the south door in ancient Suel: “Quell the drains; bind the chains; cross in silence.”
• Mortarch meddling: ruby chalk circles mark two winches and one culvert; his sigil is stamped on the half-freed plug-stone.

Environmental hazards

1) Beltar’s Breath (inhalation tug)

• Trigger: the room’s natural cycle—every 6 beats.
• Effect: Each creature within 5 ft of the pit rim must make a DC 13 STR save or be pulled 5 ft toward the edge (not off it). Creatures on a tilting plate instead slide 5 ft inward and must immediately make a DC 13 DEX save or fall prone.
• Suppress: seal both culverts (see Rite of Quelling) or use silence on the pit (suppresses the cycle while it lasts).

2) Obsidian Teeth (spike up-thrust)

• Trigger: loud speech, rushing (faster than half speed), or yanking a wrong winch.
• Effect: A 10-ft arc of teeth erupts from the inner curb; creatures in the arc make DC 13 DEX or take 9 (2d8) piercing and are pushed 5 ft toward the pit; success: half damage, no push.
• Reset: the teeth retract at the end of the round.

3) Ring Plates (tilt-dump)

• Any plate can tilt inward if a creature of Medium or heavier stands on its inner half during Beltar’s Breath. That creature makes the DEX save above or goes prone; if already prone or right at the rim, make a DC 13 STR save or fall into the pit.

Falling into the L2-09. Flame Transept — “Under-Ash Service” 40-ft drop to a sloped stone throat → 14 (4d6) bludgeoning and slide 20 ft; a creature can make a DC 13 DEX to grab a chain or ledge and stop the slide (ending prone on a 2-ft beam). Below are natural caverns and a bone-sump (future expansion).

Rite of Quelling (how to pacify the Maw, no roll)

The bronze plaque tells you exactly what to do, in order:

1. Quell the drains: smear funerary myrrh (from L2-03) or holy water across both culvert lips, each on a six-count while maintaining silence between beats. Each sealed lip dims and stops dripping for 1 hour.
2. Bind the chains: pull winches in a clockwise six-count starting at N, then each next one clockwise (N → NE → E → SE → S → SW). The plug-stone settles flush as you go; the room stops breathing when all six are tensioned.
3. Cross in silence: move at half speed, low voices; the teeth won’t rise and the plates won’t tilt. The Maw is pacified for 1 hour or until a chain is loosened.

If they do it out of order or speak loudly while pulling a winch, trigger Obsidian Teeth at that station and loosen one already-tensioned chain (the room “fights back”).

Undead & triggers (the Mortarch’s angle)

• Lashed servants: 3 Zombies hang on short chains over the dark, wax-dotted and ready to be hauled up. If any winch is yanked hard without the rite, or if someone falls and cries out, one zombie is winched up at the end of that round (as if something below hauled the chain). Add another every other round while the Maw is angry.
• Ruby Ghouls (2) lurk in wall recesses W and SE, listening for the chain rattle. They wait unless attacked or if the party breaks the plaque; then they leap to shove a target onto a tilting plate during Beltar’s Breath.

Tactics:

• Zombies try to grapple and drag toward the rim during the inhale; ghouls aim for shove → teeth → dump.
• If the party performs the Rite of Quelling, the ghouls withdraw toward Wing of Stone to warn others (tick the Attention Clock by 1).

Smart player moves (no checks)

• Stretch a rope between two opposite winch posts → creatures tied to it have advantage vs. Beltar’s Breath.
• Lay a bier plank (from L2-03) across a 5-ft gap → easy crossing even if plates tilt.
• Wedge ruby chalk in the inner curb seams → that 10-ft arc can’t fire Obsidian Teeth this scene.

Treasure & tools

• Bronze chain-key (fits the winch pawls; lets you tension a winch as a bonus action once per round).
• 2 vials funerary myrrh (as in L2-03).
• Winch oil & leather gloves (advantage to avoid rope burn when catching a chain).
• Mortarch chalk map on the maintenance shelf: a rough sketch of caverns below with “Pit Mouth → Bone Sump → Flame Transept” scrawled in Suel.

Boxed outcomes (quick drops)

Sealing a culvert

The resin sheen dulls under your touch; the drip falters, then stops. The chamber takes a quieter breath—shallower—then waits.

Binding a winch (right order)

Chain sings, stone groans. The cracked plug slides a finger’s breadth and settles. The breath from below weakens.

Wrong pull / loud command

The inner curb flowers with black wedges—teeth that lance up and drive you toward the void.

Pacified Maw (all done)

The last chain bites home. The plug kisses stone. The air lies still, the obsidian teeth sink, and the room holds its breath.

Someone falls

Your foot skews on the plate; the floor drops under you. Cold air claws past as the dark rushes up.