L2-26. Humming Ley-Node Vault - Isle of the Obelisk
The passage breaks upon a high ledge skirting a dark pond whose glassy surface swallows your lantern-light. A stone path—no railing—circles the water’s rim. In the center rises a low island of rock, twenty-five by fifteen feet, crowned by a black obelisk veined in faint red. It hums—slow and steady—so that the stone beneath your boots seems to breathe.
To the east, along the north wall, a cold underground river slides in from the Humming Bend and pours into the pond. At the far south-west margin, the water draws away again as a swift stream, tunneling into shadow; the circling ledge continues beside it, a narrow walk above the rush. From the vaulting dark overhead, stalactites hang like a stone forest. Something sleeps beneath the obelisk. You can feel it in your teeth.
To the east, along the north wall, a cold underground river slides in from the Humming Bend and pours into the pond. At the far south-west margin, the water draws away again as a swift stream, tunneling into shadow; the circling ledge continues beside it, a narrow walk above the rush. From the vaulting dark overhead, stalactites hang like a stone forest. Something sleeps beneath the obelisk. You can feel it in your teeth.
Layout & Traversal
- Encircling ledge: 5–8 ft wide, runs the full perimeter of the pond and continues alongside the south-west outflow tunnel (single-file in places). Slick patches impose difficult terrain in 5-ft scallops.
- Central island: Uneven rock; 2–3 ft above waterline. Reach by swimming (cold, still water) or by spanning with poles/rope.
- Inflows/outflows:
- East/North wall: River enters from L2-24 (noise grants +1 to Stealth against hearing).
- South-west tunnel: Stream flows 20 ft/round; 15–25 ft wide; ledge continues on the north bank.
Water checks: Entering the pond requires Athletics DC 10 each round (cold, silty failure = no progress. The outflow stream is Athletics DC 13 or be swept 20 ft and knocked prone if pinned.
The Obelisk
(Suel Ley-Line Node)
A 9-ft monolith of iron-basalt threaded with ruby inclusions, set atop a sealed plinth (thin veneer of worked stone over natural vent-stone). This is the humming source heard throughout the east caverns.
Passive effects (within 30 ft):
- Resonance: Creatures making Concentration checks gain +1; creatures attempting to maintain magical darkness or illusions save at −1 (the hum spoils false stillness).
- Rattle of the Vein: Spoken words sound damped; Stealth (sound) checks gain +1; Perception (hearing) checks suffer −1.
Inspection & Lore:
- Arcana or Religion DC 12: This is a ley-node focus, tuned to Wee Jas through ruby and measure.
- Arcana DC 14 (10 min): It is stable but bleeds power along micro-faults to the east (toward a Beltar shrine—now shattered).
- Religion DC 15: The node sits atop a binding plinth; something entombed below is tethered by lawful sigils.
Interacting with the node:
- Six-count Canticle (intended): Tapping the plinth’s corner stones in a measured six-count (10 seconds, no chatter) quiets the hum to a purr for 1 hour (checks and penalties suspend). Performance (keep time) DC 10 or Religion DC 12 to suss the cadence.
- Law-stamp (shortcut): Pressing a Jasite law-stamp (found elsewhere) to the plinth counts as the correct sequence; silence still required.
- Forcing it (danger): Striking, prying, or thunder damage triggers a backwash: everyone within 20 ft makes a Con save DC 13 or takes 2d6 thunder and is deafened 1 minute. Each backwash increases the chance of a wild surge (GM’s call) and may awaken what lies beneath.
Dark Entity by 3orcs
The Entombed Thing
(beneath the plinth)
A Dark Entity—a law-shackled remnant (DM pick: Shadow-Wight, Umbral Abjurer, or a unique “Ruby Custodian Prime”). It is not active unless the binding is damaged or the node is fed Beltar’s malice (see link below).
- Detect Evil & Good / Divine Sense: Pings strong undead/aberrant below the plinth.
- Breaking the seal: Three ruby inlay strips (AC 16, 10 hp each). Destroying two frees the Thing at half strength; destroying all three releases it at full strength with the Resonance aura inverted (PCs suffer −1 to Concentration; undead gain +1).
What happened here (355 CY)
“The Trespass of Measure”
- High Theurge Vhalcaryn Rel-Daen (Wee Jas) ran ruby conduits from the ley-node (back toward the north-west caverns) to this shrine, seeking to domesticate Deep Earth beneath measure.
- Beltar answered with Stone-Spite: a retaliatory surge that blew the shrine, shook the south approach (your collapsed chambers), and spider-cracked the lower level.
- Vhalcaryn’s pattern was ripped into the node—he survives as the Shadow-Wight bound beneath the obelisk.
(Arcana/Religion DC 13 in corridor or chamber: read the ruby inlay’s west-to-node direction; DC 15 adds the theological “law capped the pit; the pit bit back”.)
Features & Finds
- Suel tool-marks around the island (Investigation DC 12): pry-holes for setting the monolith; a discarded ruby mortar wedge (25 gp).
- Ledger shard under a loose plinth tile (Investigation DC 13): “Power held by measure, not by oath.”
- Pectoral of Red Glass hidden in a crack (Perception DC 14 near the obelisk): wearable charm; once per day grants advantage on a single Religion check to operate lawful Suel devices.
Dangers & Denizens
- Ceiling life: Darkmantles (2–4) sometimes drift here; they avoid the node’s immediate aura unless the cavern is dark and quiet.
- Troglodyte behavior: Raiders skirt this room; they fear the “Stone-Heart.” A captured trog can whisper: “East shrine broke—boom and fall—stone-heart louder now.”
- River beasts: On noise or blood, roll 1d4—on 4 a Quipper Swarm noses in from the SW stream.
Skill Hooks & Play
- Crossing to the island without swimming: A 10-ft plank or spears lashed (Tinker/Survival DC 12) forms a teetering bridge (Acrobatics DC 11 to cross single file).
- Quiet the node to sneak: Perform the six-count to hush the hum and skip your next random encounter check (the vault “approves”).
- Overload clue: If anyone speaks Beltar’s name while banging the plinth, the hum spikes (Perception DC 10 to notice) and a shower of rubble along the east wall vibrate—foreshadowing the ruined Beltar Shrine to the east.
Designer Intent
This chamber explains the song of the stone the party’s been hearing and offers three plays: (1) a careful ritual/puzzle moment (six-count hush), (2) a combat hazard with darkness and water, or (3) a forbidden lever—break the binding and unleash a dungeon-changing foe. It anchors your east caverns thematically and mechanically, and it points a clean line to the final set-piece and the Beltar shrine without stealing their thunder.
Signet of Measure by 3orcs
Ruby-Vanned Dagger by 3orcs
Pectoral of the Ruby Judge by 3orcs
Censer of Solemn Cadence by 3orcs
Custodian’s Vambrace by 3orcs
| Ley-Node Reliquary | Options |
|---|---|
Humming Ley-Node Vault Isle of the Obelisk by 3orcs
Type: Great natural cavern with Suel focus-site (ley-line node)
Access: From the east-side caverns, follow the 10-ft tunnel south past the Ringwall Grot (L2-25) for 20 ft to a ledge opening over a vast pool.
Dimensions: Cavern spans ~80 ft (E–W) by 60 ft (N–S) with a high, stalactite-hung ceiling (25–35 ft).
Connections
- North-east: River inflow from L2-24 Humming River Bend.
- South-west: River outflow with ledge (single file) leading deeper; this route ultimately links to the final cavern of the east complex (your last room; anchor its set-piece to the node).
- Ringwall Grot (L2-25): 10-ft tunnel back north, then west.
- Eastward Link (future): The shattered Shrine of Beltar—seat of the “power-mode” blast that cracked open Level-2 rooms—draws a ley tributary from this node (not covered here).
Type
Room, Natural, Cavern
Parent Location
Owning Organization
Random Checks
(every 10 minutes; 5 if loud/bright)
1–2 Nothing but the hum (next check at +1)
3 1 Troglodyte scout sniffing, avoids node, flees if seen
4 Quipper Swarm tests the pond edge (engage only on splash/blood)
5 1d3 Darkmantles drift in, testing the darkness
6 Ripple in the plinth—backwash feint (Con save DC 10 or ringing ears; no damage)
Map Notes
- Draw a rectangular vault (80×60) with a full perimeter ledge around a central pond; show the 25×15 island and obelisk.
- Mark river inflow at NE along the north wall, outflow SW with the ledge hugging the north bank.
- Add stalactite fields overhead, slick patches on ledge, and plinth seams on the island.
- Annotate: “HUMMING SOURCE,” “Backwash if struck,” and an arrow east labeled “Beltar shrine (ruined) — source of collapse.”
Ley-Node Reliquary (d12)
- Pectoral of the Ruby Judge (wondrous, uncommon, attunement): Advantage once per long rest on a Religion or Arcana check to operate Suel devices; you shed dim crimson light (5 ft) while concentrating on a spell.
- Aegis of Stillness (cloak, uncommon, attunement): While you maintain Concentration, gain +1 to Constitution saves; once/day you can still your breath to gain advantage on Stealth (sound) for 1 minute.
- Signet of Measure (ring, rare, attunement by caster): When you cast a spell using a slot 1–3, you can stabilize the flow—gain +1 to the spell save DC and advantage on the Concentration check to maintain it (1/short rest).
- Ruby-Vanned Dagger (weapon, uncommon, finesse): +1 dagger; on a crit, target makes a DC 13 Con save or is silenced until the start of your next turn as the blade drinks the word.
- Censer of Solemn Cadence (wondrous, uncommon): 3 charges/day. As an action, emit red incense that suppresses magical darkness in a 15-ft radius for 1 minute (as if light had been cast with higher priority).
- Scroll-Tube of Jas (scroll case with 1d3): Roll 1d3 spell scrolls themed to law/warding: protection from evil and good, silence, gentle repose, warding bond, counterspell, dispel magic.
- Mortuary Oil (2 vials) (consumable): When poured on a creature or object, grants necrotic resistance for 1 minute; undead touching it take 2d4 radiant (once/round).
- Tally-Rod of Red Glass (wand, uncommon, attunement): While you hold it, you can cast detect magic 1/short rest; also, as a reaction, fix a triggered trap or mechanism in the “safe” state for 1 round (3/day).
- Sash of the Silent Bearer (wondrous, rare, attunement): You have advantage on saves vs. being frightened; once/day you can move at normal speed while silenced without breaking stealth (counts as Pass without Trace on sound only).
- Mithral Funeral Shirt (armor, uncommon): Counts as mithral chain shirt worked with ruby thread; while worn, you cannot be crit by undead.
- Shard-Focus of the Node (wondrous, rare, attunement): A thumb-sized ruby shard. As a bonus action (1/day), harmonize: for 1 minute gain +1 to Concentration checks and your spells deal +1d4 force once/turn to a single target within 30 ft of the ley-node (or any humming Suel engine).
- The Ledger Fragment (tome, uncommon): Reading for 1 hour grants proficiency with Calligrapher’s tools until your next long rest and lets you decode Suel custody marks automatically for 24 hours; once/day you can cast comprehend languages.
Gem & Coin Add-Ons
(roll 1d4 each)
- Cut gems (1d4+1): ruby chips, garnets, spinels (50–250 gp each; one star ruby at 1,000 gp on a max roll).
- Coin coffer: 3d6×10 gp, 2d6×25 sp, and a sealed temple tithe of 50 pp stamped with the Jasite star.
- Curios (1–2): Ruby mortar wedge (25 gp), law-stamp seal (tool for Suel locks), red-glass bullseye lens (fits any lantern).
Optional “Boss” Drops
(if the Thing is fully released)
- Custodian’s Vambrace (wondrous, very rare, attunement): Gain +1 AC; when you reduce a hostile undead to 0 HP, you may store its last breath—expend it later to cast shield (1 charge) or counterspell (2 charges). Holds 3 charges; refresh 1/day at the node.
- Obelisk Heart-Shard (spellcasting focus, rare, attunement): While within 120 ft of any ley-node, your spells ignore half cover; once/day you can convert a failed Concentration save into a success.
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