Rune-Limned Gallery

(This is a page for a location in the Adventure: I Smell A Rat, part of the Dungeon Fantasy RPG. It continues from the Smuggler's Hallway.)Behind the concealed sewer door lies a hallway, begun with a few short steps--seemingly built to keep the sewer from flooding in. Beyond that, a long, straight, slightly downward slope into who-knows-where -- a simple door marks the end, about seven yards forward. 
In width and height, the hallway is about a yard across, and just under three yards high. Prospecting or Thaumatology reveals this path was definitely carved with magic. The walls of the corridor are bright, lit with runes that mark the place as a center of magical power. 
However, Thaumatology tells you these are dangerous runes, runes that sap life from the unwelcome, and that the runes are resisted by sheer health and fortitude. A success by +5 lets the PC know that they're specifically Elder Thing variants of the runes -- Elder Things are bizarre and generally unkind creatures who see humans as tools.Original draft had this detail as Demonic/Diabolic in origin, but Merle seems to be more of an Elder Thing fan than a Devil fan!
== The Runes ==
These are dastardly powerful runes that can dry up an adventurer like a prune. While the effect is powerful, it's highly binary--either it nearly kills you or it doesn't, depending on your HT roll. These dire consequences can be avoided through a spell of Magic Resistance (adding to HT), or boosting HT directly with Vigor.
* Detect: Automatic (very obvious!), though Thaumatology is needed to learn details. 
* Disarm: No. 
* Avoid: Dig another passage with magic or sell your soul . . . not very practical. 
* Save: No. 
* Effects: Resist Dehydrate-15 with HT or burn up for 3d-3 injury. 
* Shots: Infinite. (Should be finite, see below)
* Rearm: No 
* Steal: No
Suggestion: Add something that can properly counter this devastating amount of damage. At least for long enough to get in, and eventually get out. For instance: Perhaps the Runes only detect allegiance and destroy anything else -- perhaps the runes can "burnt through" by tricking or corralling Giant Rats into entering? A dried-out Giant Rat is still worth the bounty from Lee!
When the door to the Ritual Chamber is creaked open, it lets out a rich, red glow...
== Ritual Chamber ==
...Before you is a large, square room, with an impressive, vaulted ceiling. It would be almost homey, if not for its lighting -- a bright but eye-straining red light stains everything in the room, cast from three Continual Light lanterns.Can you steal these these lanterns? Heck yeah you can. The book recommends that they're 2 lb standard lanterns when outside of the unholy Ritual Chamber. They have some value at $150 a piece. Passing the threshold gives an uneasy feeling -- this is unholy ground.While the book calls for a roll (Per + PI), this area should make sense to most clerics as desecrated ground. 
To the left, a relatively curtain hangs on the wall, presumably to something interesting. To the center, there is an altar of some kind. Behind the altar, a huge hole -- this leads to the Blasted Passage. 
Note: There is also a false wall to the right. 
=== Black Curtain ===
Black velvet. Very dark. Perhaps a decoration, perhaps some sort of arcane focus, or point of meditation. It's also a curtain for a hallway, which is apparent -- not requiring a particular Perception roll.
=== Evil Altar ===
It's about 4 yards long and a yard wide, and... stained. Merely touching it can inflict Curse on someone. The area can be Cleansed, although there is an interesting side effect -- the lights will also go out.
* There's also an ornate sacrificial dagger which, can be used as a regular dagger if need be. ($200, 0.25 lbs)
=== False Wall ===
There's a wall-sized canvas decorating the wall to the west. See below.
=== Peshkali Fight ===
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== Hidden Tomb / False Wall ==
This "wall" is merely a canvas stretched over an opening. It's painted with some depiction of some Ancient Things triumphing over humans. Anyone inspecting the painting closely will notice lots of little groveling figures... and detect the smell of death from behind the painting.DFRPG: I Smell A Rat, p.12 There's some zombies in here!
== Blasted Passage ==
* This leads far down... to a whole other setpiece!
== Main "Curtain" Hallway ==
=== First Cell ===
* Corpse Golems! In human-skin leather! D:
== Notes ==
== References ==
* DFRPG: I Smell A Rat, p.10-11