Ashes of Midas Session 3

## Notes

* *Details of Ashes of Midas:*
	+ As an action, a creature can throw a vial of Ashes of Midas up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact and releasing its contents as a cloud of dust. Each creature within 5 feet of the vial when it shatters must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or contract Ashes of Midas. If a character has contracted Ashes of Midas, track the number of days that have passed so you can inform the player when their character’s symptoms appear and when they need to make Constitution saving throws.
	+ It takes **1d4** days for the symptoms to manifest in an infected creature. These symptoms include fatigue, stiffness, and visible gold veins that appear on the creature’s body. The infected creature’s speed is reduced by 5 feet as long as it remains infected. Every 10 days after symptoms appear, an infected creature must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, or its speed is reduced by another 5 feet. If a creature’s speed is reduced to 0 as a result of this disease, the creature dies and its body turns into a statue made of gold. A creature can drink the antidote as an action, ending all symptoms and effects of the disease instantly.
* *Hulil's Betrayal (Optional - Only use if you think you need to for time/the party don't explore the rest of the dungeon)*
	+ The party outside the entrance have been taken prisoner by Hulil and Tulhi's men, and quieted. When the players leave the dungeon, or investigate the silence, they will see this. Refer to **Hulil's Betrayal** below.

## The Lakes

The characters enter The Lakes. This region is known for its large patches of quicksand and water leaking in from the sea. One who is not careful may fall into the quicksand, and open a pond of salt water. Ali knows a way through the sands, but 3 knifebirds will have moved into that area, prompting the party to either fight or move around. There would then be a risk of triggering the quicksand. After all this, they can get to Sallah's Vault. There are two dust mephits (mentioned below) hidden that will follow the players. If the players notice them and point them out, Ali will mention them from his last adventure.

## Sallah's Vault

The building is partly submerged in sand. Notice a half-submerged, dark-blue stone building poking up through the sand. A gray stone door is carved to look like a bird with two heads. Scribed above the door is the word “SALLAH'S VAULT” in ancient celestial written in Kusan. This can be read with a bit of inspection by anyone who speaks celestial.

Two dust mephits hide near the entrance to Sallah's Vault, waiting for someone to open the door. A character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 13 or higher notices the mephits. If any characters interact with the mephits, they attack in response. If the characters don’t notice the mephits, the creatures follow them inside Sallah's Vault, attracted to the Ashes of Midas within. The first time the characters enter an area containing vials of Ashes of Midas, the mephits seek out and break the vials, reveling in releasing the gold dust within.

#### Sealed Entrance

The entrance to Sallah's Vault is blocked by sand and rocks. The characters can shovel the debris away or force the door open. Any noisy opening (roll stealth) draws the attention of three suits of animated armor in area S3, which gather in area S1 and attack the characters as soon as they enter.

### Sallah's Vault Features

The locations in Sallah's Vault are detailed on map 5.10. Unless otherwise noted in an area’s description, the following features are common throughout all areas of Sallah's Vault.

#### Ceilings

The ceilings in Sallah's Vault’s rooms are 10 feet high, with 8-foot-high doorways connecting them.

#### Chests

Stone chests two feet on each side are built into the floors in several areas. A detect magic spell reveals a faint aura of abjuration magic radiating from each chest. A chest has AC 17; 27 hit points; resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage; and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

If an area’s description notes a locked chest, the chest’s lock can be picked with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools or forced open with a successful DC 18 Strength check. Sallah (see area S17) carries a master key that locks or unlocks all chests in Sallah's Vault.

#### Doors and Walls

Sallah's Vault’s heavy doors are made of black stone, and its walls are made of blue stone. A detect magic spell reveals a faint aura of abjuration magic radiating from the doors and walls. Each door and each 10-foot section of wall has AC 17; 27 hit points; resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage; and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

If an area’s description notes a locked door, the lock can be picked with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools, or the door can be forced open with a successful DC 18 Strength check. Magi Sallah (see area S17) carries a master key that locks or unlocks all the doors in Sallah's Vault.

#### Kusan Robes

The undead in the complex wear archaic-looking robes. With a successful DC 12 Intelligence (History) check, a character recognizes the robes as being of Kusan style. The characters can also find intact robes of the same style in the complex. Constructs and zombies in the complex don’t attack a character wearing intact robes, unless the character attacks first.

#### Eastern Slope

Sallah's Vault is tilted in the sand, with its east side lower than its west side. Every area within the complex features a gentle slope downward to the east.

#### Light

Unless otherwise noted, wall sconces with continual flame spells cast on them brightly light the interior of Sallah's Vault.

#### Temperature

Though Sallah's Vault’s is in such a hot climate, the temperatures within the structure are pleasantly cool.

#### Water

Some areas of Sallah's Vault are partially filled with seawater flowing in from beneath the ground of the Lakes.

### Denizens of Sallah's Vault

Many of the creatures the characters can encounter in Sallah's Vault have similar characteristics and tactics.

#### Beasts

Several sea creatures haunt the submerged areas of the complex. These beasts attack characters who enter the water, fighting until reduced to half their hit points or fewer before fleeing.

#### Constructs

After the Calamity, a number of its construct guardians survived. Those constructs continue to guard the complex, fighting intruders until they flee Sallah's Vault. The constructs won’t leave the complex willingly and won’t pursue characters who do so. The constructs don’t attack the undead of Sallah's Vault, understanding on some level that those undead are the remains of the people who created them.

#### Undead

The humanoids working in Sallah's Vault during the Calamity. Before their deaths, Sallah, the magi in charge of Sallah's Vault, released an experimental spell that caused any humanoids who died in the complex to return as undead. Most of those affected returned as zombies that attack intruders on sight and fight to the death. Sallah returned as a wight and has continued to work obsessively in his personal laboratory (area S17) ever since. Because of the magic used here, all the undead are relatively well preserved.

### S1. Entrance Chamber

There are murals on the wall depicting a man standing in a room of treasures. The man is surrounded by golden figures, with him crying to the heavens, his golden hands visible as he prays.

If the characters make any noise louder than a whisper in this chamber, the suits of animated armor in area S3 come to investigate.

#### Locked Door

The door that leads to area S4 is locked (see “Sallah's Vault Features,” at the beginning of this section).

#### Open Door

The door that leads to area S2 is slightly ajar. A character who examines the door and succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check notes that it was recently forced open (by Urgoth and Ali when they explored Sallah's Vault).

### S2. Ransacked Ashes of Midas Laboratory

If the characters make any noise louder than a whisper in this chamber, the suits of animated armor in area S3 investigate the noise.

Any examination of the chests reveals that they are built into the floor. A character who examines the sand on the ground near the chest and succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check notices two sets of dwarf-sized boot prints (from Ali and Urgoth) as well as two sets of boot prints made by human-sized feet (the animated armor from area S3). The foot prints are caused by ambient sand.

### S3. Animated Armor Laboratory

Two suits of animated armor normally stand guard in this chamber. If the armor didn’t leave to investigate disturbances in areas S1 or S2, both suits are here when the characters arrive, and you can add the following:

#### Rescue Mission

One of the blacksmiths who worked in this chamber was crushed by a stone table that broke into rubble when Sallah's Vault was destroyed. Since then, the blacksmith has been a zombie restrained beneath the rubble and unable to break free. Any character who examines the feet notices them twitching with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check.

If the characters want to help the “victim” under the rubble, one character can remove enough rubble to free the zombie in 10 minutes. Multiple characters working together can reduce the time proportionately. As soon as it is freed, the zombie attacks.

#### Treasure

The zombie wears an apron containing a set of damaged oracalcum smith’s tools (worth 70 gp).

### S4. Ashes of Midas Laboratory

#### Chests

These stone chests are locked (see “Sallah's Vault Features” at the beginning of this section) and magically trapped. When a creature makes a failed attempt to pick the chest’s lock, or attacks or attempts to force the chest open, the chest shoots a burst of fire at the creature. The blast is **+4** to hit and deals 4 (**1d8**) fire damage on a hit.

A character who searches the exterior of either chest and succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check finds an archaic Celestial word for “flame” carved in tiny letters near the hinges. With a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check, a character senses that the inscription is connected to a trap. Scratching out the inscription with a tool or a weapon causes the trap to stop functioning on that chest.

Each chest is packed with fine sand, within which are nestled two vials of Ashes of Midas (see the “Vials of Ashes of Midas” sidebar earlier in this adventure).

#### Iron Lever

A character who examines the lever notices spots of faded red paint on it with a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check. As an action, a creature can pull the lever down, causing flames to shoot down from the ceiling in area S5. Even with the door closed, a hiss can be heard in this area when the flames are active. A creature can use an action to push the lever back up, which shuts off the flames. See area S5 for more information on this hazard.

#### Locked Doors

The doors from this area to areas S1 and S5 are locked. The door to area S5 is also trapped.

#### Trapped Door

A detect magic spell reveals an aura of conjuration magic radiating from the locked door to area S5. When a creature makes a failed attempt to pick the door’s lock, or attacks or attempts to force the door open, that creature is teleported into the middle of area S15.

A character who searches the door and succeeds on a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds an archaic Celestial word for “vanish” carved in tiny letters near the foot of the door on both sides. With a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check, a character senses that the inscription is connected to a trap. Scratching out either inscription with a tool or a weapon causes the trap to stop functioning.

### S5. Vial Storage

If the iron lever in area S4 has been raised, read the following when the door to this room is opened:

If the flames are off, read:

If the flames are active (lever has been pulled), each creature that enters this area or starts its turn there must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 4 (**1d8**) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

If the flames aren’t active, the only things to be seen in this room are eight chests built into the floor along the far wall. A character who succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check notes a faint oily smell in the room and notices pin-sized holes covering the ceiling.

#### Chests

Each chest is locked (see “Sallah's Vault Features” at the beginning of this section), packed with fine sand, and contains three vials of Ashes of Midas (see the “Vials of Ashes of Midas” sidebar earlier in this adventure).

### S6. North Hall

Three human zombies in tattered Kusan robes roam this hall aimlessly and attack intruders on sight.

## Sallah's Vault (areas S7-S12)

### S7. Unoccupied Dorm

Four unmade beds are built into the east and west walls here, each with a footlocker tucked beneath it. One of the footlockers holds an intact Kusan robe (see “Sallah's Vault Features” at the beginning of this section).

### S8. Ruined Dorm

Sallah's Vault’s crash into Foren destroyed the magic torches in this room, leaving it shrouded in darkness. When the characters can see into this area, they see that debris from broken stone furniture covers the floor. The walls here are cracked, as if they once supported built-in shelves that have been reduced to rubble.

The floor of this chamber is covered in rubble, making it difficult terrain. A rug of smothering is hidden beneath the rubble. A character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 12 or higher notices the rug, but gets no hint that it is animated.

A search of the rubble and a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check turns up an intact Kusan robe (see “Sallah's Vault Features” at the beginning of this section).

### S9. Zombie Dorm

Footlockers are tucked beneath four beds attached to the north and south walls. In the middle of the room, four zombies in tattered robes shuffle around, softly knocking into one another without caring.

The four zombies attack as soon as they see intruders. The footlockers are empty.

### S10. Sallah’s Chamber

The door to Sallah’s personal quarters is locked.

This room is in immaculate condition, apparently having been cleaned up after the destruction seen elsewhere in the complex. A crisply made bed stands at the center of the west wall, with small tables off to either side. The room also contains a stone desk set with a chair, and a chest built into the floor.

Though the undead Sallah no longer sleeps here, he and the zombies tidied up his personal space after the Calamity.

#### Chest

The chest contains Sallah’s treasure (see below), along with a swarm of undead snakes that attacks any creature that opens the chest. The swarm uses the stat block for a swarm of poisonous snakes, with these changes:

* The swarm is made of Tiny undead that don’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
* The swarm has immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

#### Desk

Any search of the desk turns up a bottle of dried ink, several used quills, five sheets of blank parchment, and a piece of paper with a faded message written on it in archaic Celestial. A character who understands Celestial can spend a few minutes to piece together the meaning of the note, or it can be deciphered with a comprehend languages spell or similar magic. The note reads:

*"To whomever finds this:*

*All my people are dead: my family, my friends, and my workers. I, too, am dead. Were it not for my quick thinking and prowess with necromancy, our important work at this station would be over. I continue to labor in my undead form, to complete the task set to me, to find a weapon that can quickly destroy entire populations resisting to our expansion. My sense of time escapes me, as well any need for aid of any kind. Food, water, sleep. These are petty distractions, and I am now above them. I have become the perfect magi for this task, I know. If despite all, I have perished, I implore you to find my laboratory. Find my notes, and finish my work. May the glory of Kusan be eternal.*

*- Magi Sallah"*

#### Treasure

The chest contains 1,006 sp, 45 ep, and 201 gp in Kusan coinage.

### S11. Kitchen

Disuse of this room has left the magic torches in this room unlit, leaving it shrouded in darkness. Iron pots, pans, utensils, and mush that mioght have once been food covers the floor of this kitchen. A stove is built into the west wall.

When the characters enter the room, four animated kitchen knives fly up from the floor and attack. The knives are flying swords, with these changes:

* Each knife is a Tiny construct with 12 (**5d4**) hit points and a challenge rating of 1/8 (25 XP).
* Instead of a longsword attack, each knife makes a melee attack (**+4** to hit) that deals 3 (**1d4 + 1**) piercing damage on a hit.

Decomposed food covers the floor. The pantry's only usable stock are a few bottles of wine, still intact.

### S12. Dining Hall

The remains of broken tables and chairs are piled along the east wall. Two human zombies in tattered robes shuffle aimlessly around each other at the center of the chamber.

The two zombies occupying the dining hall attack any intruders. All the other features of this room have been reduced to rubble.

## Sallah's Vault (areas S13-S18)

### S13. Drowned Library

Wet sand has piled up through a large opening along the east wall of this ruined library. Rotting parchments and moldy tomes are spread everywhere, fallen from cracked stone shelves.

The sand is deeper than it appears beneath the ruined books and parchments, with the floor along the eastern side of the room having collapsed to a depth of 15 feet. A giant scorpion hides here, having claimed this room as its lair. A character who succeeds on a Wisdom (Perception) check opposed by the scorpion’s Dexterity (Stealth) check notices the beast.

#### Treasure

A character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 12 or higher, or one who succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check, notices a watertight scroll case floating in the water. The case holds two spell scrolls of detect magic.

### S14. South Hall

Three well-preserved human zombies in tattered robes roam this hall aimlessly, attacking any intruders that catch their attention.

### S15. Animated Weapon Storage

The door to this room is locked.

Broken blades, cracked hammers, frost-rotted spears, and other ruined weapons are spread out across the floor, fallen from the empty iron weapon racks that line the walls.

The mages of Sallah's Vault stored animated weapons in this room, most of which were destroyed in the calamity. Five flying swords lay among the debris, attacking any characters who enter.

The broken weapons on the floor make this area difficult terrain. Any creature that falls prone in this room takes 2 (**1d4**) piercing damage.

### S16. Golem Laboratory

A large red X is painted across the stone door before you. Violent banging and the sound of heavy objects being tossed around emanates from the chamber beyond.

The door is locked. If the characters open the door to this debris-filled room, a humanoid creature made of pieces of stitched-together flesh charges toward them. The monster’s body is covered in wounds, and broken pieces of bone stick through its skin at odd angles. The creature has two heads.

When Sallah's Vault was destroyed, this golem servant of the mages was driven mad from the damage it took. Sallah locked the golem in this room ages ago. The golem uses the flesh golem stat block, with these changes:

* The golem has 5 hit points remaining, and its Berserk trait is activated.
* The golem has the use of only one arm and can’t use its Multiattack. Its challenge rating is 1 (200 XP).

#### Debris

The golem has long since smashed all the objects in this chamber not destroyed by Sallah's Vault’s crash. Any search of the debris turns up only bits of bone, clay, iron, stone, and paper.

### S17. Sallah’s Laboratory

Six long stone tables are set with steel and glass laboratory equipment in this chamber, whose walls are lined with shelves holding all manner of strange knickknacks and tools. An armed humanoid with bleached white skin and red eyes moves from table to table, adjusting bubbling mixtures and carefully adding reagents.

The undead Sallah has worked tirelessly in the laboratory for centuries, obsessed with crafting a biological WMD. Despite having made no progress in all that time, he keeps working. Sallah is a wight with an Intelligence of 16 (**+3**).

#### Roleplaying Sallah

Sallah knows nothing of Arrida's history since Kusan’s fall, and his memory of the distant past is almost as hazy. His transformation into a wight and the centuries of solitude since have driven him quite mad. He cares only about expanding the empire, and one day overtaking God. As a resident of Kusan, Sallah doesn’t speak Common, though he can communicate in the archaic Celestial of Kusan, as well as an archaic form of Elven. Characters who speak Celestial or Elven can communicate with him, albeit slowly.

When Sallah notices the characters, he demands to know what they’re doing in Sallah's Vault. Any character who claims they have come to help Sallah with his work and succeeds on a Charisma (Deception) check opposed by the wight’s Wisdom (Insight) check earns the undead’s trust. The check is made with advantage if characters who found and were able to read the note in area S10 mention Sallah’s plans to craft a god-killing disease.

If Sallah trusts the characters, he tells them to stay away from the locked golem lab (area S16). If they ask about the cure for Ashes of Midas, he tells them they can find it locked in a chest in what he calls the curative laboratory (area S18). A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check can convince Sallah to provide the key that safely unlocks the chest.

If the characters don’t earn Sallah’s trust, the wight attacks, fighting until destroyed.

#### Sallah’s Keys

Sallah carries two keys: one that works all the doors in Sallah's Vault and another that works all the chests built into the floor within the complex.

#### Shelves

The shelves hold spell components, reagents, and laboratory supplies that are far past their prime. However, a character who spends a few minutes searching the shelves can collect enough workable tools and reagents to put together a set of alchemist’s supplies.

#### Tables

Each table holds a working set of alchemist’s supplies that Sallah uses to experiment with Ashes of Midas. If a creature is forcibly moved into a table, the delicate equipment on that table breaks and the creature must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or contract Ashes of Midas.

### S18. Drowned Curative Laboratory

Kusan mages worked in this chamber to ensure that they could cure the diseases they created. Four giant crabs now lair here, hiding beneath the 5-foot-deep wet sand and attacking any creatures that intrude. A character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 14 or higher notices the crabs, which attack with surprise if not spotted. The sand is difficult terrain for creatures other than the giant crabs.

#### Chest

A character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 11 or higher notices a stone chest built into the floor and submerged in the sand against the back wall. The chest is locked.

#### Treasure

The chest is packed with fine sand and contains twenty doses of Ashes of Midas antidote, and a dagger containing a djinn.

#### Djinn

The djinn inside the knife is named Zepar. He, like all bound djinn, can grant abilities to the owner of their bound item, in accordance with their innermost wish. In Zapar's case, his powers often relate to wind, and err on the side of that where the appropriate power is too vague. In terms of personality, Zapar is cryptic, stoic and seemingly proud, though is crafty as a thief. He will not indulge in sly behavior, but will not admonish it either. When his power is called, the knife becomes a one-handed long sword (light enough for use), that manifests the first level of his power.

## Hulil's Betrayal *(Optional - Only use if you think you need to for time/the party don't explore the rest of the dungeon)*

The party outside the entrance have been taken prisoner by Hulil and Tulhi's men, tied up and gagged. When the players leave the dungeon, or investigate the silence, they will see this.

Hulil and Tulhi have come up with the idea of starting a racketeering operation with the Ashes of Midas, by poisoning people and offering the cure. They have been following the player's progress (Raegrin Mau, the elf assistant to Hulil has done that) and have decided to confront them and get the cures, as well as the ashes. They have followed them over the seas using a flying carpet, and hired some local mercenaries.

Hulil and Tulhi will both be sitting on the carpet, finding movement to be extremely difficult and uncomfortable. The gold veins on their skin is extremely apparent, as well as the gold sheen to their eyes. They are a few days away from death. Their movement speeds are each 5 ft, and they each have the Poisoned condition (this does not affect spells for Hulil).

They have 10 men working for them, 6 men and 4 elves:

* Human 1 - Sword and shield, light chainmail armor.
* Human 2 - Sword and shield, no armor.
* Human 3 - Sword and shield, no armor.
* Human 4 - Spear, no armor.
* Human 5 - Spear, no armor.
* Human 6 - Small spear and shield, no armor.
* Elf 1 - Two swords, leather armor.
* Elf 2 - Axe and shield, no armor.
* Elf 3 - Axe and shield, no armor.
* Elf 4 - Great axe, leather armor.

The elves are part of a party, and are from Varengar, Artemir's homeland. If Artemir reveals his identity, they will deal with Hulil to not kill him if possible, to take him for ransom. Their armor gives them away, given that it made of leather, which is more common in Varengar due to a surplus of monsters who are fought and killed regularly in the outskirts.

The mercenaries can be bought with sufficient gold. Hulil has payed them 15 gold each. Bribing them with money on their person will not work, as they can just take it anyway, but the promise of more might do the job.

Hulil will attempt to force the players to give up the cures, and will immediately drink one if able, as will Tulhi. After this, they will attempt to force them back into the dungeon to find them more of the Ashes of Midas. This should allow the players opportunities to dispatch them.

## Concluding the Adventure

You can roll for random encounters on the way back to Syril'in, or you can allow the characters an uneventful trip as reward for a job well done. When the characters arrive in Syrinlya, they can arrange for the Merchant to teleport the antidote for Ashes of Midas to Palebank Village. After doing so, the magi pays out the 200 gp reward on behalf of Eloro.

If the characters don’t successfully recover the Ashes of Midas antidote in time to save Irven and his family, all four family members succumb to the disease. Hakim is already dead If the characters are successful, they have the thanks of Eloro, Irven and his family, the people of Cassar'ai Village, and the explorers of Syril'in.