Abyssal Prisons

Abyssal Prisons

Originally an area containing summoning traps by a now long lost civilization, this temple has been changed into a place for confining demons. Cult members break the will of imprisoned fiends and bind them into service.

Light. Dim light radiates from the walls, floors, and ceilings in this sector, a manifestation of strengthened dimensional barries that prevent fiends from teleporting or summoning other demons within the area.

Fiendish Arena
In this zone, a vampire spawn named Issem culls the weakest demons using arena combat. When the demons fight, the battle can be heard in every chamber in the temple.

1. Chandelier Chamber
[[Scorched and shattered plaster shows faint signs of frescoes that once covered the walls here. A half-dozen ruined chandeliers hang from the cracked ceiling. In the northeast corner is a black gate.]]
Creatures. A lesser vampire (vampire spawn) keeps watch here, along with four zombies and a wight. A Quasit perches invisibly on a chandelier.
Negotiation. Prisoners are commonly brought through this area to be fed to demons. The characters can bluff their way through by talking to Eldrath, the female human vampire spawn that challenges them. If they characters fail to talk their way through or make it obvious in any way that they don't belong here, the monsters all attack.
2. Arena
[[This area might once have been a columned temple. Its rotting tapestries show foul creatures tormenting humanoids in scenes of slaughter and sacrifice. At the center of this vast space, the stone floor has been hewn to create a pit. This pit is covered with the gory remains of past bloodhsed.]]
Creatures. Issem, a pale human vampire (Vampire with 5 sorcerer levels) in lavish clothes, is normally in this area. watching battles.
Negotiation. An old curse binds Issem to the Abyssal Prisons and to the service of the cult, but he hates the cult, so he is willing to talk. He can offer an important piece of information (That Sir Arcus' old party fell in battle, that is the lone survivor), and he allows prisoners and the characters to leave the area. He is willing to lie to any cultists who seek the characters and help them cover their tracks. Issem warns anyone who tries to enter area 3 against doing so. If someone does anyway, Issem attacks.
Fighting Pit. The rough-hewn arena is 15 feet lower than the floor around it and imbued with magic. Any non-undead creature that approaches within 10 feet of the edge must succeed on a DC 15 WIL save or be compelled to leap into the pit (a creature ignores this effect if immune to being charmed). Such a creature can't leave the pit until all the demons within it are destroyed. The pit is otherwise easy to climb.
Pit Battle. In the pit, a wounded Crock is fighting ten prisoners, nine of whome are human commoners. The tenth is a gold elf Knight named Shalendra Floshin. Half the humans each deal 1 slashing damage to the Vrock each round, and Shalendra deals 10 damage to the Vrock every round. The demon focuses on one target each round (roll randomly). If the characters join the battle, the Vrock attacks them. (Vrock has lowered AC to 20, touch 11, Flat-footed 18, and starts with only 70 of its 112 HP)
Shalendra. Cultists captured Shalendra during the assault on a local encampment. She has managed to survive and help other prisoners stay alive. While doing so, she has learned one piece of information (That the leader of this temple is actually one of the generals of the great vampire).
White Gate. A magical gate blocks the way into the Temple of Chaos. To enter, the party will need a magical Glyph key, which can be gotten by defeating Issem, or willingly allowing him to suck the blood of a party member to feed. Any character that agrees to this bargain suffers the effects of Issem's blood drain ability.
3. Issem's Vault
Deadly traps, which Issem avoids while in mist form, protect the vampire's sarcophagus.
[[This chamber has walls draped in black silk. Gleaming prisms float in midair, spinning slowly. At the center of the area, a great sarcophagus with its lid pushed ajar stands atop a stone dais. Along the upper edge of the sarcophagus, a series of arcane glyphs pulses with pale white light.]]
Cursed Prisms. Unless Issem is in the room, each character who is in the room and can see the prisms must make a DC 13 WIL save at the start of each of their turns. The first time each character fails the save, a wraith that looks like a shadowy duplicate of that character erupts from a prism and attacks. Wraiths will not leave the room.
Pit Traps. As shown on the map, the floor has many pit traps. They drop 10 feet onto wooden spikes.
Treasure. Inside the sarcophagus are six spell scrolls (three of detect magic, two of comprehend languages, and one of greater restoration). Also inside is a bottle of ink and an ink pend with fifteen sheets of parchment.