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Black-haired barbarian warrior on image-left and his beautiful female warrior companion on image-right attack skeletal monarch from opposite sides. Skeletal monarch in jewel-encrusted armor rises from its throne between them, awakened by sorcery. Immense serpent-carved columns hold up ceiling studded with glowing gems, dust banners and cobwebs shrouding forgotten grandeur. Blue-green witch-fire glows in hollow eyes of undead king, balanced by warm torch-flare and bright reflected steel, but scene remains broadly visible with open shadow detail and clear exposure across all three figures. Skeletal monarch surges forward in fury, jewel-crusted blade raised against both attackers. Barbarian attacks from image-left, his broadsword meeting monarch’s raised weapon on left side of its body. Companion attacks simultaneously from image-right, her blade driving toward monarch’s exposed right flank and weapon arm. Their weapon paths remain separated by monarch’s body; allied blades never cross or meet. Keep barbarian and woman clearly separated on opposite sides of monarch, with their blades separated by monarch’s body rather than crossing toward each other. Monarch twists between simultaneous attacks, forced to defend left while recoiling from companion’s strike on right. Jeweled armor glints through decay above cracked stone floor. Use frontal three-quarter combat view: monarch center midground, barbarian image-left foreground, companion image-right foreground, forming a broad triangular confrontation. Keep all three faces, upper bodies, and separate weapon paths readable. Lighting is bright enough to read faces, armor, blades, throne, and serpent columns clearly. Use broad ambient fill and lifted shadows; do not let scene collapse into dark murk or high-contrast gloom. Render as vivid sword-and-sorcery illustration with clear material separation across metal, bone, skin, cloth, gemstones, and carved stone. --mod vivid sword-and-sorcery illustration --mod sword-and-sorcery resurrection --mod blue-green corpse-fire and warm torch contrast --mod bright readable shadow detail --mod dynamic three-character combat composition
ADVENTURE BACKGROUND
For three centuries the kings of Vhal-Kor ruled from a black-walled city above the
River Sael, and every coronation ended beneath the palace in the Hall of Investiture.
Crown, sword and throne were older than the dynasty. When King Aranthos died
without an heir, the court sealed his body below. Grave robbers later found the upper
tombs rich enough to become legend, but none returned from the lower vaults.
The Crown of Vhal-Kor is worth a province to several claimants. It is said that any
crowned ruler gains obedience from the dead kings and access to the sealed
treasuries. A landslide has exposed the necropolis entrance. Two expeditions
entered before the player characters. Their ropes remain tied outside.
FOR THE DUNGEON MASTER
For 6-8 characters of levels 6-9. A thief, cleric and strong fighters will be useful. The
complex has eight principal areas; only the important ones appear here. Repeated
throughout are a crown above crossed sword and scepter, and the inscription THE
KING MAY DIE. THE KINGSHIP DOES NOT. Players who dismiss these as
decoration will meet the final chamber at full strength.
1. TOMB OF THE LESSER KINGS
Six sarcophagi stand beneath painted coronations. Each lid bears a bronze circlet
worth 300 gp. Disturbing a lid releases two wights from wall niches, but anyone
wearing a circlet is ignored until he attacks, turns undead, or touches grave goods.
The circlets are nonmagical. The dead remember ceremony.
A concealed floor compartment contains a rotted investiture ledger. Surviving lines
give the order: “Crown received; sword accepted; throne taken.” Beside the final
entry is the inscription.
3. COURT OF THE BOWED DEAD
Twelve mailed skeletons kneel before an empty dais. They rise when the party
crosses the room, but a character displaying a royal circlet or seal may pass
unmolested; companions within 10 feet are ignored. A false command or counterfeit
seal brings immediate attack. Behind the dais hangs a royal seal worth 1,200 gp.
Removing it causes the skeletons to bar the return route until it is replaced.
5. TREASURY OF TRIBUTE
Bronze doors open onto coins, plate and gem-set tribute worth about 42,000 gp.
Four floor stones are pressure balances tied to the shelves. Removing more than
8,000 gp in weight drops the entrance portcullis and opens vents of soporific
incense; save vs. poison each round after the second or collapse for 2-12 turns.
Replacing equivalent weight reverses the mechanism.
Among the tribute is an ivory panel showing a kneeling king without crown or sword
while three priests touch the throne. It is worth only 150 gp and is more useful intact.
7. PASSAGE OF INVESTITURE
A forty-foot relief shows the coronation sequence: crown beneath jeweled stars,
royal sword, then throne while green flames rise and dead courtiers bow. Close
inspection reveals channels from the jeweled ceiling to the braziers and through the
floor toward the final doors. Scraping away one channel costs 1 turn and much
noise; each of the first two destroyed reduces the lich’s regeneration by 1 point per
round.
8. HALL OF INVESTITURE
The chamber is vaulted in black stone set with gems. Serpent columns flank a
green-marble throne, corpse-fire burns in four bronze braziers, and tattered banners
hang above heaps of tribute. Aranthos rises from the throne in jeweled armor,
wearing the Crown of Vhal-Kor and carrying the Royal Sword.
Aranthos fights as an 11th-level magic-user with lich immunities and 154 hit points.
While crowned he cannot be charmed, confused or mentally compelled, and may
cast when struck if he saves vs. spells. The Royal Sword is +3 and drains one level
on a natural 19-20. While the throne stands and at least two braziers burn, he
regenerates 4 hit points per round; each extinguished brazier reduces this by 1. Holy
water on the throne suppresses regeneration for 1 round.
The crown may be knocked free by a called attack at -4 or removed from a helpless
Aranthos. The sword can be disarmed normally. The throne may be overturned by
combined Strength 36, exposing those involved to attack. Aranthos defends
whichever part is most threatened.
If a living character dons the crown and sits upon the throne while Aranthos still
exists, every undead creature in the complex ceases hostile action and bows.
Aranthos loses regeneration, mental protection and command of the Hall. Sealed
royal doors open, including the rear treasury containing 60,000 gp in regalia and
bullion.
DUNGEON MASTER’S NOTE
The Crown of Vhal-Kor is not cursed in the usual sense. It recognizes a sovereign.
Once the wearer has taken the throne, the crown cannot be removed unless the Hall
is destroyed, the wearer dies, or a successor is formally invested with crown, sword
and throne. The dead will obey their new ruler faithfully. They have had centuries of
practice.
