The Hollow of Malphas
Beneath the frost, the ancestors stir in a choir of dry-throated screams.
A sprawling subterranean necropolis carved from obsidian and bone, long forgotten by the surface world. It serves as the final resting place for a sorcerous dynasty that sought immortality through forbidden necro-alchemy.
The air is unnaturally cold and smells of dry dust and metallic copper. Sound is muffled as if by thick velvet, though rhythmic scrapings echo from distant walls. Dim violet phosphorescence glows from cracks in the masonry, providing barely enough light to see.
☠Threat
Malphas the Unrelenting, a Demi-Lich whose essence is bonded to the very structure of the dungeon. His presence drains the life force of any who stay too long, causing progressive exhaustion and vivid hallucinations of the intruders' own inevitable deaths. He commands a legion of specialized undead and waits in the deepest sanctum to claim new vessels.
History
Built eight centuries ago by the Malphas bloodline, this crypt was designed as a ritual engine to harvest souls. The family's pursuit of eternal life led to a cataclysmic failure that anchored their spirits to the cold stone. Now, the dungeon acts as a siphon, drawing the essence of the living into its deep, freezing depths to sustain the remains of its masters.
Encounter Table
CRA swirling mass of dozens of specters that act as a single gargantuan entity.
An amalgamation of skeletons that roams the halls to replace fallen guards.
A high-level ghost warrior seeking vengeance on anyone carrying the Malphas mark.
Rumours & Whispers
The Malphas family never actually died; they just changed their shape to fit the dark.
A legendary sword of light is held captive within the deepest reaches of the crypt.
The frost on the entrance is actually frozen souls trying to escape the chill of Malphas.
A secret language can be heard in the echoes of the dining hall that reveals the path to gold.
Do not touch the gold in the vault, or your life will be as hollow as the walls.
Quest Hooks
Quest giver: Elias Thorne
A merchant claims to be the last living descendant of Malphas and wants you to reclaim his ancestral home.
10% of all treasure found and the signet ring.
Quest giver: Mayor Greentree
Nearby villages are being hit by a localized blizzard that carries the smell of decay; it originated from the crypt.
25,000 GP and land titles.
Corridor Notes
Walls inscribed with the names of every person the Malphas bloodline sacrificed.
Floating violet flames that provide dim light but no heat.
Patches of 'Brown Mold' that expand if fire is brought near them.
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