For November and December’s #Dungeon23 rooms, I’ve been expanding Level 3 of the dungeon, creating an eight part map filled with ghouls, fiends, and gnoll cultists of Okkidor, Prince of Demons.
I’ve got just one more map to go. This is going to be a map of Level 6 of the dungeon. It feels appropriate to end the project with the deepest level.
Here are the final two sections of the cult of Okkidor’s temple complex, located to the west of the Halls of the Slaughter Cult.
Room Descriptions
156 – The cult of Okkidor stations 4 gnolls here with longbows, led by a Fang of Okkidor, a gnoll possessed by a demonic spirit. They keep watch on the passage to the north behind a barricade of sharp stakes, in case of incursions from the ghoul warrens (areas 57-63)
157 – The Maw of Okkidor. The stone face of a snarling hyena has been carved from the northwest wall of this cavern. Inside its mouth is a shaft descending to unknown depths. Blood stains the mouth and the floor in front of it – the cultists use the Maw to dispose of the remains of their sacrificial victims.
158 – Worn spiral staircase leading up to an abandoned workshop in a fonduq in the Artisan’s Ward in the city above. The gnolls of the cult use these steps when hunting for victims or fetching supplies. 25% chance to encounter a hunting party of 1d6 gnolls on the stairs.
159 – Shrine. An altar of black stone holds a gnoll’s skull. If anyone enters the alcove, the skull levitates into the air and begins counting down from five in Abyssal. When it reaches “one”, it breathes fire in a 15’ cone for 5d6 fire damage, DC 15 Dex save for half.
159a – Secret door, DC 17 Investigation check to find, to a hidden vault containing a small treasure cache: bag containing 300 sp and a spear of warning.
160 – Cultist living quarters. Crude cots covered in mangy furs. Foul smell of rotting flesh from halfling head one of the gnolls is keeping on a bedside table. There are usually 1d4 gnolls resting here.
161 – Barricade of sharp stakes blocks the passageway to the NW. 4 gnolls armed with longbows are stationed in this cavern. The NW alcove is used as a privy and reeks.
162 – “Cult library”. Central bookcases hold a small number of times containing blasphemous rituals and the insane ramblings of murderous followers of Okkidor.
163 – Ancient hallway with pillars carved to resemble four Sampuran gods. The faces have been smashed by the gnoll cultists. Five gnolls stand guard here. Their leader has pale, almost white fur, stained with blood.
164 – Prisoners. A dozen wretched captives of the cult are held in this room – a mixture of male & female Aqhrani, Sampuran & Tiangaon humans, dragonkin, gnolls, half-orcs and halflings. Each has 1d3 levels of exhaustion and most are terrified about what’s going to happen to them. Both doors are locked – DC 15 to pick lock or DC 20 to force open.
165 – Cultists’ mess. Long benches for the cultists to eat meals. There are usually 2d4 gnolls in here, slavering over hunks of fresh, bloody meat or gnawing on (human) bones. Blood and gore spatters the benches. Spears, glaives and other polearms hang on the walls.
166 – Archery Range. Two gnolls are practicing their archery skills by firing arrows at three hapless victims – one dwarf & two humans – manacled to the south wall. The dwarf is already dead after being shot with six arrows. The other two are down to 1 hp each. Blood stains the wall and the floor.
167 – Kitchen. A gnoll in a bloodstained apron is chopping the limbs from a headless human torso with a large meat cleaver on a crude wooden worktop. A barrel of guts sits in the SE corner.
168 – Gnoll living quarters. Crude cots covered in mangy furs with the exception of the SE cot in (b) which has an Aqhrani rug as a blanket. Although filthy, this is a functioning 4’ x 6’ carpet of flying. 1d3 gnolls are resting in each room.
169 – Karnek’s quarters. This room belongs to the cult’s leader, Karnek Scragmane, estranged brother of Orloch, slum lord & slaver. Karnek’s extensive collection of exotic weaponry hangs on the walls.
170 – Headless statue of Indra mounted on his elephant Airavata. The cultists have defaced the statue and smeared it with blood. If the PCs wash the blood off or attempt to repair it, they receive Indra’s blessing in the form of an aid spell.
171 – Robing room. Black hooded robes hang in this room. A table in the centre holds a gold thurible (worth 500 gp) and several blocks of incense. These give off a foul smell when burned. Among them is one block of incense of recovery (see Vault of Magic)
172 – Temple of Okkidor. High priest Karnek Scragmane and four gnoll cult fanatics preside over blasphemous rituals to honour the Prince of Demons, involving human sacrifices at the rune-covered Slaughter Stone in the centre of the temple, transported here from the Great Grass Sea. Two fearsome statues of Okkidor flank the Stone.
With all eight maps completed, I stitched them together to create a rough, combined map of Level 3 of this part of Parsantium’s Hidden Quarter.
Map Keys
16 – 21, Caverns of the Heart Eaters
43 – 49, Charnel Pit of the Restless Dead
57 – 63, Cannibal Caverns of the Gorger
131 – 137 Fungal Caverns of the Cloaker Conclave
138 – 146, Tainted Tunnels of the Triple-Headed Daeva
147 – 155. Halls of the Slaughter Cult
You can follow the project each day on Twitter, BlueSky, and Mastodon, and I’ll post an update here each week too, so please do join my mailing list if you’re interested. There’s a sign up form on the home page and subscribers receive a free Parsantium supplement.
Download a free preview of Parsantium: City at the Crossroads to find out more or buy Parsantium from Drivethrurpg.
Main image by Jonathan Roberts
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Richard Green | Game Designer 