Level 10: Muiral's Gauntlet

Muiral’s Gauntlet is designed for four 11th-level characters. Those who overcome this level’s challenges should gain enough XP to advance at least halfway to 12th level. Prior to running Muiral’s Gauntlet, review the “Elves: Drow” entry in the Monster Manual, because dark elves feature prominently throughout this level of Undermountain.

What Dwells Here?

Muiral the Misshapen, one of Halaster’s apprentices, claimed this drow-built level as his private hunting grounds after the dark elves were forced to abandon it long ago. Areas of the dungeon under Muiral’s control are pale shadows of their former glory, having fallen into disrepair and neglect.

Under the leadership of a priestess named Vlonwelv Auvryndar, the drow have recently returned to reclaim the level. House Auvryndar and its allies hope to establish a permanent stronghold here, complete with a fully renovated temple dedicated to Lolth. The drow forces on this level are bolstered by a gang of troglodytes under the command of a loathsome leader named Gorzil.

Muiral the Misshapen

Despite being recruited by Halaster as a bodyguard, Muiral (see appendix A) also studied magic under the Mad Mage. He is no longer human, having grafted his upper torso onto the body of a giant scorpion.

With no hope of repelling the drow on his own and no help coming from Halaster, Muiral does his best to hold on to what he has left. Any intrusion into his domain is met with deadly force.

To determine where the characters first encounter Muiral, roll a d20 and consult the following table:

House Auvryndar

House Auvryndar uses Muiral’s Gauntlet as a staging ground for raids into other levels and as a base from which to launch attacks against House Freth, a rival drow house that has a fortress on level 12.

Vlonwelv Auvryndar

Vlonwelv controls area areas 13 through area 30. The adventurers might have already encountered several of her children: her son, Ranaghax, and her daughters, T’rissa, Sylkress, and Pellanonia, on level 3, and her daughter, Melith, on level 4. The priestess is a diplomat through and through. Although incensed by the presence of adventurers in her fortress, she treats them cordially at first, offering them food, drink, shelter, and safe passage. In return, she demands that they hunt down and slay Muiral, who has become an unwelcome distraction. Vlonwelv kills them if they refuse.

The drow priestess is never encountered without her adopted drow daughter, Zress Orlezziir, and a yochlol advisor disguised as a female drow named Chalizana. To determine where the characters first meet Vlonwelv and her retinue, roll a d20 and consult the following table:

Treasure

Vlonwelv wears two webbed platinum bracers (250 gp each) and a spider-shaped obsidian pendant magically animated so that its legs twitch (50 gp). This amulet doubles as a holy symbol of Lolth.

Zress Orlezziir

A deadly warrior from a destroyed drow house, Zress was adopted by Vlonwelv Auvryndar and is ready to die in the service of her savior. Vlonwelv has come to trust Zress more than she does her own children, keeping her adopted daughter close by. When determining Vlonwelv’s starting location, assume Zress accompanies her.

If you have Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, use the drow house captain stat block in that book to represent Zress. Otherwise, Zress is a drow champion (see appendix A), with these changes:

• Zress is neutral evil.
• She has these racial traits: She speaks Elvish and Undercommon. She has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put her to sleep. She has darkvision out to a range of 120 feet. She can innately cast dancing lights at-will, and darkness, faerie fire, and levitate(self only) each once per day. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). While in sunlight, she has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Treasure

Zress wears mithral armor (plate). Affixed to her spider silk cloak is an obsidian scarab engraved with the insignia of House Auvryndar (25 gp).

Gorzil’s Gang

Vlonwelv has twenty troglodytes in her service. One of them is a fat, loathsome specimen named Gorzil. A follower of the reptile god Laogzed, Gorzil secretly hopes to depose Vlonwelv, seize control of Muiral’s Gauntlet, and turn it into a troglodyte warren. His dreams, however, far exceed his grasp.

The drow have trained Gorzil’s gang to wear armor and fight with swords. All the members are Troglodyte, with these changes:

• Each troglodyte wears a breastplate (AC 14) and wields a longsword, which it uses instead of its claws.
• As an action on its turn, a troglodyte can make two attacks with its longsword instead of attacking with its bite and claws. It wields the longsword with two hands and deals 7 (1d10 + 2) slashing damage on a hit.
• The troglodytes understand Undercommon but can’t speak it.

Wandering Monsters

If Muiral survives his first encounter with the adventurers, he begins patrolling area areas 1 through area 5 and area areas 7 through area 12, looking for signs of other intrusion. The characters might also encounter small packs of Skeleton, Zombie, and Ghoul that Muiral has created by casting animate dead and create undead spells on drow corpses. These undead shouldn’t pose much of a threat to high-level adventurers, but they help reinforce the danger that Muiral represents.

Adventurers exploring area areas 13 through area 30 are likely to encounter one or more drow patrols, each consisting of 1d4 + 2 Drow Elite Warrior wearing the insignia of House Auvryndar. The leader of such a patrol is always a female drow who reports directly to Zress Orlezziir. Most drow patrols are spoiling for a fight; if a battle turns against them, however, they withdraw to a more defensible location.

Exploring This Level

All location descriptions for this level are keyed to map 10. Adventurers most likely enter Muiral’s Gauntlet by using the stairs from level 9 (near area area 1) or by descending a shaft into area area 3b.

Muiral’s Gauntlet has architectural features commonly found in drow fortresses. Its 20-foot-wide, 30-foot-high corridors have arched ceilings bridged at regular intervals by web-like latticework arches serving as buttresses and rafters. Many of these “web arches” are cracked and broken. Shattered pieces of these arches lie scattered across the floor, as well as the remains of broken stone braziers carved in the shape of spiders. The bones of interlopers slain by Muiral also litter the dungeon.

The 15-foot-tall double doors found throughout this level are carved with web patterns, their features chipped and worn.

1. Shattered Mirrors

This corridor lies at the bottom of the staircase from level 9. Its features are as follows:

Broken Mirrors. The shards of a dozen shattered mirrors cover the floor. (Murial destroyed the mirrors in a fit of rage.)

Empty Frames. Tall, rectangular frames of sculpted stone line the walls. They appear to have once held mirrors but now stand empty. (The wall behind one such frame conceals a secret door that swings open into area area 2.)

Characters who pass through this hall might catch fleeting glimpses of Halaster reflected in the mirror shards instead of their own reflections—one of the Mad Mage’s harmless regional effects (see “area Halaster’s Lair").

2. Secret Hallway

Empty Frames. Empty mirror frames cover the walls, the floor around them littered with shards of reflective glass (just as in area area 1).

Skeleton. An animated drow skeleton clad in a tattered black cloak stands in the middle of the hall. The skeleton is missing one of its hands and clutches a wand in the other (see “Treasure”).

The skeleton found itself trapped in this hall shortly after Muiral animated it. On each of its turns, the skeleton points its wand threateningly at intruders but can do nothing with it, since it has no spells and can’t speak. Bereft of weapons, the skeleton has a challenge rating of 0 and is worth 0 XP.

Treasure

The skeleton’s wand is a +1 wand of the war mage.

3. Haunted Temple of Lolth

This temple of the Spider Queen has vaulted, 30-foot-high ceilings draped in cobwebs. Muiral visits the temple to hear the lamentations of three drow priestesses who lost all favor with Lolth and became banshees.

If Muiral (see appendix A) is here and detects the characters approaching, he casts greater invisibility on himself and stands between the statues in area area 3a. When the first character enters the room, Muiral becomes visible as he casts a wall of force spell, using the barrier to cut off that character from the rest of the party. He then engages the character in single combat. If the wall is brought down or he is outmatched, he casts animate objects on one of the Lolth statues in area area 3a or on both spider-shaped braziers in area area 3b.

Muiral stays at least 30 feet away from the banshees to avoid their mournful wail. He is immune to their horrifying visages, having gazed upon them many times.

Vlonwelv’s Pulpit

From the spider throne in area area 25b, a creature can transmit messages that echo through every room and corridor of Muiral’s Gauntlet. The drow priestess Vlonwelv uses this device to broadcast propaganda, proselytize, summon subordinates, marshal forces, and taunt interlopers. As the characters make their way through Muiral’s Gauntlet, they hear one or more of Vlonwelv’s announcements echo throughout the dungeon, her words spoken in Elvish. A few translations include the following:

• “The Spider Queen blesses House Auvryndar! The battle to break House Freth’s hold on the passages below brings victory after victory. We have seized key positions formerly held by our enemy. The defeat of House Freth is inevitable. Praise Lolth!”

• “Gelgos Argonrae and Jevan Kron’tayne are to be commended for the capture of a House Freth spy. Rewards shall be paid to each of their houses. Praise Lolth!”

• “The Spider Queen watches. We are all her children. Praise Lolth!”

• “Minarra. Report to the temple at once.”

• “Patrol Six, report to Captain Zress for immediate orders.”

• “Pay no heed to false reports of an attack on our stronghold above. Our forces under the command of T’rissa Auvryndar have taken Stromkuhldur. Skullport will swiftly follow. Praise Lolth!”

3a. Narthex

Two 20-foot-tall statues of Lolth guard the mouth of the temple. Each statue is a Huge object that can be climbed with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check.

West Statue. This statue depicts Lolth in her monstrous form, with the upper body of a female drow and the lower body of a bloated spider. From its upraised hands, the statue casts forth stone webs that fan across the ceiling.

East Statue. This statue depicts Lolth in her drow form, kissing a scourge as stone spiders crawl across her body.

3b. Nave

Altar. An altar of pale gray stone carved to look like a rectangular mass of webbing stands atop a dais. Three drow Banshee kneel before the altar, weeping as they utter prayers to their demon goddess. (Twenty-five feet above the altar, a 10-foot-square shaft in the ceiling climbs 10 feet to area level 9, area 41.)

Braziers. Purple flames issue from stone braziers that resemble giant spiders. (Originating from gas vents under the floor, these flames shed bright light in a 15-foot radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet.)

Corpses. The banshees recently finished off a pair of adventurers, leaving their corpses to rot in the squares marked X on map 10.

Charinidia, Grazthrae, and T’riizlin were priestesses transformed into banshees by Lolth for their vanity. If their prayers are interrupted, they attack, staggering the timing of their life-draining wails as follows:

• Charinidia wails on her first turn in combat.
• Grazthrae wails after taking damage for the first time in combat.
• T’riizlin wails after one of the other banshees is destroyed.

A detect magic spell reveals an aura of conjuration magic around the altar, which is 30 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 3 feet tall. Like a mass of webs, the altar has gaps across its surface. The first time a creature touches the altar, eight Swarm of Insects magically pour out of it. The spiders quickly enshroud the altar and attack all creatures within 5 feet of it, pursuing prey that flees. If they are left alone, the spiders crawl back into the altar and disappear after 1 hour, whereupon the trap resets.

During his last visit to the nave, Muiral took any items of value from the dead adventurers. Characters who inspect the corpses find the following:

• The northern corpse (that of Kravos, a tiefling rogue) wears leather armor and clutches a shortsword. Necrotic energy causes his flesh to shrivel.
• The southern corpse (that of Zundra Underdottir, a dwarf barbarian) wears hide armor and has a greataxe lying nearby. Her face is frozen in a horrific scream.

If a character casts speak with dead on a corpse and asks what it knows about Undermountain, the corpse shares a secret determined by drawing a card from the Secrets Deck (see appendix C).

4. Muiral’s Laboratory

Muiral conducts arcane experiments in this corner of the complex.

4a. Disembodied Voice

If Vlonwelv is still alive, the characters hear her disembodied voice when they enter this chamber for the first time (see “area Vlonwelv’s Pulpit").

4b. Laboratory

Bones. Bones of unrecognizable creatures (the remains of Muiral’s failed experiments) lie piled in the corners of the room. Hidden under these bone heaps are eight Ghoul, two in each pile.

Equipment. Rusted operating tools and dried-up alchemist’s supplies (no longer potent) cover five wooden trestle tables in the middle of the room.

Mirror. A tall oval mirror in an engraved stone frame hangs in the center of the north wall.

Pneumatic Tube. Fastened to the west wall is a copper tube that disappears into the ceiling. A copper canister lies on the floor beneath it.

Muiral made the ghouls using the corpses of adventurers and drow. The ghouls burst forth and attack if creatures other than Muiral search the room.

The pneumatic tube attached to the west wall connects to a tube system (see “area Pneumatic Tubes") and allows messages to be sent in copper canisters to area area 15a on level 9. The canister lying on the floor contains a missive addressed to Muiral and signed with an H. The message, which is written in Common on a rolled-up sheet of parchment, invites Muiral to be a guest lecturer at Dweomercore (level 9).

Mirror Gate to Level 6

The mirror is one of Halaster’s magic gates (see “area Gates"). Carved into its frame are dozens of lidless eyes and the following phrase in Common: “The gate cannot hide from those it cannot see.” The rules of the gate are as follows:

• The gate opens for 1 minute when an invisible creature stands directly in front of the mirror.
• Characters must be 9th level or higher to pass through this gate (see “area Jhesiyra Kestellharp"). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “area Elder Runes").
• A creature that passes through the gate appears in area area 16 on level 6, in the closest unoccupied space next to the identical gate located there.

5. Dilapidated Rooms

These rooms have sagging floors and ceilings, their walls covered with cracked and peeling wallpaper.

5a. Dining Hall

Furnishings. Three 20-foot-long tables carved from black stone stretch from west to east. Around each table sit a dozen cast-iron chairs sculpted with web and spider motifs.

Smashed Cabinet. Against the north wall, near the double door to area area 5b, is a pile of wreckage that was once an ornate cabinet fashioned from black wood.

Treasure

Characters who search the wrecked cabinet find fifty pieces of silverware tarnished black with age. If cleaned, each piece can be sold for 1 gp.

5b. Kitchen

Floating Items. Three battered wooden worktables, several rusty utensils, the splintered fragments of several wooden cabinets, and a particularly sturdy broom float about the room, as though weightless.

Fireplace. An immense stone fireplace protrudes from the west wall.

Well. An alcove in the north wall contains a 12-foot-diameter open well. (The well shaft descends 90 feet to an underground stream that provides no access to other locations in Undermountain.)

Magic caused all the kitchen’s accoutrements to take flight and crash into one another. The surviving objects continue to float, doing so even if removed from the room. It takes almost no effort to move them, and they sink to the floor under 1 pound or more of additional weight. A successful dispel magic (DC 17) cast on a floating object ends the magic on it, causing it to fall.

The fireplace’s 5-foot-wide chimney climbs vertically for 30 feet, then ends abruptly. The rest of it caved in long ago.

The well shaft has abundant handholds and requires a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to scale without gear or magic.

5c. Pantry

Cabinets. Three tall cabinets of dark wood stand against the walls. Their glass doors sport web motifs.

Table. A stone table in the middle of the room is covered with adventuring gear.

Chest. Underneath the table is a brass-locked wooden chest rigged with a trap.

The gear on the table can be assembled into one burglar’s pack and one explorer’s pack, lacking the rations.

Treasure

Casting detect magic reveals an aura of abjuration magic around the chest, which is actually a chest of preserving. This common wondrous item has the following magical property: food and other perishable items do not age or decay while inside it. The chest is 2½ feet long, 1½ feet wide, and 1 foot tall with a half-barrel lid. It weighs 25 pounds. Muiral carries the key that unlocks this chest. The lock can be picked with thieves' tools and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. Smashing the lock or any other part of the chest renders it nonmagical.

The chest has compartments that contain five flasks of alchemist’s fire, plus the following material components (for the indicated spells): a vial of blood, a strip of flesh, and a pinch of bone dust (animate dead}); a clay pot of grave dirt, a clay pot of brackish water, and three 150 gp black onyx gemstones (create undead); a sliver of wychwood (dancing lights); a pouch of lime, a flask of water, and a pouch of earth (flesh to stone); a patch of wolf fur and a glass rod (lightning bolt); a caterpillar cocoon (polymorph); pouches of talc and powdered silver (see {@spell invisibility); a vial of bitumen and a live spider (spider climb); and a pouch of gemstone powder (wall of force).

6. Teleportation Statues

Each of these areas is hidden behind a secret door. Characters who have a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or higher and approach within 20 feet of either secret door hear a whispering voice from behind it. The voice says in Elvish, “This way.”

Behind each secret door is a dusty, dead-end hallway containing a 10-foot-tall statue of a drow that radiates an aura of conjuration magic under the scrutiny of a detect magic spell. Each statue is a Large object with AC 17, 60 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

Any creature other than Muiral that touches the statue in area area 6a is instantly teleported to an unoccupied space near the statue in area area 6b, and vice versa, along with everything it is wearing or carrying. (Vlonwelv Auvryndar used a ritual to alter the statues' magic so that Muiral can’t be teleported.)

The statues depict drow lovers from rival houses. Their spirits are bound to the statues and can’t communicate with each other on the Material Plane. Destroying a statue banishes its spirit to the Abyss, and only by destroying both statues can these evil spirits finally be reunited in their demonic afterlife.

While trapped in their statues, the spirits are invisible and can’t affect their surroundings in any way. Though they can’t prevent anyone from using the statues to teleport, each spirit asks the characters in Elvish to relay messages of love to the other. The characters receive no reward for doing so and are under no compulsion to heed the statues' wishes.

6a. Xyrxian’s Statue

Xyrxian Vandree is depicted as a scowling female drow wearing a gown of spiders and holding a scourge. Her spirit rages in reaction to the death of her beloved. Her dialogue is curt and hateful.

6b. Dran’l’s Statue

The statue of Dran’l Kenafin depicts a handsome male drow in a webbed robe with fists clenched and tears streaming down his face. Dran’l’s spirit mourns the loss of his beloved. His dialogue is morose and brooding.

7. Halls of Selvetarm

The lesser deity Selvetarm serves Lolth. Also known as the Spider That Waits, Selvetarm is worshiped and feared by drow for his battle prowess and blood lust. These rooms are dedicated to him.

7a. Cobbleskulls

The floor of this 20-foot-high antechamber is sunken a few inches and covered wall-to-wall with humanoid skulls that are yellow and brittle with age. They look like cobblestones at first glance. The floor is difficult terrain, as the skulls shift and break apart underfoot.

7b. Hall of the Spider That Waits

Ceiling Sculpture. This chamber has a vaulted ceiling 40 feet high. Clinging to the ceiling is a 20-foot-diameter, upside-down stone spider that resembles a giant tarantula.

Petrified Drow. Eight lifelike statues of drow warriors, four males and four females, are positioned around the room. (The statues are eight drow turned to stone by Muiral’s magic.)

If Muiral (see appendix A) is here, he’s lurking in the space between the spider sculpture and the ceiling, roughly 30 feet above the floor. Upon detecting intruders, he casts animate objects on five of the drow statues and commands them to attack while he hides above the giant spider sculpture. If the animated drow statues are destroyed, Muiral casts wall of force to attempt to separate one character from the others before crawling down to attack his lone prey.

Destroying five legs of the spider sculpture causes it to break free of the ceiling and crash to the floor. Each leg has AC 17; 25 hit points; resistance to acid, cold, and fire damage; immunity to poison and psychic damage; and immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons that aren’t adamantine. Any creature underneath the sculpture when it falls must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 66 (12d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Casting a greater restoration spell or similar magic on a petrified drow restores it to flesh, provided the statue has not been destroyed. Drow restored in this manner have two goals: slay Muiral, and report back to their superior, Zress Orlezziir. The males are named Dhuurak, Jaratlab, Quenmourn, and Seldax. The females are Nizanna, Rezlyrr, Shynlue, and Zilvriss.

8. The Fate of Falkir’s Fist

A little more than a year ago, four dwarf adventurers calling themselves Falkir’s Fist made it this far into Undermountain before Muiral killed them. The room where they met their fate has these features:

Wreckage. The room was once used for weapon practice, as evidenced by the wreckage of several archery targets.

Mirror. Mounted on the north wall is a tall, oval mirror with an engraved stone frame. This mirror is one of Halaster’s magic gates (see “area Gates").

Dwarf Remains. The badly rotted corpses of four dwarves lie in a semicircle in front of the mirror. Most of their armor and weapons are damaged beyond repair.

Falkir Gravelfist and his band perished at the foot of a mirror gate that would have been their salvation—had they a magic wand to activate it. Characters who search the remains find some treasure (see “Treasure”).

Mirror Gate to Level 1

Worked into the mirror’s stone frame is an image of a wizard pointing a wand. This gate’s rules are as follows:

• The gate opens for 1 minute when the mirror is touched with a magic wand that has at least 1 charge remaining.
• Characters must be 11th level or higher to pass through this gate (see “area Jhesiyra Kestellharp"). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “area Elder Runes").
• A creature that passes through the gate appears in area area 26d on level 1, in the closest unoccupied space next to the identical gate located there.

Treasure

The dwarf that was once Falkir Gravelfist wears a steel helm shaped like the head of a boar. A detect magic spell reveals a faint aura of transmutation magic around the helm, which is cursed. Once the helm is donned, it can’t be removed until its wearer dies or until a remove curse spell or similar magic is cast on the helm. Any humanoid wearing the helm gains the following flaw until the helm is removed: “I’m exceedingly stubborn and think I’m right all the time.” (This flaw supersedes any conflicting flaw.)

Before he died, Falkir swallowed a gemstone called the Eye of the Spider. If the characters pierce the skin clinging to his bones and root through his chest cavity, they find the stone in what was once his stomach. Returning this gem to Joroth Brighthelm in Waterdeep completes a quest (see “area Eye of the Spider"), or the characters can sell it for 1,000 gp.

9. God-Watched Gates

These rooms house shrines dedicated to gods of the drow pantheon. The 20-foot-high vaulted ceilings are obscured by thick webs.

9a. The Elder Eye

A 20-foot-diameter hemisphere of magical darkness blots out much of this room and conceals a locked double door to the south. Neither light nor darkvision can pierce the inky darkness. A successful dispel magic spell (DC 18) ends the darkness for 1 minute and reveals a 12-foot-tall statue at the center of it.

The statue magically and silently reshapes itself every minute, taking on one hideous form after another. When first seen, the statue looks like a pillar of ooze with eyeless faces and twisted pseudopods protruding from it. Other forms include an eyeless giant with wings and pincers, and a lurching wave of slime covered with fang-filled mouths. Any creature that beholds the statue in any of its forms must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or gain a random form of short-term madness (determined by rolling on the Short-Term Madness table in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). Whether a creature succeeds or fails on the saving throw, it can’t be affected by the statue again.

A character who sees the statue can, with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check, ascertain that it represents Ghaunadaur, god of oozes, slimes, and all things subterranean.

Locked Double Door

The doors south of the statue refuse to budge, and no amount of force can pry them open. They’re also immune to damage from any source. A knock spell or similar magic opens the double door. The doors also swing open if a creature suffering from any form of short-term, long-term, or indefinite madness touches them. A creature under the effect of a confusion spell, a crown of madness spell, or a similar effect can also open the doors. The doors remain open until someone or something closes them.

9b. The Masked Lord

Characters who bring light sources into this room notice that the shadows created by their light seem to take on lives of their own—an eerie but harmless magical effect. Standing atop a 2-foot-high stone block in front of a locked double door is a 6-foot-tall statue of a male drow with a cruel smile who is holding a shortsword hidden behind his back. The statue wears a mask over its eyes.

The statue represents Vhaeraun, drow god of thieves. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check recalls that Vhaeraun is worshiped primarily by male drow. The statue can’t be transformed, damaged, or knocked off its base.

When a creature moves within reach of the statue, the statue animates and attacks the creature with its shortsword, striking unerringly and dealing 3 (1d6) damage. After wounding a creature with its sword, the statue reverts to its inanimate state until triggered again.

Locked Double Door

The doors south of the statue are smeared with blood and refuse to budge. No amount of force can pry them open. They are also immune to damage from any source. A knock spell or similar magic opens the doors, as does smearing blood on one or both of them. The doors remain open until someone or something closes them.

9c. The Dark Maiden

A magical moonbeam shines from the ceiling on a 6-foot-tall statue of a scantily clad female drow with flowing hair, frozen in a pirouette with her arms outstretched and her hands curled, as though they were meant to be holding something. The statue stands atop a 2-foot-tall block of stone that serves as a base.

The moonbeam is like that created by a moonbeam spell and engulfs the 10-foot square containing the statue. A successful dispel magic spell (DC 16) negates the moonbeam for 24 hours.

The statue depicts Eilistraee, drow god of beauty, song, and the hunt. Abhorred in drow society, the Dark Maiden was not without followers in Undermountain. The statue can’t be transformed, damaged, or knocked off its base.

A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check recalls that Eilistraee favors the use of a sword. If such a weapon is placed in its hands, the statue’s grip tightens around the hilt. (The statue does not accept illusory or spiritual weapons.) The statue then dances atop its base for 1 minute before leveling the sword at the locked set of doors to the south, causing them to open. As the doors swing open, the statue returns to its original pose and loosens its grip on the sword, causing the weapon to fall from its grasp.

Locked Double Door

The doors south of the statue refuse to budge, and no amount of force can pry them open. They are also immune to damage from any source. A knock spell or similar magic opens the double door. The doors also swing open if the statue of Eilistraee points a sword at them.

10. Queen’s Parlor

Muiral trashed this once opulent parlor in a fit of pique. The chamber’s contents are as follows:

Hanging Lights. Beneath the 30-foot-high peaked roof is a 20-foot-high latticework of stone rafters that resembles a giant web. Hanging from this web by silken strands are spider-shaped lanterns containing flickering purple flames (created by continual flame spells). A few hanging strands are without lanterns.

Furnishings. Strewn about the room are the trappings of a parlor: shattered crystal dishware, broken ornaments, divans, footstools, end tables, and lanterns torn from the rafters. All the objects are carved with web patterns or shaped in the likeness of spiders.

Floor. The black marble floor has silver, web-like veins running through it.

The entire room is dimly lit by the lanterns. A spider lantern’s light goes out if it’s removed from this room.

11. Lolth’s Palace

If Muiral (see appendix A) is here, he’s lurking on the balcony (area area 11b). When he detects intruders entering area area 11a, he commands the bone pile in that area to animate and attack. He then casts spells from the balcony, switching to melee combat when one or more enemies move within his reach.

11a. Lower Level

Balcony. A 30-foot-high balcony circles the room. Eight stone pillars carved to resemble spider legs support the balcony, which is enclosed by wrought iron railings shaped like webs.

Alcove. A deep alcove to the south contains a large pile of humanoid bones.

Stairs. Two stone staircases rise on either side of the north entrance, climbing to the balcony.

If any creature disturbs the bones in the alcove, or if Muiral commands them to rise, they coalesce into four Shambling Mound made entirely of skulls and bones, with these changes:

• The shambling mounds are undead.
• Instead of immunity to lightning damage, they have immunity to necrotic and poison damage. They are also immune to the poisoned condition.
• They have Necrotic Absorption instead of Lightning Absorption. The new trait is functionally identical to the old one, except that it affects necrotic damage.

11b. Spider Queen’s Balcony

Statue. Hanging upside down on the roof of the south alcove is a giant statue of Lolth in her monstrous half-drow, half-spider form.

Railings. The 3-foot-high iron railings that enclose the balcony are sturdy and shaped to look like webs.

Decor. Hanging on the walls between six sets of double doors are steel shields that bear web-like and spider-like designs.

The statue of Lolth animates and attacks the nearest creature if it takes damage or if any of the double doors on the balcony are opened by a creature that isn’t a drow. The statue can’t leave area area 11. If the statue has no targets on its turn, it returns to its alcove and becomes inanimate until triggered again. It also returns to its alcove if the command word, “sleep,” is spoken in Abyssal.

The statue is a stone golem with a challenge rating of 11 (7,200 XP) and these changes:

• The statue is Huge and has 230 (20d12 + 100) hit points.
• It understands Abyssal but can’t speak.
• It can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
• Those affected by the statue’s Slow action option appear to be ensnared in ephemeral webs that vanish when the effect on them ends.

11c. Northwest Palace Quarters

The wreckage of old furniture and decor suggests that this room once served as a drow priestess’s sanctuary. Built into one wall is a massive, arched fireplace. The fireplace’s 5-foot-wide chimney climbs vertically for 30 feet, then ends abruptly. The rest of it caved in long ago.

Treasure

Characters who search the room and succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check find a secret compartment in the fireplace that contains a potion of greater healing.

11d. Southwest Palace Quarters

This room is like area area 11c but contains no treasure.

11e. Vestry

Mirror. Mounted on the east wall is a tall rectangular mirror encased in an ornate stone frame with human skulls “woven” into it. This mirror is one of Halaster’s gates (see “area Gates").

Wardrobe. A tall, slender wardrobe made of purple wood stands against the south wall. (The wardrobe once contained ritual vestments, but they were stolen long ago. A search reveals nothing inside.)

Mirror Gate to Level 12

The mirror’s stone frame is carved with twisting vines, woven into which are the actual skulls of eleven human adventurers killed in Undermountain. Carved into the bottom of the frame are the following words in Celestial: “The dead know the secret.” The rules of the gate are as follows:

• Speaking the proper command word (“Axallian”) while standing in front of the mirror opens the gate for 1 minute.
• Characters must be 12th level or higher to pass through this gate (see “area Jhesiyra Kestellharp"). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “area Elder Runes").
• A creature that passes through the gate appears in area area 6b on level 12, in the closest unoccupied space next to the identical gate located there.

Casting speak with dead on one of the skulls forces it to reveal the gate’s command word, which Halaster changes every few days. The skulls are otherwise hostile and refuse to answer questions put to them.

11f. Arcane Locked Doors

Muiral has cast an arcane lock spell on these doors, beyond which a stone staircase descends to area area 30b. The characters can force open the doors with a successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check, but doing so alerts the drow in area area 30b.

11g. Southeast Palace Quarters

This room resembles area area 11c, except that the fireplace chimney is intact. The chimney has abundant handholds and can be climbed easily. After 90 feet, it opens into a damp, soot-stained natural cave roughly 30 feet wide by 60 feet long. Buried under the soot in a corner of the cave is a swollen wooden chest.

Treasure

The chest is unlocked, but its lid is stuck and must be pried open with a crowbar or similar tool. A character can also smash the chest’s soft lid with a successful DC 9 Strength check. The chest contains 120 pp, a set of thieves' tools wrapped in lizard hide, and a stoppered gourd containing oil of slipperiness.

11h. Northeast Palace Quarters

This room is like area area 11c but contains no treasure.

12. Ballroom

Pillars and Ceiling. Ten pillars carved with friezes of drow warriors support the 50-foot-high arched ceiling, which is engraved with web-like patterns. Two pillars have toppled at the far end of the hall.

Monsters. Two of Muiral’s arcane experiments (see below) huddle next to the rubble of the toppled pillars.

Floor. Dusty black marble tiles cover the floor, many of them cracked and broken.

Muiral injected two drow prisoners with magic elixirs that forever transformed them into hideously deformed giants with bulging muscles, charcoal-black skin, and long, dirty-white hair. Mhavra and Naldath stand 24 feet tall, their limbs ill proportioned and their backs hunched. Their eyes gleam, hateful and red.

The giants' darkvision allows them to see almost the entire length of the hall, and they hurl rocks (chunks of toppled pillars) at any intruders they can see. If the rocks don’t get the job done, the giants smash foes with wrought iron chandeliers that they wield like morningstars.

The mutated drow use the cloud giant statistics, with these changes:

• They are neutral evil.
• They have the following racial traits: They speak Elvish and Undercommon. They have darkvision out to a range of 120 feet. They have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put them to sleep. While in sunlight, they have disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
• Replace the cloud giant’s spells with the following: dancing lights at will, and darkness and faerie fire (save DC 15) each once per day.

13. Vestibule

Webs. A 10-foot-thick mass of sticky webs conceals the 30-foot-high ceiling. Three Phase Spider lurk in the lightly obscured area amid the webs.

Guards. Four male drow stand guard in the room, two flanking each double door.

The drow are named Hlonlok, Izzorvir, Nephraen, and Sornnozz. They have orders to kill intruders on sight, and the phase spiders follow their lead.

Sornnozz has betrayed his kin by choosing to serve Xarann A’Daragon, a House Freth spy who has infiltrated Muiral’s Gauntlet. When combat erupts, Sornnozz switches sides and helps the characters kill the phase spiders and the other guards. He then offers to lead the characters to Xarann in area area 17d. If pressed for details, Sornnozz claims that Xarann is looking for ways to weaken House Auvryndar’s hold over Muiral’s Gauntlet, and he thinks a band of adventurers might be the answer to Xarann’s prayers.

14. Guest Apartment

Vlonwelv maintains these quarters for guests.

14a. Dining Room

If Vlonwelv is still alive, the characters hear her disembodied voice when they enter this chamber for the first time (see “area Vlonwelv’s Pulpit").

Chandelier. The room has a 30-foot-high flat ceiling, hanging from which is a wrought iron chandelier shaped vaguely like a giant spider and anchored to the ceiling by a chain.

Furnishings. Beneath the chandelier lies an elongated, oval dining table with a slate top and spider-like iron legs. Eight cushioned iron chairs surround it. An ornate wooden cabinet stands against the north wall.

Fresco. A large fresco of an elven city covers the south wall.

Before the drow were driven underground and into Lolth’s evil embrace, they lived in cities on the surface alongside their elf kin. The fresco on the south wall depicts one of these ancient cities.

Treasure

The cabinet contains a 10-pound box of silver flatware (250 gp) and a silver snuffbox (25 gp).

14b. Sitting Room

Fireplace. A massive fireplace dominates the east wall. (The fireplace’s 5-foot-wide chimney climbs vertically for 50 feet, then ends abruptly. The rest of it caved in long ago.)

Furnishings. Six stuffed chairs and a chaise longue are arranged near the fireplace.

14c. Study

Furnishings. An elegant zurkhwood desk stands in the middle of the room, a thin matching chair positioned behind it.

Bookshelves. Carved into the west, south, and east walls are rows of bookshelves. Five books rest on one of the southern shelves; all the other shelves are bare.

Two of the five books are blank. The others include Matrons of the Sunless Depths (a treatise on the importance of the drow matriarchy, written in Elvish by Vlonwelv Auvryndar), The Poison Chalice (a fictional tale of political intrigue in the city of Menzoberranzan, written in Elvish by an unknown author), and Demonic Infestations (a collection of stories about demonic possession, written in Common). None of the books are especially valuable.

14d. Mirror Gate to Level 7

Bed. A zurkhwood bed draped by a spider silk canopy stands against the north wall.

Mirror. A tall, rectangular mirror is mounted on the east wall. The mirror is one of Halaster’s magic gates (see “area Gates").

Etched into the bottom of the mirror’s stone frame are the letters T-U-O-Y-A-W (a reflection of W-A-Y-O-U-T). This gate’s rules are as follows:

• If a creature speaks the words “Way out!” while pointing at the mirror, the gate opens for 1 minute.
• Characters must be 9th level or higher to pass through this gate (see “area Jhesiyra Kestellharp"). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “area Elder Runes").
• A creature that passes through the gate appears in area area 41 on level 7, in the closest unoccupied space next to the identical gate located there.

15. Screaming Skulls

Collapse. The eastern branch of this hallway has collapsed. A search of the rubble yields nothing of value.

Skulls. The western branch contains six large piles of drow skulls (each marked with an X on map 10).

Muiral collected the skulls long ago, and the drow have chosen not to disturb them. A creature that approaches within 5 feet of a pile can hear faint, dying screams emanating from the skulls. A skull removed from a pile falls silent.

16. False Mirror Gate

Mirror. Mounted to the north wall above a rectangular dais is a 6-foot-tall oval mirror set in a stone frame carved to look like Halaster’s yawning face, the mirror forming his wide-open mouth.

Dais. Etched on the floor of the dais are the words “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

Statues. Flanking the dais are two petrified Hook Horror that look like carved statues. (The hook horrors pose no danger in their current state. Casting a greater restoration spell or similar magic on one restores it to flesh and blood, whereupon it attacks.)

The mirror looks like one of Halaster’s magic gates and functions similarly (see “area Gates"). Its rules are as follows:

• If a creature stands atop the dais and says something flattering about Halaster, the mirror vanishes, revealing a dusty corridor beyond that leads off into darkness. This corridor is an illusion.
• Any creature that steps through the mirror is teleported, along with all its worn and carried items, to the top of the 60-foot shaft in area area 22a, whereupon the creature falls and takes 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage on impact.
• The first creature to fall for the trap triggers a magic mouth spell in area area 22a. Halaster’s mouth appears on a wall and says, in Common, “You fell for it! Get it? Fell for it?! Ha ha ha ha!”

17. The Dark Seldarine

These temples are dedicated to the Dark Seldarine, a pantheon of drow gods under Lolth. Each room has walls that rise 15 feet, then angle inward to a central point 30 feet above the middle of the floor.

17a. Temple of Ghaunadaur

Ghaunadaur, a god of subterranean horrors, is respected and feared by many Underdark races, including drow. This temple contains the following features:

Green Slime. Each 10-foot-wide, 15-foot-high section of vertical wall is covered with six 5-foot-square patches of green slime (see “Dungeon Hazards” in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

Secret Door. The slime obscures a secret door. Ability checks made to search the walls for secret doors are made with disadvantage until the slime is scraped off the section of wall in which the secret door is hidden.

Altar. What appears at first viewing to be a glistening altar of variegated gray stone is, in fact, a hollow glass altar with three psychic Gray Ooze sealed inside it.

The glass altar is a Large object with AC 11, 55 hit points, immunity to damage from nonmagical weapons that aren’t adamantine, and immunity to acid, poison, and psychic damage.

The gray oozes attack all creatures that enter the room using their Psychic Crush action option (see the “Variant: Psychic Gray Oozes” sidebar in the “Oozes” entry in the Monster Manual). While contained in the altar, the oozes have total cover, their speed is 0 feet, and they can’t attack with their pseudopods.

17b. Temple of Kiaransalee

This temple of Kiaransalee, drow god of undeath, reeks of decay and contains the following:

Altar. An altar made of humanoid skulls and bones rests near the south wall.

Decor and Secret Door. Embedded in the walls are drow skeletons posed as if dancing. One skeleton along the south wall is missing its head (behind it is a secret door that won’t budge).

Only an undead creature or a creature possessed by one can open this secret door without the aid of a knock spell or similar magic.

If a character kneels before the altar and offers a prayer to Kiaransalee, or leaves a respectful offering on the altar, the room grows markedly colder as the silent ghost of a drow priestess materializes next to the altar and tries to possess the nearest humanoid creature. If it succeeds, the ghost uses its host to open the secret door, then releases its host and shifts into the Ethereal Plane. An oath of service binds the ghost to the temple for as long as it stands. The ghost is unaligned and fights only in self-defense. If reduced to 0 hit points, the ghost is destroyed for 24 hours, then re-forms.

17c. Temple of Selvetarm

The temple of Selvetarm, drow god of warriors, contains the following features:

Blood. Streaks of dry blood form web-like patterns on the walls and floor.

Altar. A wrought iron altar has a bloody indentation of a right hand atop it. A nonmagical shortsword floats a foot above, its bloodstained blade pointed downward.

Secret Door. A secret door hidden in the south wall requires a blood sacrifice to open (see below).

The altar refuses to budge. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of transmutation magic around and above it. Any object weighing 10 pounds or less that is left unattended atop the altar rises until it is levitating 1 foot above the surface. This levitation field can’t be dispelled but is suppressed in an antimagic field.

If a humanoid presses its cut hand (even a superficial wound will do) into the altar’s hand-shaped indentation, the secret door in the south wall swings open. A knock spell or similar magic also opens the door.

17d. Temple of Vhaeraun

This temple of Vhaeraun, drow god of thieves and assassins, contains the following features:

Assassin’s Altar. An altar of blood-red stone stands near the south wall. Xarann A’Daragon, a male drow assassin, prays silently before it.

Curtains. Three black curtains hang from iron hooks along the west, south, and east walls.

Secret Door. A secret door hidden in the wall behind the south curtain opens only when certain conditions are met (see below).

A character who examines a curtain and succeeds on a DC 19 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the slightly darker silhouette of a drow sewn into it. If the characters find the silhouette in one curtain, they gain advantage on checks made to spot the silhouette hidden in each of the other two curtains. Each silhouette makes a sign with one of its hands; drow characters recognize these hand-signs that, collectively, spell out the Elvish phrase oloth elgg ssussun, which translates to “darkness slays light.” If a creature makes these hand-signs in the proper order anywhere in the room, the secret door in the south wall swings open. A knock spell or similar magic also opens the door.

Xarann A’Daragon

Xarann, a spy for House Freth, is posing as a House Auvryndar assassin. He came here to pray to Vhaeraun before setting out on two missions: the rescue of Tazirahc Oussar (see area area 19) and the assassination of Vlonwelv Auvryndar.

Xarann is initially friendly toward the characters. In exchange for their help killing the guards in area area 18b and rescuing Tazirahc in area area 19, Xarann will show them the way to level 11. If they agree to help kill Vlonwelv, Xarann will show them where the drow priestess keeps her treasure (area area 27b) and lead them through back tunnels (area area 24b) to get there. Once Xarann’s missions are complete, he tries to eliminate the characters, choosing a moment when they appear weakest to betray them. Sornnozz (see area area 13) and Tazirahc are loyal to Xarann and follow his lead.

Xarann is a drow assassin, with these changes:

• Xarann is neutral evil.
• He has these racial traits: He speaks Elvish and Undercommon. He has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put him to sleep. He has darkvision out to a range of 120 feet. He can innately cast dancing lights at-will, and darkness, faerie fire, and levitate (self only) each once per day. His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 11). While in sunlight, he has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Treasure

Xarann wears a piwafwi, a drow-made cloak of elvenkind. It loses its magic if exposed to sunlight for 1 hour without interruption. Pinned to this cloak is an obsidian scarab engraved with the insignia of House Auvryndar. Xarann has a similar scarab, this one engraved with the symbol of House Freth, tucked in his belt. Each scarab is worth 25 gp.

17e. Temple of Eilistraee

This temple of Eilistraee, god of beauty, dance, and the hunt, features the following:

Music. A hymn magically plays throughout the temple.

Secret Door. A secret door in the south wall opens only when the name of the hymn is spoken aloud.

Altar. A beautifully carved stone altar supports a harp-shaped sculpture. Worked into the harp’s design is a female elf carved to look like she is leaping into the air, carefree, with her head and arms thrown back.

Examination of the altar reveals Elvish runes worked into the harp. Any character who understands Elvish can translate the words as “The hymn is the key.”

A character who succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes the hymn as “Bwaelan Dro,” or “It’s Good to Be Alive,” an elven song of celebration. Elves and half-elves have advantage on this check. If the hymn’s name is spoken aloud anywhere in the temple, in either Common or Elvish, the secret door in the south wall swings open. A knock spell or similar magic also opens the secret door.

18. First Blood

If the characters have forged an alliance with Xarann A’Daragon (see area area 17d), he goes on ahead of them and distracts the drow in area area 18b, allowing the characters to gain surprise.

18a. Voices

Characters who enter this hall hear sounds of yelling and cheering from area area 18b to the east. If Vlonwelv is still alive, the characters also hear her disembodied voice as they make their way down this hallway for the first time (see “area Vlonwelv’s Pulpit").

Alcoves along the north wall have secret doors set into the backs of them. These doors pull open easily from this side, revealing area areas 17a through area 17e beyond.

18b. Fight Club

Drow. In the middle of the room, a female drow elite warrior named Drinrith Auvryndar (Vlonwelv’s niece) is providing melee combat training to fourteen smaller, weaker male drow, each one with 6 hit points remaining.

Fresco and Spiders. The eastern wall bears a cracked fresco of a drow city in the Underdark. Clinging to this wall are four Giant Spider that serve as Drinrith’s bodyguards.

Wreckage. Wrecked furniture lies piled in the southeast corner. Rubble chokes a great fireplace in the north wall.

Thirteen of the male drow are standing in a circle around Drinrith and the fourteenth male drow, who are engaged in a duel. When Drinrith draws blood or knocks the male to the ground, she either replaces him with a new challenger or orders two other males to fight one another while she barks criticism.

If the characters allow Xarann A’Daragon to distract the room’s occupants, he challenges Drinrith to a one-on-one fight. Drinrith accepts the challenge, prompting the males to shout cheers and jibes during the protracted battle and granting the characters advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to surprise the drow and the giant spiders while the contest rages.

Treasure

Drinrith wears an obsidian scarab engraved with the insignia of House Auvryndar (25 gp) and a platinum-inlaid helm of black metal molded in the likeness of a spider with carnelians for eyes (750 gp).

19. Interrogation Room

Characters who listen at the double door hear tortured screams coming from beyond. Once used as a kitchen, this 20-foot-high room has been mostly cleaned out.

Interrogation. A male drow mage named Kereth Ichorzza and a summoned quasit are interrogating a male drow named Tazirahc Oussar, who is bound to an iron chair with spider silk.

Observers. Observing the interrogation are two male Drow Elite Warrior named Gelgos Argonrae and Jevan Kron’tayne.

When not serving as the consort of Drinrith Auvryndar (see area area 18b), Kereth is tasked with interrogating drow accused of being House Freth spies. The quasit has already used its Scare action option on Tazirahc, and Kereth is preparing to zap the prisoner with a ray of frost cantrip, hoping he’ll divulge the identities of other House Freth spies in their midst.

The drow attack characters who interfere in the interrogation. Once Kereth and his cronies are dealt with, characters can cut through Tazirahc’s bonds and release him if they so desire. If Xarann A’Daragon (see area area 17d) is with the party, he questions Tazirahc to make sure he didn’t divulge any compromising information. If the characters haven’t met Xarann yet, Tazirahc is determined to find him once he is released. Tazirahc rewards his liberators by sharing one Undermountain secret with them; draw a card from the Secrets Deck (see appendix C) to determine what Tazirahc knows.

Treasure

Kereth, Gelgos, and Jevan each carry an obsidian scarab engraved with the insignia of House Auvryndar (25 gp). Kereth also carries a zurkhwood wand (his arcane focus) and a leather-bound spellbook containing all the spells he has prepared.

20. Servants' Quarters

This large room once housed servants. It now contains the web-shrouded wreckage of several beds and dressers. A fireplace on the east wall is choked with rubble.

Treasure

If the characters search the rubble-filled fireplace, they find a half-burned wooden scroll tube containing a spell scroll of hold person.

21. Giant Spider Hatchery

Webs. Thick webs fill the corners, shroud the ceiling, and smother the rotted remains of old furnishings.

Spiders and Eggs. Four Giant Spider guard a large cluster of twenty giant spider eggs in the northeast corner. Half of the eggs are empty sacs left behind by spiders that have already hatched. (If left alone, the remaining eggs here will hatch in a few days.)

22. Troglodyte Turf

Drow avoid these areas because they smell terrible.

22a. Shaft

This 60-foot-high, 20-foot-wide stone shaft is nestled between two secret doors, one of which pulls open to reveal a stinking, filthy troglodyte den (area area 22b). The other door opens into a hallway. Characters who fall for Halaster’s trap in area area 16 end up here.

22b. Troglodyte Den

Troglodytes use this filthy room as a den. The room is unoccupied when the characters first arrive.

Refuse. The floor is strewn with gnawed bones, smashed furniture, and other refuse.

Gorzil’s Throne. Against the west wall is a throne made of garbage with treasure heaped around it.

Treasure

Gorzil’s hoard includes 500 cp, 350 sp, 60 gp, a healer’s kit, four torches, a rotted quiver containing seven silvered arrows, and a potion of healing in a crystal vial with a spider-shaped stopper.

23. Distant Music

This 30-foot-wide hallway has a 45-foot-high arched ceiling carved with spiders and webs. Band music can be heard coming from a large chamber to the west (see area area 25). The east end of the hall has collapsed, and a secret door in the north wall pushes open to reveal a hallway that leads to area areas 21 and area 18b.

24. Collapsed Areas

A tremor caused a collapse in this section of the dungeon, wrecking two rooms (area areas 24a and area 24c) and creating a small maze of tunnels (area area 24b).

24a. Guard Post

A foul stench wafts through the double door, which stands ajar. This partially collapsed room is empty except for piles of rubble and six Troglodyte wielding longswords and wearing breastplates (see “area Gorzil’s Gang"). The troglodytes attack anything that isn’t a troglodyte or a drow. If the adventuring party includes one or more drow characters or NPCs, the troglodytes bow their heads and wait for new orders, obeying any command from a drow that isn’t clearly suicidal.

24b. Tunnels

These naturally formed tunnels wind through collapsed rooms and hallways. The walls are composed of jagged stones, and the floor throughout is silty and wet.

24c. Morgue

A foul stench wafts through the double door, which stands ajar. Piled near the tunnels at the back of the room are the stripped corpses of eight drow and sixteen troglodytes in varying stages of decay. Feasting on the remains are seven drow Ghoul that were created by Vlonwelv to devour the dead. The ghouls retreat into the back tunnels when one or more drow enter the room. If a drow is not among those who enter, the ghouls attack.

25. Auvryndar Hall

This hall was once a market where the drow kept and sold slaves. It now serves as House Auvryndar’s main military stronghold in Undermountain. If Vlonwelv Auvryndar is here, the drow priestess is seated on the throne in the southern alcove (area area 25b), listening to tedious reports of the battles waging against House Freth.

25a. Hall of the Dark Seldarine

Any character who tries to sneak into this room must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity (Stealth) check, made with disadvantage due to the large number of guards.

Fountain. The centerpiece of this immense, 80-foot-high room is a 60-foot-diameter fountain adorned with eight statues that represent the Dark Seldarine (the drow pantheon). Cracked tiles fanning out from the fountain form a web-like mosaic on the floor.

Guards. Fifteen drow guards are scattered throughout the room. They defend this chamber to the death.

Giant Lizards. Two Giant Lizard fitted with saddles, reins, and stirrups are parked in the southeast corner. These docile reptiles are used as mounts by the drow scouts in area area 25b and have the Spider Climb trait (see the “Variant: Giant Lizard Traits” sidebar in appendix A of the Monster Manual).

Slave Pen. A stone enclosure in the northwest corner serves as a slave pen. Band music emanates from within.

The fountain is fed by a natural spring and provides the drow with a virtually endless supply of fresh water. The statues stand atop stone plinths above the water, facing outward. Starting with the northernmost one and moving clockwise, the statues represent Eilistraee (god of beauty, dance, and the hunt), Malyk (god of wild magic), Kiaransalee (god of undeath), Ghaunadaur (god of oozes, slimes, and all things subterranean), Zinzerena (god of assassins), Vhaeraun (god of thieves), Lolth (the Demon Queen of Spiders and mother of the Dark Seldarine) in her drow form, and Selvetarm (god of war and warriors).

This 40-foot-square slave pen has 20-foot-high walls of smooth stone. Instead of a roof, it has a 5-foot-thick covering of sticky webs. The webs provide an effective barrier, and any creature that enters the webs or starts its turn in them is restrained. A restrained creature can use its action to try to pull itself out of the webs, doing so with a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. Each 10-foot-square section of webs has AC 10, 10 hit points, vulnerability to fire, and immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and psychic damage.

A sturdy iron-barred gate set into the east wall is held shut with an arcane lock spell that only drow can ignore. Forcing the gate open requires a successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check.

The slave pen is lined with straw. It contains a halfling musical quintet that the drow kidnapped just outside the town of Daggerford. The performers call themselves the Sing-Alongs, and they’re quite good. Vlonwelv makes sure that they’re fed and treated well; in exchange, they fill her hall with music. The members and their instruments are Peeta Brightmoon (drum), Kevin Gladriver (fiddle), Philomena Gladriver (viol), Olivia Tallrush (horn), and Shardon Underbough (flute). They are strongheart halfling Commoner, with these changes:

• The Sing-Alongs are lawful good.
• Each has a Charisma of 14 and the following skill: Performance +4.
• They have these racial traits: They speak, read, and write Common and Halfling. They are Small, and their walking speed is 25 feet. They have advantage on saving throws against poison and against being frightened, and they have resistance to poison damage. They can move through the space of any creature larger than they are.

Although the halfling musicians are grateful for the kind treatment of their drow captors, they have grown weak from eating nothing but mushrooms and would like to return to the surface. They have little hope of reaching Waterdeep on their own and would appreciate an escort. Getting all five band members to the Yawning Portal alive completes this quest. Durnan is pleased to have the halflings perform for his patrons and rewards the characters with a round of drinks. If the heroes plan to return to Undermountain, Durnan also pulls a few strings to secure a potion of superior healing for each of them.

25b. Spider Throne

Throne. This large alcove contains a spider-shaped throne. A red crystal orb is set into a fixture at the end of one armrest.

Mirror. Mounted to the east wall is a tall, rectangular mirror with an ornate stone frame. The mirror is one of Halaster’s gates (see “area Gates").

If Vlonwelv is here, the drow priestess of Lolth is seated on the throne, flanked by her drow champion, Zress (see “area Zress Orlezziir") and a yochlol advisor that has assumed the form of a female drow wearing a spider silk robe with a cowl. Kneeling before the priestess are two male drow scouts named Llossul and Yuinfein, who have recently returned from a reconnaissance mission on level 11. If Vlonwelv isn’t present, Llossul and Yuinfein are here waiting for her to return.

The throne is a Large object with AC 18, 80 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of abjuration magic around the throne itself and a separate aura of evocation magic around the throne’s red crystal orb.

Any creature other than an elf that sits on the throne or starts its turn there must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature seated on the throne and touching the orb can use a bonus action to broadcast its voice to every location in Muiral’s Gauntlet. The orb loses its magic if it is torn free of the throne, or if the throne is destroyed.

Mirror Gate to Level 8

The mirror’s frame is composed of an assemblage of hundreds of tiny, interlocking stone gears. The rules of this gate are as follows:

• Any creature that inspects the frame and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check sees that one of the gears has popped out slightly. If it is pressed, the gear locks in place, causing all the gears to turn and the gate to open for 1 minute. When the gate closes, a different random gear pops out slightly, causing all the gears to lock again.
• Characters must be 10th level or higher to pass through this gate (see “area Jhesiyra Kestellharp"). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “area Elder Runes").
• A creature that passes through the gate appears in area area 17c on level 8, in the closest unoccupied space next to the identical gate located there.

25c. Entrance

Stairs. Stairs carved out of a stone ramp descend 40 feet to the floor of a vast natural cavern (area area 30).

Guards. Standing guard at the top of the stairs, facing westward, are two male Drow Mage named Gorthax Auvryndar (Vlonwelv’s nephew) and Syrrak Argonrae. Positioned behind them, in the middle of the hall, is a transparent, 15-foot-diameter crystal spider (use stone golem statistics).

The mages aren’t expecting attacks from the east. If combat erupts in area area 25a or area 25b, Syrrak investigates while Gorthax and the crystal spider remain here. A battle in this hall brings reinforcements from area area 30a.

The spider golem understands Elvish but can’t speak. It obeys Gorthax’s commands.

26. Spider Queen’s Temple

Years of neglect have left this temple in a terrible state. Work has begun to repair the damage.

Web Curtain

A web curtain separates a 50-foot-high arched narthex to the north from the temple to the south. The curtain blocks line of sight and catches any ammunition shot into it. If set on fire, it burns away quickly.

Temple Nave

If Vlonwelv is here, the drow priestess of Lolth is standing in the middle of the nave, supervising its reconstruction. She is accompanied by her bodyguard, Zress (see “area Zress Orlezziir") and her yochlol advisor, which has assumed the form of a giant spider.

Whether Vlonwelv and her entourage are here or not, the temple nave contains the following features:

Decor. Six cracked pillars carved with intertwining demons stretch to a 50-foot-high ceiling braced by thick arches. The cracked walls are carved with damaged carvings of demons and enormous spiders.

Webwork. A giant spiderweb forms a false ceiling 40 feet above the floor. Throughout the room, in and atop this sturdy web, climb seven Giant Spider. Hanging from the spiders at various heights are seven male drow masons on spider silk swings. The spiders and drow form a work crew.

Statue. An alcove in the middle of the west wall houses a 20-foot-tall, corroded iron statue of Lolth in her female drow form, garbed in countless spiders.

In place of scaffolding, the drow workers here use web lines and swings to get at hard-to-reach places. The giant spiders manipulate these webs to move the drow workers wherever they want to go. In addition to the other spells they can cast innately, the drow workers are blessed by Lolth with the ability to cast the mending cantrip at will, and they use their magic to repair small cracks and broken stonework. If they notice intruders, the drow stop their work and attack with their hand crossbows. Each worker is suspended 2d4 × 5 feet off the ground.

27. Vlonwelv’s Apartments

No one may enter these chambers without the consent of Vlonwelv Auvryndar. The punishment for violating her chambers is death.

27a. Council Room and Parlor

This area consists of two chambers connected by a short, 10-foot-high hallway. Vlonwelv meets with her captains in the council room to the west and entertains guests in the parlor to the east.

If Vlonwelv is here, the drow priestess of Lolth is relaxing in her parlor while receiving counsel from her yochlol advisor, which appears in its natural form. Standing near Vlonwelv is her champion, Zress (see “area Zress Orlezziir").

Council Room

The room to the west contains a large spider-shaped table of sculpted stone. No chairs are present, since Vlonwelv expects her captains to stand as they deliver their briefings.

Parlor

The room to the east smells of incense. It contains two male drow attendants named Sharaun and Tarzyr; they’re armed but unarmored (AC 12). These young drow dote on Vlonwelv when she’s present.

The parlor is furnished with overstuffed chairs, cushioned divans, bronze braziers containing smoldering incense, a glass cabinet stocked with elven wines and crystal goblets, and crystal sculptures of demons.

27b. Vlonwelv’s Bedchamber

Mosaic. The north wall is covered with a tarnished bronze mosaic depicting Lolth’s face, with silver, web-like tracery fanning out from it.

Furnishings. The room contains a spider-shaped bed carved out of zurkhwood, a matching wardrobe containing assorted garments, and an ancient stone font filled with fresh water.

27c. Giant Spider Den

This 10-foot-high, web-filled chamber is home to three Giant Spider that attack any non-drow who enter.

28. Hospital and Armory

Drow in the service of House Auvryndar come here to equip themselves for battle and to have their wounds treated.

28a. Hospital

This chamber contains two dozen wooden cots in rows. Resting in six of them are wounded drow (three females and three males), each with 1d12 hit points remaining. They are still clad in armor, and they keep their weapons within arm’s reach.

Tending to the injured are three junior priestesses of Lolth named Nyleene Auvryndar (Vlonwelv’s grand-niece), Ereldra Abbath, and Llezorna Do’ett. These three are drow Priest, with these changes:

• They are neutral evil.
• Each has two 1st-level spell slots and no spell slots of higher level remaining.
• They have these racial traits: They speak Elvish and Undercommon. They have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put them to sleep. They have darkvision out to a range of 120 feet. They can innately cast dancing lights at will, and darkness and faerie fire each once per day. Their spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 11). While in sunlight, they have disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

28b. Armory

Crates. Crates stacked in the middle of the room contain sixty shortswords, one hundred hand crossbows, and thousands of bolts for the hand crossbows.

Tunnel Entrance. A gash in the north wall forms the entrance to a tunnel network (see area area 24b).

29. Abandoned Apartment

When various tunnels and rooms in the dungeon collapsed, these chambers were almost cut off. A narrow tunnel provides the only entrance. After the drow ran afoul of the wraith in area area 29b, they decided not to explore these rooms further.

29a. Gallery

Broken statuary litters this dust-choked gallery. Examination of the stone fragments accompanied by a successful Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that the statues once depicted drow.

29b. Wraith This Way

This room is deathly cold and contains the following:

Undead. A wraith and three Specter haunt the room. They attack all living creatures that enter.

Corpses. Lying on the dusty floor amid pieces of broken furniture are three dead drow, their bodies shriveled.

Fireplace. A massive fireplace dominates the east wall. (Its 5-foot-wide chimney climbs vertically for 30 feet, then ends abruptly, having caved in long ago.)

Portrait of Halaster. Hanging crookedly above the fireplace is a 7-foot-tall, 5-foot-wide framed portrait showing the back of Halaster’s head: a mass of gray hair (see “Painting Trap” below).

The wraith is all that remains of an evil adventurer who was disintegrated by Halaster in this room long ago. It speaks Common and Undercommon but doesn’t have much to say to the living.

The wraith killed the three drow (two females and one male) and turned their spirits into specters. Each drow corpse wears a chain shirt, clutches a shortsword, and packs a hand crossbow with 1d20 bolts.

Painting Trap

A detect magic spell reveals an aura of necromancy magic around the painting. If anyone straightens the picture or otherwise tampers with it, the image of Halaster magically turns, revealing a withered skull face wearing a grin so horrifying that any creature looking at it must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw; on a failed save, the creature drops to 0 hit points and is dying. After revealing its ghastly visage, the skull-faced Halaster then turns back around so that only its hair is visible once more. Once this trap triggers, the painting becomes nonmagical and harmless.

29c. Collapsed Tunnel

This tunnel connected to area area 23 before earth tremors triggered a collapse. Characters who search the rubble at the end of the tunnel find a mostly buried dwarf skeleton with shiny gauntlets and a rusty warhammer.

Treasure

The dwarf was an adventurer who was killed when the ceiling collapsed on her over a hundred years ago. Her gauntlets have no dents and show no signs of corrosion. An identify spell or similar magic reveals that they are gauntlets of ogre power.

30. Natural Cavern

House Auvryndar keeps a large force stationed here in case the forces of House Freth launch an attack from level 11. This cavern provides most of the food that sustains House Auvryndar’s troops, making it vital to the house’s survival in Undermountain.

The main cavern (area area 30a) has a 40-foot-high ledge to the north (area area 30b) with a secret staircase connecting them.

30a. Main Cavern

Roof. The cavern’s roof is 80 feet high and festooned with dripping stalactites.

Monsters. Patrolling the cavern are four Drow Elite Warrior (two females named Mizreen Abbath and Shynzal Tlin’orzza, and two males named K’yorl Tanor’thal and Rross Hylarn) mounted on Giant Lizard, five giant flying spiders (see below), and eight Troglodyte split into two groups of four.

River. Water pours in from the south, feeding a swift river that winds northwest for several hundred yards before plunging into the Underdark. The river is 5 feet deep but deepens to 10 feet as it exits the cavern. Fungi and moss grow on both riverbanks.

Fungi. The soft, peaty floor gives rise to a fungi forest that includes 40-foot-tall zurkhwood mushrooms (as well as the occasional stump).

The drow treat their lizard mounts as prized pets. These docile reptiles have saddles, reins, stirrups, saddlebags, and the Spider Climb trait (see the “Variant: Giant Lizard Traits” sidebar in appendix A of the Monster Manual).

The flying spiders are Giant Spider that have wings and a flying speed of 40 feet. They zip around the cavern and build web nests in the caps of zurkhwood mushrooms.

The drow cut down zurkhwood when they need to build furniture or rafts, while gardens of barrelstalk and trillimac provide food, water, and parchment (see “area Fungi” for more information on barrelstalk, trillimac, and zurkhwood).

The stinky troglodytes answer to Gorzil in area area 30b. They wear breastplates and wield longswords (see “area Gorzil’s Gang").

30b. High Ledge

This ledge is 40 feet higher than the floor of area area 30a. A staircase carved into the north wall climbs to area area 11f.

Stationed atop the ledge is a drow mage named Nhilisstra Argonrae, who commands a force of seven drow (two females named Vliss and Yereth, and five males named Chabbris, Dulorrn, Fral, Helxryn, and Tra’zorrl) and six Troglodyte, including the troglodyte leader, Gorzil (who has 20 hit points). Gorzil hates Nhilisstra and tries to kill her if he thinks he can get away with it. The troglodytes wear breastplates and wield longswords (see “area Gorzil’s Gang").

Nhilisstra is charged with defending the ledge against incursions by Muiral, but she also helps defend the main cavern if it comes under attack. If that happens, she sends the troglodytes into melee combat while she and the drow attack at range.

Aftermath

If Muiral survives and the forces of House Auvryndar are routed, he animates the corpses of any dead drow and troglodytes he finds, then scatters these zombies and ghouls throughout the level.

As long as Vlonwelv lives, House Auvryndar continues to gain footholds throughout Undermountain. Vlonwelv’s death, on the other hand, throws House Auvryndar into chaos as allied houses withdraw their support and align with House Freth. After securing level 11, House Freth begins a slow, steady push into Muiral’s Gauntlet, putting Muiral and visiting adventurers at odds with the drow once more.