Dark Continent Redux: The Museum

Dark Continent Redux

A Fantasy Core Adventure

© Jerry Harris 2016

Published here as Open Game Content.

(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Playtest Rules.)

Dark Continent Index

Forbidden City Index

The Museum

2 XP for destroying the red crystal here. 

Reference the Louvre.  The building has three wings with a pyramid structure in its inner courtyard.  While the building is ancient (Ancient?) and a devastated shell, the pyramid is of clearly more modern make.  It is a metallic skeleton, paneled in what appear to be glass plates.  Inside, an ever-burning sacrificial pit filled bodies is visible.  An altar with a bright, glowing red crystal on the dais stands over the pit.  The interior of the pyramid is impenetrable (yes, even burrowing underneath it or going ethereal, astral, or phasing).  Kurtz took advantage of some these Ancient structures’ inherent magical properties to create force fields of amazing strength.  There is a door with a keyhole at ground-level, however.  Again, nothing will open it though.      

Inside the building (hopefully are Players aren’t so discouraged as to not investigate it, perhaps a glimpse of a Demon Host inside is in order), different sections of the museum were dedicated to different foreign cultures and antiquities.  Of course, anything valuable that could easily be hauled away, has been (Sorry, no Mona Lisa).  What’s left was too heavy to move or has rotted away.  It is a rather empty, desolate place.

There is one chamber that is strangely intact and clean, except for a layer of sand on the floor.  There are a multitude of statues surrounding the chamber.  They are in state ruin, except for one, a man-sized Greek-like hero next to a painting.  Very curious is this completely intact painting, being out of place, as this is obviously a hall of statues.  A pile of dinosaur bones lay in the corner, seemingly misplaced from the natural history part of the museum. 

Upon closer inspection, the painting shows the museum and the pyramid, with the sacrificial pit and the altar.  (A perhaps minor clue that it’s of recent vintage.)  A blurry man stands before the pyramid, holding out a key.  (If somebody does something indelicate here to the painting, it instantly repairs itself.)  There is an inscription beneath the painting, which reads, in Common, “Speak the name of the Master and enter.”  The name is, of course, Kurtz.  This instantly transports the speaker into the painting.  (Jdh417 groans.  Oh, I’m sure these logic puzzles aren’t going to cause any consternation for the Ref and the Players.  If one of the Players even says “Kurtz” in passing away from the gaming table, let them in immediately.)

Inside the painting is the Demon Host, Speed, who will fight to the death before giving up the key.  Getting the key will transport the Character back into the hall.  Complicating matters, it’s more than likely that only one Character says the name.  Those outside are immediately beset upon by the painting’s other guardians.  The statue animates, as it is a Golem.  The dinosaur bones reassemble in the Skeleton Raptor.  The sand beneath the Character’s feet transforms in the Demon Host, Sand.  (If they all say the entry word together, the guardians activate upon exit.) 

The key opens the door in the pyramid.  Taking the red crystal off the altar (which shatters it), or just smashing it, will cause a blinding flash.  (If a Native Witch Doctor is with the group and they’re stuck, have him suggest it.)  The fire will go out in the pit.  Outside, the river island will be vaguely visible (though not enterable).  If this is the final altar, the island will be completely visible and can be entered.      

Minor Stone Golem

HD 7 (d10), Hp 40, AC 20* (Natural, Magic to hit)

Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +4

Vulnerability: Unlike normal Golems, these have no inherent immunity to Magic.  A Transmute Rock to Mud spell will permanently destroy these Golems.

Melee: Slam +10 to hit 1d10+3

Raptor Skeleton

HD 8 (d12), Hp 25, AC 18 (Natural)

Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +8

Melee: Talons x 2 +9 to hit 2d8+5 and bite +4 to hit 2d6+2

Sand (Demon Host)

HD 5 (d8), Hp 40, AC 18* (None, Magic to hit)

Fort +8, Ref +1, Will +1

Melee: Punch +8 to hit 1d6+4

Ranged: Sandblast +8 to hit 2d6 + DC 12 Fort Sv or blinded 2 rds, S

Special Defense: Sand is composed of sand, so his form is easily changed into virtually anything.  Anywhere there’s a hole or gap, Sand can fit through it.  He’s also immune to any normal damage. 

Special Weakness: It’s unlikely the Characters are going to have access to concrete and a mixer, the tradition bane of creatures such as this, but anything that could potentially gum or bond Sand together will make him AC 10, vulnerable to normal damage, and freeze his form. 

Description: A blurry sandman.

Speed (Demon Host)

HD 5 (d6), Hp 20, AC 18 (None), Enhanced Init +4

Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +1

Melee: 2 x Crystal dagger +5 to hit 1d6

Ranged: 2 x Crystal shard +9 to hit 1d6, S

Special Defense: Speed runs at super speed into melee combat and retreats to S range after each attack.  So he either can’t be attacked with melee weapons, or has to be confined somehow.

Special Weakness: A successful sonic or sound attack will cause him to shatter.        

Description: A blurry, crystalline man.