Undercover Cats

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The Doclopedia #484

Seven Questions About…: The Dungeon Of Terrible Doom

Where is the Dungeon of Terrible Doom located?

The World Famous Dungeon of Terrible Doom is conveniently located just 53 miles from the town of North Border. Situated in the lovely wilderness of the the Drokmount Wilds, the dungeon lies under the ruins of Hardimir Castle and the town of Trovin. The entrance has been clearly marked, so as to make it very easy to find.

How many adventurers have perished there?

Exact numbers are not possible, but estimates put the total at around 1,895 over the 300 year existence of the dungeon.

How many have survived?

So far, 9 survivors have been accounted for, most within the last 123 years. Of those, 4 retained enough sanity to give a very good picture of what the first few levels of the Dungeon of Terrible Doom is like.

How many levels are there to the dungeon?

We are certain that there are at least 6 levels and, if the ravings of a madman or two are to be believed, it goes down for at least 5 more. Of course, the dungeon also connects to a natural cave system and, according to legend, the underground realm of the Stone People.

What is the worst known monster so far encountered?

Well, “worst” is rather subjective, but we should put the Great Slime Thing, the Dragon of Darkness and the Plague Dwarves as some of the most dangerous and terrifying creatures that call the dungeon Home, Sweet Home.

Is there really enough treasure there to take the risk?

Well, the smallest bit of treasure yet brought out, a diamond the size of a hen’s egg, was found in the pocket of the crazed barbarian Sornak. The largest amount of treasure (a sack full of gold, magical rings and a scroll of seven spells) was estimated to be worth $900,000.00. It was in the possession of J’Ome J’Ilgun, the J’Anki wizard. J’Ome was, by the way, the sanest person ever to escape the Dungeon of Terrible Doom. He did spend several weeks constantly repeating “Thank the Gods for the Speedy Movement spell” and avoiding any foods of a red color, but he recovered fully. He now lives a life of luxury on Brightsea Isle, the spot on our planet that is farthest from the Dungeon of Terrible Doom.

I think my friends and I will give it a go. Any suggestions?

The North Border Merchants Guild, in association with the Wizards League and the Adventurers Guild, have prepared a pamphlet detailing all of the information so far learned about the Dungeon of Terrible Doom. A related pamphlet, “So, you’re going to delve into a dungeon?”, contains a handy checklist of both essential and highly recommended equipment that you’ll need. The North Border Merchants supply you with everything on the list and more.

One final thing: the Dungeon of Terrible Doom is suggested for very experienced Adventurers with a party of at least eight individuals, with a minimum of two wizards and two healers/clerics. At least one wizard should know the Instant Retreat spell and that same spell should be on at least three scrolls carried by three party members.