If the gamemaster has selected a player to become Lhessadrak's descendant, this character will utter in sudden realization, "This is where we all die! At least it was in my dream last night. We must find some way around it."
Even if further questioned by the other PCs, this is the only information the selected PCs knows of what lies beyond the iron doors of the Lich's Gate
[This should be enough of an omen to warrant a search for the Zombie Tunnel in the third burial vault as a means of bypassing this gate.]
The Lich's Gate is a devious necromantic trap constructed to separate the necropolis entry corridor.from the "working chambers" deeper within the crypt complex. Two iron bound doors with great pull rings seal the passage out of the entry corridor. Any effort will easily open these heavy doors, however opposite the gate area through a closed portcullis, skeletal champions are operating a heavy crossbow siege machine and firing it upon the unwelcome trespassers. [2 crossbow bolts fired per round on a rotating spindle bristled in pre-loaded crossbows for 18 shots total.]
The heavy crossbow assault prevents efforts to spike the doors open. Once the party completely enters the gate chamber, the heavy iron doors forceably close shut and activate the trap sequence.
Poisoned darts fire from murder holes above raining onto the PCs in the gate chamber [1d12 poisoned darts, Reflex save DC 20 to avoid, then Fortitude save DC 20 or receive1d6 points of Constitution damage.]
Both walls flanking this gate chamber comprise of a dozen undead beings bound to a fleshy wall called a Zombie Wall. Arms reach out from either wall attempting to grapple opponents drawing them towards the walls where the awaiting fanged maws take contagious bites upon any caught victims.
Once the iron doors close both the doors and the portcullis become actively enchanted with negative energy, causing 2d10 points of vile damage to anyone touching or otherwise attempting to force them open again. A combined strength of 30 taking 2 full rounds is required to open the portcullis or iron doors. Opening the doors is the only means of escaping, as a dimensional anchor is emplaced on the gate at all times.
Zombie Wall (Plague)
CR 12+
XP 6000 per 15 ft. x 10 ft. section of wall
Init +0, Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Perception: 0
Defense:
AC 12, Touch 10, Flatfooted 12 (+2 natural)
hp: 67 12D8 +3 per each 15' x 10' section
Fort +0, Reflex +0, Will +3
immune Undead Traits
Offense:
Speed: 0
Melee Slam: +4 (1d6+4), Bite (1d4)
Statistics:
Str 17, Dex 10, Con --, Int --, Wis 10, Chr 16
BAB +6, CMB +7, CMD 17
Special Qualities: staggered
Ecology:
Environment: Any
Organization: Any
Treasure: none
A Zombie wall consists of a 10 foot high by 15 foot long section of decaying fleshy walls with each 5 foot by 5 foot section containing the torso arms and head that have a 5 foot reach, thus a section of wall contains 6 such zombies.
Attacks: a zombie wall retains all natural attacks of the base creature, slam attack damage based on base creature's size.
Special Attacks: when any 5 ft x 5 ft section of Zombie Wall is destroyed, that section explodes in a burst of decay. All creatures adjacent to that section of wall is exposed to its plague, as if struck by a slam attack and must make a Fortitude check or contract Zombie Rot.
Disease: Disease (Su): The slam attack—as well as any other naturalattacks—of a plague zombie carries the zombie rot disease. Zombie rot: slam; save Fort DC = 10 + 1/2 the zombies Hit Dice + the zombies Cha modif ier; onset 1d4 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d2 Con, this damage cannot be healed while the creature is infected; cure 2 consecutive saves. Anyone who dies while infected rises as a plague zombie in 2d6 hours.
[This encounter includes two sections of Plague Zombie Wall on either flank.]
