Siff Duthar's abandoned research facility

Located down the left passage of the subterranean tunnels under the Evening Nip in Zadash, this long-abandoned research facility had once belonged to a necromancer by the name of Siff Duthar.

River Entrance
The entrance to these ancients ruins was uncovered within the northeastern branch of the subterranean river under Zadash. The entrance having been located on the north side of the riverbank by members of the Gentleman's Troup, was collapsed into a rock slide to be later uncovered by the Mighty Nein.

Made of smooth stone as compared to the natural mineral of the tunnel wall, when cleared this 10-foot passage opened into the center of a spiral staircase.

Spiral Staircase
Illuminated by the purple light of an enchanted crystal-like stone placed within a wrought iron cage in a corner, this roughly, eight to ten feet wide this staircase continued 40-feet downward and 60-feet upwards.

Downstairs
At the bottom of the stone staircase, there was a small, dark, 15 feet long and five feet wide antechamber that lead into a thin hallway continuing further in.

Hallway
This four to five-foot wide hallway continued forwards for around 25 feet. On each side of the walls, there were nine to ten holes carved out at different angles. The floor in this area was trapped with three pressure plates. When ones of these plates was stepped on, a metal bolt would fire out one of the holes in the walls. These pressure plates were rigged in such a way to slowly reset after triggered and were made in such as way that only a sufficiently heavy object would trigger them, as demonstrated by Frumpkin being able to traverse these plates without issue. At the end of this hallway was a large octagonal chamber..

Octagonal Chamber
This 30-foot radius hemisphere of a chamber was octagonal in its design and had a domed ceiling. On each of the domes segment's was a painted abstract symbol representing one of the eight schools of magic.There was no visible exits from this chamber.

Ominously held aloft in the center of the dome, was a blue, ten-foot wide stone pillar was about ten feet from the ceiling, and around 15 feet off the ground. It was square with a slight curvature or dome at its base.

On the ground in the center of this room was a triangular one foot high raised platform that was two and a half feet long on each of its sides. On the platform, there are a series of half-inch thick symbols carved into it and a half-inch wide, foot and a half deep round hole in their center.

When the siphon rod was inserted into the hole and the correct school of magic spells were cast into the chamber, the arcane energy from those spells were siphoned into the top of the metallic rod, causing a false wall on the opposite end of the hallway to rotates open, beyond which was a research chamber.

When a spell from an incorrect school of magic was cast and drawn into the rod, the ceiling would shift and cause the large square pillar to open releasing a creature down into the center of the room.



Research Chamber
The chamber is divided into three sections. The center main chamber looks like there is some sort of inert arcane teleportation circle in the center. There's a symbol drawn there with runes around, that has been scarred and closed. In the center there are load-bearing pillars to the right and left, and cold braziers behind the pillars against the walls: little domed pieces of stone that once contained flame for light. There are two tables with chairs, and a bookcase. The tables, by the way, that are right next to the bookshelf, have writing utensils, quills on the side, one has an inkwell. Underneath one of the tables, there is one book with two candelabra on top. The bookshelf is mostly empty. Most of the bookshelf is plain empty with broken pieces, and tattered bits of paper, and no books present on the shelf at the moment.

Above the bookshelf, there is a very wide heavy longsword blade placed ornamentally on the wall. The hilt of it is gold and curls up to the side. It is all these tiny runes inscribed along the edge. The central edge is thick, it's about that wide at the side and slowly tapers to the edge, it looks dangerous.

To the right and left it looks there's two smaller chambers immediately, and then it goes further in. The two side chambers are pill-shaped. They're rounded at each side, and they're enclosed, but open into the center chamber. At each of these rounded edges, there are cage-like contraptions: iron domes that are very tight-knit, dark iron rusted metal. In the iron cages, there are clay urns, sitting in the center with burnt and tattered clothing at the sides of it.

Behind the bookcase
Behind the bookcase is a small 5 foot by 5 foot chamber, where a number of pots and small cases can sit. It functions as a small burial chamber of some kind. In the center, there is a large urn, about a foot and a half wide, squat, a dull grey color.

Baroque Chamber
This chamber is 80 feet long and the ceiling is 30 feet up. The back wall of the room is partly collapse inward, and the room is slightly tilted to one side. It's a Baroque-style grand chamber, with intricate designs and a beautiful interior. The floor itself is solid marble squares that are off-color to each other and give almost a checkered pattern to it. The walls are carved to be beautifully intricate with half-pillars carved out of them, and places that are inset where art pieces can sit. There are shelves in places were art can sit. In the middle of the camber there are two load-bearing pillars that mark the center and lead up to the ceiling.

There are two upside down acorn-style alcoves that are mirroring each other on each side of the chamber. They're about a foot tall and they have a red clay urn inside. Dangling above from the ceiling there is a set of chains that are hanging from the ceiling that appear to be affixed to a red clay urn. These urns contain ashes and can spawn will-o’-wisps until it is destroyed. The lower half of each urn, is a metal-lined bottom, on the inside of the metal there are very faint carvings matching the symbols of the octagonal chamber. If you heat the symbols parts will light up.

There is also a relief very thinly carved into the ground in the center of the chamber, right before the wall collapse covers the floor built into the marble. It resembles a robed figure that leads with two heads. Male on one side and female on the other, but the same features, similar hairstyle. No coloration to it, but a white marble relief on the ground. The torsos merge and extend on the two sides, and they both sort of look up with the emotionless face. And where the eyes are they are vacant, circular holes a quarter of an inch deep. If a coin is inserted in the holes the relief opens in half and uncovers a pit beneath the floor.

In this chamber a half foot long rod can be found. This rod is straight towards the bottom for a foot and then is in a tight coil to the very top where there is a small metallic knob at the very top.



The Pit
The pit is 30 feet down, and on the floor there lay a pile of charred bones that remain within long-rotting clothing.