
Stair Entrance
--------------

   "As I crept down the staircase ahead of the others,
    I could smell the musty stench of the rotting corpses
    that lay ahead. They were scattered around the
    chamber, bones protruding here and there, a tacit but
    tangible warning to all who should trespass. Of
    course, we weren't about to be scared off so easily.
    'Nuthin down here but a bunch o' dead bodies,' I
    whispered up. Only problem was that they weren't yet
    entirely dead."


This chamber contains thirteen zombies (MM1:p103). They will
attack any who enter unless one of the party wears or brandishes
one of the obsidian "skull-amulets" found in the keep. In that
case, the amulets "eyes" will begin to glow with an inner
luminescence and the zombies will instantly stand at attention,
ready to obey all commands of the wearer regardless of his
alignment. If they are left alone, they will resume their "death
pose" after the party has left.

Take note that noisy fighting in this area may alert individuals
in other areas to the presence of intruders. The zombies are not
so much a line of defense as an alarm system.

If the party manages to defeat the zombies and do a detect
magic, they may detect emanations from the southeast wall. As
it so happens, all the walls in this chamber are painted with
faded murals. Most depict a wizard defeating various armies,
dining on fine delicacies, sitting upon a throne, writing
scrolls, and other such activities. The one of the southeast
wall, however, depicts a door through with the wizard is
passing into a room which appears to be a library. This wall
has a magical portal which will open when the words "Edro
Librumus" are spoken (the portal connects with one of similar
design on the northwest wall of the library). Note that a
"Passwall" or similar spell when cast on this wall might
activate the portal whether or not the command word is
spoken (GM's discretion)

