Lore24 Feb 8: The Nameless God in Chains

Deep underground, in the mountains near Satnak, there is a three-ton stone tablet engraved with protective and restraining spells. Under the tablet there is a flight of stairs that leads deeper into the bowels of the earth. It continues for seven miles, until it reaches a heavy bronze door. The door has even more spells engraved on it, mostly focused on keeping the door shut from the other side. It also has a prominent engraving in a dead language only spoken by a few scholars in the greatest temples. It simply says “Leave this place!” Behind the door is a small room covered in obsidian plates, with a gold and silver encrusted bronze pillar in the middle. There is a giant, vaguely humanoid figure chained to the pillar with steel chains. The figure has ashen skin, lidless black eyes, and no hair. In fact his entire upper cranium is missing, as the steel chains binding him end in two great serpents, which are forever feasting on his continuously regenerating brain. Who this figure is, nobody knows. Whatever legends were once known about him, the steel chains have bound them up so well, they are no longer told.

The obsidian panels on the walls, floor, and ceiling absorb all magic cast within or into the room, then send the energy to the pillar, from whence it flows into the chains strengthening the binding. Removing the obsidian panels ends this effect. Prying the gold and silver decorations from the column does nothing other than lessen the pain suffered by the prisoner. Trying to remove the chains or interfering with the pillar causes the snakes to attack the meddler. If they don’t kill their target, or are otherwise prevented from returning to feasting on the brain, after about 10 seconds the figure will awaken. His primary goal will be to escape his prison, so that he may once again work towards his terrible purpose.