The Tomb of the Gray Philosopher (v5.

2 Easy Balok or Easy Ynn edition)

The grave’s a fine and private place,

But none, I think, do there embrace.

“To His Coy Mistress” –By Andrew Marvell

A Dungeon World Adventure by Mark Tygart

(Map from https://stonewerks.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/a-burial-crypt-its-been-way-too-long/)

Introduction

A century or more has gone by and the tomb carved into Unholy Hill has refused to yield up its
treasures. Scholars can attest to its antiquity but little else besides that and the fact that a few groups of
adventurers have tried to raid it and have never returned! Can your bold group of rogues do any better?
Background

A century ago, the followers of the evil theologian known only as “The Gray Philosopher” entombed his
remains, treasure and a few of his “lucky” students into the Unholy Hill. Unfortunately for them the Gray
Philosopher cult was an esoteric and intellectually demanding one and the fashions of evil evolved to
favor gross physical vices and simple bloodlust. As the consequence the Gray Philosopher continues his
corrupt undead mental ponderings currently undisturbed in his tomb long forgotten…except by the child
sorcerer Balok.

Questions

1. Where was your character hired by the child sorcerer Balok? What trouble did he get you out of?

2. Who in the party remembers any details about the Gray Philosopher’s ancient movement and
“heretical doctrines”?

3. What rumors do you know of the mysterious “three treasures from Ynn” said to be hidden in the
tomb?

4. What dire mutterings have you heard about the guardians and traps found in the tomb?

5. Do you intend to honor your bargain and give Balok the mysterious “Green Codex” if you find it?

6. Did you enjoy the strange, fruity “tranya” alcohol he gave you?

Hanging Tree

The Gray Philosopher’s followers planted this horror to guard his tomb and sacrificed students of evil
here who failed their exams for many years to honor his memory…

HANGING TREE Solitary, Huge

Strangling Noose (d10+3 damage 1 piercing) 16 HP 1 armor
Reach, Far
Special Qualities: Undead, Vulnerable to Fire, Moves Slowly

Undead tree formed by the hanging of the innocent from its limbs. It will try to strangle its victim with
rope and noose from its limbs and drain them of all life. Bodies that eventually fall from the tree often
become undead monsters as well.

Instinct: Strangle

● Strangle Intruders
● Consume the fear of the living
● Retreat from fire! (Double damage)
Tomb Doorway

The door will allow entry to a group that can answer its riddle. Otherwise it does everything it can to
misdirect, confuse and block the party from the tomb.

Door’s Riddle:

If you break me, I do not stop working, if you touch me, I may be snared, if you lose me nothing will
matter. (Answer: Hope)

MAGIC DOOR Solitary, Stealthy, Intelligent, Construct

Magic bolts (d10 damage) 12 HP 3 armor
Close, Ignores Armor
Special Qualities: Arcane Construct

Created to guard magic doors will only answer to the proper key or code word, often the answer to a
riddle. Otherwise they delight in foiling intruders by sending them on false quests, directing them to
traps or simply wasting the party's time.

Instinct: Block entry

● Guards access
● Lie
● Direct to doom

Level One

A hall elaborated decorated with treatises carved into the walls with beautiful calligraphy and pillars in
multiple languages about the “Problem of Evil”. The Problem of Evil refers to the question of how to
reconcile the existence of evil with an omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent God. An argument
from evil posits that the co-existence of evil and such a God are unlikely at best or impossible because
evil exists, and innocents suffer. Besides philosophy of religion, the Problem of Evil is also important to
the field of theology and ethics.

At the end of the hall is a carefully concealed secret door to the Mummy’s Lair. The Gray Philosopher’s
girlfriend and best student she was “honored” by being entombed alive here to guard her boyfriend’s
crypt. She will creep silently behind the adventurer’s once they descend the staircase and try to strangle
the last party member from behind when the group is distracted. Her lair holds her simple coffin, a map
of the tomb and three levers that if pulled will disable the traps on Level Three. The mummy will guard
her lair ferociously if disturbed.
MUMMY Horde, Intelligent, Construct
Strangle (d6+2 damage) 12 HP 1 armor
Close, Forceful
Special Qualities: Undead

Unlike zombies, where one just takes a random corpse and reanimates, mummies are deliberately
created, often to guard an important site. A combination of the embalming process and their isolated
guard posts mean that they can last many times longer than a zombie, making them good long-term
investments. They also tend to be smarter, though few mummies are truly intelligent.

Instinct: To protect site

● Obey Master
● Strangle intruders
● Abide until needed

Level Two

This level includes two elaborate false and empty crypts designed to distract the party so the mummy
can quietly end them one by one. The crypts are enchanted to radiate magic strongly and both appear
falsely to be trapped. They hold only bones of former students.

Level Three

This hallway has three deadly traps: A pairs of Swinging Scythes (d2d8), a Collection of Crushing Ceiling
Spikes (1d12) and a Spike Filled Pit (1d12). All three may be disabled by levers in the Mummy’s Lair.
Level Four

Sitting on his own tomb, endlessly pondering is the Gray Philosopher…

GRAY PHILOSOPHER Solitary, Devious

None (Malices: 1d4d each) 16 HP 0 armor
Far (Malices)
Special Qualities: Undead, Incorporeal

A Gray Philosopher is the undead spirit of an evil cleric who died with some important philosophical
deliberation yet unresolved in his or her mind. In its undead state, this creature does nothing but ponder
these weighty matters. The gray philosopher appears as a seated, smoke-colored, insubstantial figure
swathed in robes. It always seems deep in thought. Flying surrounding the philosopher are a number
(1d8) of tiny, luminous, wispy creatures known as Malices. They have vaguely human faces, gaping
maws, and spindly, clawed hands. These vindictive creatures are the philosopher’s evil thoughts, which
have taken on substance and a will of their own. The Gray Philosopher cannot be turned by a cleric but
has no attack of its own; it will not defend itself. Unlike the philosopher, Malices constantly search for
victims on which to vent their petty but eternal spite. Malices do not stray more than 120 feet from
their philosopher but may pass through the narrowest of openings in their ceaseless flight. A malice
immune to being turned and may not be damaged while its creator exists. However, all these creatures
vanish instantly if their philosopher is destroyed. When a Gray Philosopher falls to 0 hp, it looks up with
an expression of malicious enlightenment on its face, and then vanishes with a lingering shriek of evil
delight.

Instinct: Creates Malices

•Ponders
•Generates 1d8 Malices
•Only damaged by magic or enchanted weapons
•Will dissolve if given solution to problem (In this case any decent answer to The Problem of Evil will do.
An example would be: Free Will.)
A badly hidden (automatically detect) secret door behind the tomb guards:

1,348 Coins and seven small gems (worth 475 coins) that are scattered in the room.

And the real treasure is in an unlocked chest:

“Three Treasures from Ynn”

The Illuminating Eye (1 Weight)

An unbreakable crystal sphere that holds a mystical arcane eye floating closed in mysterious amber
fluid. When commanded to open by its owner the sphere acts like a Light spell. The illumination also
reveals secret doors, traps, invisible creatures or objects and illusions.

The Devouring Key (0 Weight)

This key will open any lock or door (magic or not) if the key's owner rolls 10+. A 7-9 and the key will
require a food ration to open the door. On a fail the key will demand an expensive and rare fruit or
vegetable to open the lock. If the owner agrees the key will open the lock but will not function again
until it receives the promised gourmet item.

The Green Codex (1 Weight) is written in ancient elvish and describes The Gardens of Ynn.

Ynn is a perpendicular world. Compare the concept of parallel worlds: from any place in the real world,
you can cross over to an equivalent in the parallel world. Any place has its parallel version, just shifted
slightly. A perpendicular world, meanwhile, exists at right-angles to reality. Crossing over at a certain
point, the further one travels into the perpendicular world, the less like reality it becomes. Of the
dazzling variety of such worlds, Ynn is just one. It appears as a vast garden, now untended, overrun, and
fallen into ruin. Once, this place was a realm of rarefied luxury, but its masters are long dead and the
machinery that supported it has fallen into disrepair. This place fell victim to a psychological apocalypse;
the Idea of Thorns, a memetic virus, swept through the place, warping minds and even the structures of
reality itself. That madness lingers. It is dormant now but infuses the landscape. Pathways twist back on
themselves; landmarks shift position. This place seems mad because it is.

How Do You Get to The Gardens of Ynn?

The process is simple to those in the know. In any garden in any place (any place where there is a
garden - one could even escape Hell this way, if one could find a garden there) find a wall covered in ivy,
vines, moss, or similar. Clear that vegetation away, and using chalk and charcoal draw a realistic door
(with keyhole, hinges and doorknob) on the surface below.

Write upon the door: “Ynn, by way of [the current location]”. For more information beg, borrow or steal
“The Gardens of Ynn” by Emmy Allen.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/237544/The-Gardens-Of-Ynn
P.S. All references to Balok corresponding with the Star Trek TOS episode “The Corbomite Maneuver” are
intentional.

LL&P

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