The Vault of the Wrecked Clock
In the heart of the ancient metropolis of Khorath, a mad clockmaker named Torvin once reigned supreme, crafting intricate automata and mysterious timepieces that blurred the line between magic and machinery. However, one fateful experiment went awry, leading to the collapse of his grand workshop. Now, the Vault of the Wrecked Clock rests beneath the ruins, filled with twisted gears, malfunctioning constructs, and fragments of time lost to the madness of its creator. Adventurers brave enough to delve into this forsaken place will encounter not only the remnants of Torvin's genius but also the echoes of a time turned chaotic.
Room Descriptions
Room 1: The Grand Entry Hall
Description: As you step through the creaking door, the faint ticking of numerous clocks fills your ears. This cavernous hall is adorned with shattered timepieces, their hands frozen at peculiar moments—some at midnight, others at unearthly hours. Dust swirls in the shafts of light filtering through cracked skylights.
Monsters/Traps: A Havoc Automaton (a malfunctioning clockwork guardian) lurks, its hands spinning wildly as it defends its territory.
Treasures: Scattered throughout are small pockets of golden hourglass sand (worth 50 gold pieces) and an Obsidian Chronometer, which allows the wielder to manipulate time in minor ways, granting one re-roll per day.
Room 2: The Hall of Time's Whispers
Description: The air feels thick, almost tangible, as time itself seems to fade in this chamber. Worn tapestries depicting the history of Khorath hang from the walls, featuring scenes of Torvin's triumphs and failures. Whispering voices echo in the room, recounting lost tales.
Monsters/Traps: A Time Wraith, an ephemeral creature borne of the whispers, attacks anyone who disrupts the forgotten narrative.
Treasures: An Ancient Scroll detailing the crafting of magical timepieces is hidden in a compartment within the tapestry.
Room 3: The Gear Pits
Description: Here, vast pits filled with glinting gears and cogs stretch across the floor. Some are still moving slightly, creating an eerie rhythm. The walls are lined with gears that seem to pulse with energy.
Monsters/Traps: A Giant Gear Beetle, a massive insect-like creature made from metal, scuttles among the gears, attacking intruders.
Treasures: A chest containing a Mechanical Music Box that plays haunting melodies, allowing for earlier area exploration or distraction against foes.
Room 4: The Clockmaker's Workshop
Description: Tools of the clockmaker lay scattered around this workshop, along with blueprints of bizarre constructs. An eerie silence hangs over as far as you can see, subtly broken by the occasional tick-tock.
Monsters/Traps: A cursed Clockwork Dragonfly flits about, attacking intruders in a flurry of sharp wings and metal junk.
Treasures: Amidst the chaos lies the Schematics of the Ashen Automaton, allowing players to recreate a lesser construct companion.
Room 5: The Temporal Anvil
Description: This anvil of silvery metal pulsates with a strange energy, its surface marred with glowing runes that shimmer as if they were caught in a moment of movement. The air feels charged here, like a storm about to unleash.
Monsters/Traps: Time Disruption Trap - Stepping too close ignites temporal blasts that cause random shifts in the adventurers' positions within the room.
Treasures: A Wristband of Temporal Wardening, which grants a bonus to saving throws against any effects that alter time.
Room 6: The Chamber of Insomnia
Description: This room is filled with uncomfortable beds and dusty hammocks, a remnant of long-gone apprentices. A strange, heavy air lingers, and those who enter feel drowsy and slow.
Monsters/Traps: A Dreaming Slumberbeast, a creature that feeds off the dreams of hapless adventurers, lurks, dreaming of the past with illusions.
Treasures: A Sack of Aromatic Herbs that induces vivid dreams, allowing for minor prophetic visions when consumed.
Room 7: The Broken Wall of Clocks
Description: A wall filled with ticking clocks all showing different times, seemingly frozen in myriad moments. Some are broken, spilling gears onto the floor like confetti.
Monsters/Traps: A Bewitched Clockwork Harlequin, a playful trickster, taunts adventurers while summoning mechanical steam-spouts that cause minor fire.
Treasures: A Half-Shattered Hourglass that grants the user two extra actions in combat once per day, absorbing the remnants of time.
Room 8: The Hall of Lost Autonomy
Description: Old iron manacles and shackles line the walls, remnants of Torvin’s experiments with sentience in his creations. Flickering lights cast eerie shadows as mismatched animated arms junk around the space, still performing their long-lost tasks.
Monsters/Traps: A squad of Constructed Servitors obeying ancient commands, attacking anyone they perceive to be an intruder.
Treasures: A Manual of Clockwork Constructs, detailing several simple crafting recipes for animated assistants.
Room 9: The Archives of Mechanical Knowledge
Description: Shelves filled with crumbling tomes and charts line the walls, their contents fading. Ancient knowledge hums in the air, waiting for someone to unlock its secrets.
Monsters/Traps: A swarm of Animated Quills attacks when the shelves are disturbed.
Treasures: A hidden stash contains Notes from the Ultra-Mechanical Sculptor, providing insight into advanced constructs, and a Token of Whispers, which allows for communication with the remaining constructs.
Room 10: The Guardian of Time
Description: At the far end lies a large circular room dominated by a massive temporal device, gears locked in a complex pattern. A grand clock tower stands at the heart, its pendulum swinging ominously.
Monsters/Traps: The Eternal Sentinel, a powerful construct forged from the ultimate essence of Torvin’s madness, stands guard. It keeps time and order with every attack.
Treasures: Defeating it yields the Hourglass of Eternal Moments, a rare item allowing for a single future glance into fate.
Conclusion
Game masters can further adapt this dungeon by introducing thematic ties to a larger campaign involving time manipulation or tech-based magic. Enigmatic NPCs tied to Torvin's legacy could serve as quest-givers or allies. Incorporating unexpected encounters, random events, or dynamic shifts within the dungeon may further enhance the adventure. Consider setting external consequences for players' actions inside the vault—such as temporal distortions that affect the outside world or factions vying for control over the lost technology.
