The Mace of Terror is a powerful magical weapon found in Wongo’s tomb (area 16) within the Tomb of the Nine Gods. It serves as both treasure and the vessel for Wongo’s trickster god spirit.
Location and Acquisition
The mace is clutched in the desiccated claws of a su-monster mummy inside a stone sarcophagus. To access it, characters must first press three magical buttons that appear on the sarcophagus lid (corresponding to three trapped chests in the room). Once all three buttons are pressed, the sarcophagus transforms from stone to transparent crystal, revealing the mummy within.
The crystalline sarcophagus becomes brittle (AC 5, 10 hp, vulnerable to bludgeoning and thunder damage), and when shattered, the su-monster mummy animates and attacks, immediately using the mace of terror’s ability to unleash a wave of terror in its first round of combat.
Properties
The mace functions as a standard mace of terror (a magical weapon that can create fear effects). However, it carries a significant limitation: the mace turns to dust and is destroyed if it leaves the Tomb of the Nine Gods (though see the “Lost Treasures” section for potential exceptions).
Wongo’s Spirit
Wongo’s spirit is bound to the mace. When the mace hits or otherwise comes into contact with any character, Wongo’s spirit manifests as red smoke seething from the weapon’s head, forming the outline of a monkey with a long tail. The smoky apparition leaps at the character, screaming “Let me in!” and attempts to inhabit them (see “Spirits of the Nine Trickster Gods” for inhabitation mechanics).
If the spirit successfully inhabits a character, the su-monster mummy becomes friendly toward that character, treating them as an ally. If the inhabitation attempt fails, the spirit returns to the mace and waits for another character to make contact with it.