The Tomb of the Nine Gods is the ancient dungeon complex beneath the ruined city of Omu, serving as both a repository for the remains of Omu’s nine trickster gods and a deadly trap constructed by the archlich Acererak. This multilevel tomb houses the Soulmonger, the necromantic device responsible for the death curse affecting the entire world.
Purpose and History
Acererak built the Tomb of the Nine Gods after killing Omu’s nine trickster gods and enslaving the city’s inhabitants to construct it. The archlich designed it as more than a burial site—it functions as a nursery for an atropal, an undead godling that feeds on souls trapped by the Soulmonger. Once the atropal consumes enough souls, it will transform into an evil god. The tomb also serves Acererak’s cruel entertainment, luring powerful adventurers with treasure before killing them with deadly traps and monsters, scarring their souls and trapping them in his phylactery.
Structure and Access
The tomb entrance is marked by a vine-draped obelisk in Omu (area 14). To unlock the entrance, adventurers must first recover nine puzzle cubes from shrines scattered throughout the ruined city—one cube for each trickster god (Kubazan, Shagambi, Moa, Unkh, I’jin, Wongo, Papazotl, Nangnang, and Obo’laka). These cubes are indestructible stone objects, each 3 inches on a side and engraved with images of their respective god. If discarded or taken more than a mile from Omu, the cubes teleport back to their shrines.
The dungeon spans five levels:
- Level 1: Rotten Halls (areas 1-17) - Features Acererak’s warnings, trapped corridors, the gallery of tricksters, and tombs of several trickster gods
- Level 2: Dungeon of Deception (areas 18-28) - Contains false tombs, more trickster god chambers, and Withers’ headquarters
- Level 3: Vault of Reflection (areas 29-44) - Houses reflected halls, rotating crawlways, and a beholder-guarded treasure vault
- Level 4: Chambers of Horror (areas 45-56) - Features elemental cells, a maze of death, mirror of life trapping, and the throne room
- Level 5: The Cradle of the Death God (areas 57-80) - Contains the configuration chambers, aboleth lake, the Soulmonger, and the atropal’s lair
Magical Restrictions
Powerful abjuration magic permeates the tomb, severely restricting spellcasting. Teleportation spells (dimension door, teleport, plane shift, etc.) either fail or deposit casters in area 57. Divination spells return false readings. Spells allowing passage through stone (passwall, stone shape) fail. Communication and scrying spells are similarly blocked. These restrictions apply to all magic except Acererak’s own spells and the amulet of the black skull.
Tomb Inhabitants
Withers: Acererak’s undead custodian, a wight who oversees maintenance of the tomb’s traps using a crew of dwarf wights. He monitors the tomb through a scrying pool (area 25) and avoids direct confrontation, confident in Acererak’s deadly designs. His journals (area 28) document the history of Omu and the tomb’s construction.
The Sewn Sisters: Three night hags who serve Acererak, encountered in the Ethereal Plane and the tomb’s final levels.
Kobolds: A tribe recruited by Acererak to maintain the shrine traps. Led by their greedy sorcerer Kakarol, they dwell in cellars beneath area 15. Acererak promised to transform Kakarol into a dragon, but the kobolds remain unaware of his alliance with Ras Nsi.
Other Creatures: The tomb houses two legendary monsters—a beholder named Belchorzh guarding a treasure vault (area 44) and an aboleth named G’lyh’rul in an underground lake (area 65). Neither creature can use lair actions within the tomb.
The Nine Trickster Gods
The spirits of the nine slain trickster gods inhabit magic items hidden throughout the tomb. When characters touch these items, the spirits attempt to inhabit them (see “Spirits of the Nine Trickster Gods”):
- Kubazan (froghemoth) - bracers of archery (area 42)
- Shagambi (kamadan) - Canaith mandolin (area 48)
- Moa (jaculi) - staff of the python (area 14)
- Unkh (flail snail) - robe of scintillating colors (area 55)
- I’jin (almiraj) - almiraj horn/wand of wonder (area 35)
- Wongo (su-monster) - mace of terror (area 16)
- Papazotl (eblis) - amulet of health (area 22)
- Nangnang (grung) - petrified grung egg/pearl of power (area 24)
- Obo’laka (zorbo) - ring of protection (area 10)
These spirits grant inhabited characters special powers and flaws. When Acererak appears, the spirits cry out for vengeance, granting their hosts significant combat bonuses against the archlich.
Acererak’s Warnings
Four bronze plaques mounted on balconies throughout the tomb provide cryptic clues about navigating its dangers. These warnings appear at areas 1, 7A, 7C, and 7D, referencing specific features and locations on each level.
The Soulmonger and Final Confrontation
Deep within the tomb lies the Soulmonger (area 78), the device responsible for the death curse. The Soulmonger is a 10-foot-tall, 6-foot-diameter black obelisk adorned with skulls, absorbing souls and feeding them to the atropal in area 80. Destroying the Soulmonger ends the death curse affecting the world.
If characters kill the atropal, Acererak himself appears on the south balcony of area 80, wielding the Staff of the Forgotten One and accompanied by a sphere of annihilation. The archlich attacks with murderous intent, but characters inhabited by trickster god spirits gain powerful benefits in the battle—50 temporary hit points per turn and extra psychic damage on successful attacks against him.
Notable Features
The tomb contains numerous fabled treasures, including the Black Opal Crown (area 49), Eye of Zaltec, Navel of the Moon, and Skull Chalice of Ch’gakare. A mirror of life trapping (area 50) holds twelve prisoners, including Lukanu (Queen Napaka’s bodyguard wearing scorpion armor) and other creatures trapped over centuries. Queen Napaka herself lies in the Crypt of the Sun Queen (area 53), accessible from the throne room (area 52).
All treasure items found within the tomb turn to dust if removed from it, though there are methods to preserve them detailed in the “Lost Treasures” section.
Survival and Escape
Not one person who entered the tomb before the characters has lived to tell the tale. The dungeon is notoriously lethal, with Acererak designing it specifically to kill powerful adventurers while tormenting them. Characters who survive must contend with deadly traps, ancient guardians, and ultimately either the atropal or Acererak himself. The suggested character level for entering the tomb is 9th or higher, with advancement occurring within its depths rather than before entry.