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One of the many manifestations of the “Lands of the Dead“; those from the Helca pass through a hazy, glittering world of great halls, corridors, and caves. This singular Aether Well is attached to Helca only. For souls who pass as part of the natural order, their way is usually lit by radiant footsteps. The dead souls of the dead shuffle slowly, seeking their reward – a transition to a sphere of divine reward, or a return to the primal aether for those without faith… but all make the passage. The House of the Dead is mostly informed by Celestine myth and legends – they are the oldest and most documented.
There is only one known place in the Steel Realms which has been documented to contain a doorway to this place – the Deadlands of the south, just south of the Fertile Crescent.
The Deadlands have a peril all their own.
Kabechet
When the soul arrives, it will begin its journey if it is seeking passage. Otherwise, it must face the guardian. Once the guardian has been faced, the characters must travel through the garden.
Great Hall of Mirrors: All who pass must pass before the great mirror: It captures their reflection forever, and shows them as others seem them – a shifting reflecting over every notion but their own.
SAN check or -1 SAN perm.
The garden is itself a defense. There are three entrance points – indicating three separate conclusions to the quest. The garden smells of fresh foliage and flowers.
Each time the characters attempt to navigate it, the leader must make a Cryptology check; failure indicates that the character’s essence is reduced by 1. Additionally, Seekers will find their physical body reduced by 1 Health permanently if they manage to return.
The Cellar: A full result will draw Seekers past the cellar in addition to one of the portals. The cellar has within it certain items – a “larder for the soul”; these allow Seekers to resist some of the draining effects
of traveling in this land. It also includes a “Soul Lamp” – to light the way. It also has a glass cage – a Soul Cage. This allows a lost soul to be captured. However, in order to use it, they character must flip the glass hourglass –
while it runs, so runs their life.
Golden Archway: Leads to the upper paths.
Whirlpool of Darkness: Leads to the lower paths.
A Mirror Darkly: Leads to the hall of mirrors.
Those without essence to pass on end up in the Hall of Mirrors, where what little they have left is amplified. Here they remain, until such a time as they somehow gain essence to continue the journey or every last trace of them is erased in the world they came from – in which case they return to the aether and their essence will not reform. A reflection of all those who have passed can be spoken to.
Encounter: Doubles of the characters.
The hall of mirrors also contains all the spirits who have come through. These spirits may be questioned. Each time a Seeker wants to questions a specific spirit, they must make a CHA check. If successful, they find the spirit they seek to converse with. Failure indicates -1 Health permanently. Characters attempting to simply wander the Hall of Mirrors seeking widom may make a Meditation check; success means they are more likely to connect with a spirit of benign origins (GM determination).
Knowledge gained from the lands of the dead may be hazy. Any skills or traits gained in this way, or information, will seem a bit hazy in the Seekers mind – +1 AM in accessing/using the ability or information. Checks made for each spirit are cumulative.
You walk into a large chamber and there are many dancing around you in celebration. The music grows louder and louder, weird piping confuses you and the room starts to spin until only yourselves and mirror replicas of yourselves. They move to grapple you.
The upper rooms are populated by servants, guardians and spirits that will try and stop the spirits of the characters. It requires much fighting and violence to make your way through.
Serpents; Room room is empty, but a cold mist hovers on the floor. After a few moments, you feel something slide over your feet, then the mist congeals into dozens of snakes that begin to strike at your feet and legs.
Jackals; The passage opens into a large open ended hall, a great hearth lit and burning warmly. Some sort of figure writhes still on the spit in the fire… and howling jackal headed figures dance about it.
Darkness; A dim room surrounds you. Your footsteps echo all around you and set up vibrations with hover in the air – vibrations which become motes of black darkness and attack you.
Mummies; A burial preparation room hold many mummies being prepared for their journey. Each face looks familiar – friends, family, loved ones… as they all sit up, slide off their tables and shamble stiffly to attack you.
Skeletons; Ancient sarcophagi litter this massive mausoleum. About halfway through the chamber, the names engraved on each become familiar – marks and names of friends, family, rulers and figures all appreciated by you. the lids all fly off at once, and skeletal remains wrapped in mummies shrouds rip their vestments and move to attack you.
The lower paths are twisting and turning, through rough caves and tunnels. There are much less guardians here, and less danger to Seekers physical bodies, but their is a greater danger to their essence and attributes. The longer Seekers stays here, the more the body ages.