Overview
The undercroft the archmage Khazan cut under his tower, below the level of the tarn: a stair, a hall of shelved names, a crypt the lake has got into, and his study, where he waits to be remembered (The Name Over the Door, docs/story/side_quests.md).
A stair under the hearth goes down past the level of the lake. The walls sweat cold water. Every step down, the silence gets thicker, like the inside of a library that has never been opened.
Resting: no Every time you close your eyes, somebody whispers your name from the shelves. Nobody sleeps down here.
Getting here
Ways in
- From Van Richten's Tower: Down under the hearth
Ways out
| # | Exit | Leads to | Only when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Up to the tower |  Van Richten's Tower | |
| 2 | Up to the tower | Van Richten's Tower |
Map
Key: gold, people; red, containers; purple, hidden finds; teal, skill checks; white, exits; orange, traps. The numbers match the lists on this page.
Close up
Something in the silt
the book of names, a high chair
People
Who turns up at points in the story (1)
- Khazan, Khazan's study (#3): when not khazan withdrawn and not khazan destroyed; or when khazan withdrawn and khazan name broken and not khazan destroyed
What to find
| # | Where | What | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Khazan's coffer | Wand of the War Mage, +3, 800 gp | open it; only when khazan destroyed |
| 5 | Something in the silt (hidden) | Bracers of Defense | Search: Investigation DC 16 |
The containers here also get random magic items and potions, rolled for a party of level 8 the first time you come (Random Treasure). Hidden finds need a Search (F) nearby; the party's best roll counts.
Fights
- The books on every shelf open at once with a sound like birds, and the people written in them come out of the…, in Under Van Richten's Tower: Banshee, Ghost, Specter, Wraith.
- Khazan stands up out of his chair, and every candle in the study leans toward him, and the books in the hall…, in Under Van Richten's Tower: Khazan, Specter. Part of The Name Over the Door.
- For one moment more Khazan is himself, and he doesn't lift a hand. Then the lights in his eyes go out, and…, in Under Van Richten's Tower: Khazan, Specter. Scales with your level. Part of The Name Over the Door.
By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
- Under Van Richten's Tower, when khazan name broken and khazan said: Khazan, 2 × A Visitor (Specter) (11900 XP; surprise: enemies)
- Under Van Richten's Tower, when khazan name broken: Khazan, 2 × A Visitor (Specter) (11900 XP)
Quests and lore
- The Name Over the Door: Mordenkainen says the archmage who built the tower on the tarn never died: he moved downstairs, and he's waking.