# [[The Gauntlight Level 5 - Flesh Warps]] ![[The Gauntlight Level 5 - Flesh Warps.svg]] **Level 5** of [[The Gauntlight]] is a **gladiatorial arena** that was originally designed for combat entertainment and later repurposed by [[Belcorra]]'s organization for experimentation and army building. It is currently controlled by [[Jafaki]], who uses it as a base for creating flesh warps and building [[Belcorra]]'s golem army. ## Overview ### Original Purpose Level 5 was constructed as a **gladiatorial arena** with various themed rooms designed for different types of combat entertainment. The arena featured: - **Central fighting area** with seating for spectators - **Themed combat rooms** for specific types of battles - **Holding areas** for gladiators and creatures - **Administrative areas** for managing the arena ### Current State Under [[Belcorra]]'s control and now managed by [[Jafaki]], the level has been transformed into: - **Flesh warp creation facility** - Jafaki's primary workshop - **Experimentation chambers** - for surgical modifications and creature creation - **Army staging area** - for Belcorra's golem forces - **Prison complex** - holding areas for test subjects ## Three Factions According to [[Augrael]], Level 5 is controlled by **three distinct factions**: ### 1. **Undead Faction** - **[[Death Shepherd]]** - The primary undead threat that even Augrael cannot defeat - **Thralls** - Ghoul-like creatures controlled by the Death Shepherd via shadowy chains - **Gibbering Mouthers** - Five creatures that replaced the Death Shepherd in the pit - **Hollow Eye Harbinger** - Servant of [[Nhimbaloth]] that opens reality holes - **Soul-tongued Skitterers** - Undead Urdofans that can transfer HP between living and dead ### 2. **Flesh Warps** - **[[Jafaki]]** - [[Sugathi]] leader who creates flesh warps for Belcorra's army - **Flesh Warp Guards** - Creatures that guard various areas of the level - **Experimental Subjects** - Including modified morlocks and dreshkans - **"Part Spider Part Person"** - Creature seen dropping off injured flesh warps ### 3. **Stone/Metal Creatures** - **Unknown constructs** that are "hard, like metal or stone" - **Possibly [[Volluk Azrinae]]'s creations** - constructs and mechanical devices - **Soul gem mechanisms** - devices designed to harvest souls ## Key Areas and Encounters ### **The Arena Central** - **Immense tree of blackened flesh and bark** - Believed to be [[Jade Quarion]] transformed - Surrounded by **perfect circle of green life** (grass, moss, wildflowers, glowing buds) - **Attacks with monk-like techniques** similar to [[Ash]]'s fighting style - **Feeds on thousands of corpses** buried beneath its foliage - **Regenerates when burned** through green buds that explode with healing light - Vines attempt to grapple intruders as a warning ### **Death Shepherd's Chamber** - **Oversized manacles** (elephant-sized) in western area - **Circular pit** covered by rusted iron gates - **80-foot deep pit** with spiral staircase and multiple exits - **Piles of scrap** and dreshkan corpses - **Chamber with rusted iron chains** hanging from ceiling ### **Experimentation Rooms** - **Three slabs** with surgical equipment - **Morlock corpse** (three weeks old) surgically modified to become dreshkan - **Contains specter** - corrupted soul of the morlock seeking vengeance - **Metal shelves and operating tables** in lower chamber - **Magical downward-facing lanterns** providing illumination - **Piles of decaying flesh** including jelly creatures that dissolve flesh ### **Prison Complex** - **Caged areas** with blood and excrement from long-gone creatures - **Various sized manacles** indicating different creature types were held - **Cage where [[Augrael]] was found** with his pet crab creature - **Holding areas** for gladiators and test subjects ### **Alcoves with Blessed Plants** - **Plants blessed by [[Gozreh]]** that exude life energy - **Harmful to undead** - explains why Death Shepherd avoided these areas - **Former flesh creatures merged with plants** now immobile - **Can be harvested** to create *Elixir of Life (Minor)* - **Grant temporary HP** to living creatures who approach ## Historical Significance ### **The Order of the Ebon Hand** - **Arena murals** depict [[The Order of the Ebon Hand]] fighting aberrations - **[[Jade Quarion]]** appears as a **hooded monk with green mask** leading the Order - **Fought against aberrations** in the arena as part of organized resistance - **Jade Quarion was arena champion** before being captured and transformed by Jafaki ### **Gladiatorial Battles** - **Frescoes show combat scenes**: - Gladiators fighting **serpent women (nagas)** - Battles against **mated basilisks** - Various themed combat encounters - **Blue light power source** that summons [[Skalathrax]] for arena battles - **Spectator areas** for viewing the combat entertainment ## Transportation ### **Teleportation Circles** - **[[Galiath Banderdash]]** can operate teleportation circles for a fee - **Multiple teleportation points** throughout The Gauntlight - **Dedicated arena teleportation circle** brings people directly into the arena - **Used for transporting gladiators** and spectators ## Current Threats ### **Environmental Hazards** - **Fungal infections** - Party became infected with unknown fungus - **Reality holes** - Gray areas where [[Nhimbaloth]]'s gaze breaks through - **Soul-draining mechanisms** - Volluk's constructs designed to harvest souls - **Magical experimentation** - Ongoing flesh warp creation processes ### **Ongoing Operations** - **Jafaki's flesh warp army** - Continuous production of golem soldiers - **Soul harvesting** - Volluk's mechanisms still partially functional - **Creature experimentation** - Surgical modification of captured subjects - **Arena reactivation** - Possible return to gladiatorial combat ## Key NPCs ### **[[Jafaki]]** - Current Controller - **Sugathi (worm-like creature)** and Belcorra's top servant - **Creates flesh warps** for the golem army - **Imprisoned [[Chafkem]]** and usurped control of the level - **Works with "Part Spider Part Person"** creature ### **[[Augrael]]** - Ally/Guide - **Found caged but alive** with his pet crab creature - **Transformed appearance** - more snake-like with triangular face and two-foot black tongue - **Can eat most undead** but not the Death Shepherd - **Offers to guide the party** through the level - **Has knowledge of all three factions** ### **[[Chafkem]]** - Former Administrator - **Originally administered Level 5** before Jafaki's takeover - **Imprisoned for centuries** in paper-wrapped mummy form - **Recently freed by the party** and seeks revenge against Jafaki - **Potential ally** with intimate knowledge of the level ### **[[Lurem]]** - Former Overseer (Deceased) - **Gnome ghost** who watched gladiatorial fights for centuries - **Provided crucial intelligence** about Belcorra's organization before his merciful death - **Warned about spiritual degradation** affecting those trapped in the level ## Strategic Importance Level 5 serves as a crucial junction in Belcorra's operations: - **Army production facility** - Creating soldiers for her ultimate plan - **Experimentation center** - Testing new forms of undead and constructs - **Historical repository** - Contains evidence of past resistance efforts - **Transportation hub** - Multiple teleportation access points - **Resource extraction** - Soul harvesting and creature modification The level represents both the corruption of a once-noble arena and the ongoing threat of Belcorra's organizational remnants continuing their dark work even after her apparent death. %% # Excalidraw Data ## Text Elements ## Drawing ```json { "type": "excalidraw", "version": 2, "source": "https://github.com/zsviczian/obsidian-excalidraw-plugin/releases/tag/2.1.4", "elements": [ { "id": "7qSogdPD", "type": "text", "x": 290.3999239206314, "y": -308.87487030029297, "width": 3.8599853515625, "height": 24, "angle": 0, "strokeColor": "#1e1e1e", "backgroundColor": "transparent", "fillStyle": "solid", "strokeWidth": 2, "strokeStyle": "solid", "roughness": 1, "opacity": 100, "groupIds": [], "frameId": null, "roundness": null, "seed": 1894374050, "version": 2, "versionNonce": 2094291134, "isDeleted": true, "boundElements": null, "updated": 1713723608868, "link": null, "locked": false, "text": "", "rawText": "", "fontSize": 20, "fontFamily": 4, "textAlign": "left", "verticalAlign": "top", "containerId": null, "originalText": "", "lineHeight": 1.2 } ], "appState": { "theme": "dark", "viewBackgroundColor": "#ffffff", "currentItemStrokeColor": "#1e1e1e", "currentItemBackgroundColor": "transparent", "currentItemFillStyle": "solid", "currentItemStrokeWidth": 2, "currentItemStrokeStyle": "solid", "currentItemRoughness": 1, "currentItemOpacity": 100, "currentItemFontFamily": 4, "currentItemFontSize": 20, "currentItemTextAlign": "left", "currentItemStartArrowhead": null, "currentItemEndArrowhead": "arrow", "scrollX": 583.2388916915625, "scrollY": 573.6323852539062, "zoom": { "value": 1 }, "currentItemRoundness": "round", "gridSize": null, "gridColor": { "Bold": "#C9C9C9FF", "Regular": "#EDEDEDFF" }, "currentStrokeOptions": null, "previousGridSize": null, "frameRendering": { "enabled": true, "clip": true, "name": true, "outline": true } }, "files": {} } ``` %%