Sepulchre of Mydianchlarus
Location: Abyss / Layer 4 — Grand Abyss
The Sepulchre of Mydianchlarus, carved into the cliff face of Precipit in the Grand Abyss, is a monument to the power and cruelty of its former namesake. This ostentatious mausoleum, perched precariously over the vertical drop, draws the eye and the greed of many a cutter foolish enough to brave its dangers.
The tomb’s exterior is a grotesque display of fiendish architecture, all jagged spires and leering gargoyles that definitely watch your every move. Wicked yugoloth magics ward the entrance, creating a maze of deadly traps and illusions to confound would-be tomb raiders.
Mydianchlarus was the Oinoloth for a short time, after whispering a secret in Anthraxus’s ear so profound and disturbing that he was compelled to leave Khin-Oin. However, this treachery was soon repaid by Anthraxus who adopted a disguise and re-took his title from Mydianchlarus in turn. The sepulchre was build as a reminder and a challenge to other would-be challengers to the Oinoloth that they’ll need to do a better job than Mydianchlarus if they want to succeed.
Inside, the sepulchre is said to be a labyrinth of perilous chambers. The walls themselves are slick with an unholy Abyssal energy, and the air is thick with the stench of ancient evil. Fiendish guardians—bound to eternal service and extremely angry about it—lurk in the shadowy places, ready to pounce on unsuspecting intruders.
But it’s the promise of treasure that lures the brave and the foolhardy. Whispers speak of artifacts of immense power buried with Mydianchlarus, like a section of the legendary Rod of Seven Parts, the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords, or spellbooks once owned by Vecna himself during his mortal days. It’s doubtful all three are here though, so some kind of yugoloth trickery is certainly at work. Such prizes, if they exist, lie deep within the tomb’s innermost sanctum. Magical wards, designed to confound and destroy, protect the ultrodaemon lord’s final resting place.
Here’s the dark of it though, cutter: Mydianchlarus might not actually be as dead as everyone thinks (or hopes). Some say a vestige of his spirit still lingers here, waiting for the right moment to reclaim his (or someone else’s) body and seek vengeance on Anthraxus, who usurped him.
So if you’re daft enough to seek out the Sepulchre of Mydianchlarus, remember this: In the Grand Abyss, even death isn’t always the end. And in this tomb, the treasures you seek might just be the bait in a trap millennia in the making. It’s a cert that any grave robber mighty enough to make it past all the traps would be a juicy target for a patient vestige to possess. Just sayin’…
Canonical Source: Demonomicon [4e] p50, expanded by Jon Winter-Holt