30 minutes is... not much, I tell you that! I did waste 15 minutes on the map. Although I knew I should't. Then spent 30 minutes on the description, so I broke the rule...
But here's what I got. I think it's a good outline, and perhaps in the near future I can flesh it out! It's an ancient Mesopotamian themed ruin complex.
General
background: Middle East, circa 700 AD. It is the time of the Omayyad Caliphate.
But this empire is not the first to rule in the area, and some people are eager
to explore the remnants of civilizations much more ancient and powerful – the Assyrians,
the Babylonians, the Medes.
Hook: Abdul
Alhazred, the renowned Damascene scholar (not yet known as “the Mad Arab”)
hires the party to explore the ruins of an ancient Chaldean palace, find the
archives, and bring back as many clay tablets as possible.
The ruins
of a once glorious palace, now buried under the sand. A small part is
accessible. There are two entrances, 1. from the east (visible) and 2. from the south
(barely visible, covered by rubble, but easy to clear if noticed).
Outside the ruins
A nomad
tribe has set up camp next to the east entrance.
They never delve
deep into the ruins (sometimes go into the courtyard), just use its walls as
defense against the sandstorms.
However,
they also don’t want to let anybody else in, unless payment or reason is
provided.
6+2d6
nomads (HD 1, armed with scimitars and slings) and their leader Sardar, who
tells wicked ghost stories (HD 2, armed with Damascene steel)
Areas:
Courtyard
Open area
that grants access to the various parts of the complex.
Storage
rooms
Grouped around
the Courtyard. Many broken clay vessels. Their ancient content (sesame oil and
honey) coalesced into 1d4 deadly Lubricious & Viscous Oozes (HD 3,
engulfing pseudopods, weapons get stuck in them).
Treasure:
each Ooze’s body holds 1d100sp worth in assorted items and medieval coins, and
one Ooze holds an ancient Egyptian faience amulet (+1 to saves against Magic if
worn).
Chapel area
Entered
from the west side of the Courtyard, through a small vestibule.
The
entrance is flanked by stone reliefs, depicting two winged genies with human
heads. The genies each hold a small container and raise a pine cone towards the
entrance.
In the
vestibule there is a locked chest. Contents: gilded pine cones, a small
container with a sweet smelling oil (enough for 1d8 smears), silver cups and
plates worth 200sp.
To pass
through the door, one must be first anointed with the sweet oil.
Anybody not
anointed is struck by searing light from the toppled statue in the next room.
3d6 damage (save against Rays/Devices for half damage).
The main chapel
room
Toppled
statue of a male divinity, opposite the entrance. Heavy (combined Strength of
40+ to move). If restored to its original upright position, an otherwise
invisible compartment opens in its base, holding a gold bar worth 100gp and the
personal Seal of the High Priest (small cylinder seal, depicts a nude hero
battling a bull-man; can be used to open containers safely in the Sacred Archive area;
provides protection against the Bull-Man).
Chapel
storage rooms
Guarded by a
Bull-Man (HD 7, very strong, bonus to grappling). If shown the Seal of the High
Priest, bows and doesn’t attack.
Treasure:
votive statues, furniture decorated with gold and ivory.
Archive
area
Entered
from the north side of the Courtyard, through a small vestibule.
The
entrance is flanked by stone reliefs. When first seen, there are 4 winged
genies with bird heads and vicious beaks. The head of one of them was damaged.
When the spectators turn away, the three undamaged genies disappear from the
reliefs. These three active winged genie guardians will then invisibly stalk and
attack the intruders at the most convenient moment.
Winged
Genie Guardians (HD 6, 2 attacks, limited flight [long jumps])
The genies
have to be defeated, or, alternatively, their stone slabs can be broken (by at
least two blows dealing 4 or more damage). If a slab is broken, one genie
disintegrates.
Main
archives (North part)
Myriads of
clay shards. For each turn spent searching, 1d20 complete clay tablets can be
salvaged, up to a total of 100.
The tablets
contain economical records, hymns, epic stories, historical annals.
Sacred
archives (West part)
Five limestone
chests. Sealed with wax – the wax has the imprint of a cylinder seal (nude hero
battling a bull-man). If the wax is broken, the perpetrator takes 1d8 damage
and must save against Magic. On a failed save, the word THIEF is burnt into
their forehead (in cuneiform Akkadian).
A person
holding the Seal of the High Priest (see Chapel area) can break the wax without
any consequences.
Each chest
holds 1d12 complete clay tables. Descriptions of rituals, hymns. Every fifth
tablet from this room is also a random spell “scroll” (written in cuneiform
Akkadian).