Did you really think the gods would let you back out after having come so far? As you turn to leave, there is a sudden rumble, and the mountain shakes violently, knocking everyone off their feet and doing 1D3–1 in hits to everyone in the party.

The six alcoves break open and out prance six animated skeletons, each waving a thin black scimitar. It is no longer possible to run. You must fight for your lives.

[Each Skeleton has a Monster Rating of 24, getting 3D6+12 adds in combat. The swords are worth 3D6 and the Skeletons get 12 adds. The swords are poisoned, but the poison is very old, and may not affect anyone wounded with it. Magic has no effect on these undead. Bladed weapons only do half damage, but smashing weapons like maces and hammers do double damage. Axes do normal damage. Each Skeleton destroyed is actually worth 48 adventure points instead of 24.]

If the Skeletons win and everyone is slain, then you are DEAD!!! If you somehow managed to beat all the Skeletons, then you may take the black swords as loot. Each sword has evil magic upon it, causing the sword to always do poison damage when it cuts anyone. See the poison effects below.

[Poison-Swords. The black swords get 3D6 in combat and do poison damage to anyone they strike. For each point of damage the swords do to a character without killing it, the character must make that level saving roll on Constitution for that number of turns. If the saving roll is made, then the character’s CON goes up by the level number of the saving roll. If the saving roll is missed then the character’s CON goes down by the number of points the roll was missed by. For example: Bilbo was struck by a poison-sword and took 3 hits of damage before managing to kill his skeleton. For the next three times that Bilbo enters a new paragraph in this adventure he must attempt a L3SR on CON. If he makes the saving roll, he gains 3 CON points permanently, but if he misses, he takes the difference in damage and gets a lower CON, or dies. Once the poison effect has worn off, the character is permanently immune and cannot suffer or benefit from that poison again.]

Now that the guardians are dead, you feel compelled to approach the sarcophagus.