The Scintillating Cave features eight cavernous levels, with all the inherent dangers associated with these, including open tension rooms, and high monster generation featuring very dangerous monsters: ancient karmic dragons, greater molochs and emperor lichs are common. It is best to simply get to the down staircases as quickly as possible unless the PC is an absolute walking tank by this time. All of the levels of the Scintillating Cave feature a dangerously high corruption rate, so it is generally not advised to spend inordinate amounts of time fighting monsters here. The last level is particularly corrupting, is not cavernous, and is home to the powerful Emperor Moloch. Killing the Emperor Moloch will give the PC the crumpled scroll, which is necessary to obtain the Trident of the Red Rooster. Note that the crumpled scroll is not an artifact, and thus is vulnerable to damage from fire, water, etc. It is recommended that the player reads the crumpled scroll at the earliest opportunity, since this will allow the crumpled scroll to be rewritten using a magical writing set.
Altars may occasionally spawn in the Scintillating Cave; however, these may also be destroyed by rampaging molochs.
| Level: 1, DV: 3, PV: 200, Hits: 1395, Attacks: 1, Damage: 36d12+12, Speed: 85. |
Whilst it is possible to kill the moloch in straight up melee combat, ranged tactics may be a good idea for PCs lacking stellar endurance and/or Strength scores; particularly since the moloch is easy to outrun and has no ranged attacks. He is immune to fire and cold, though; and has a high chance to shrug off other magical bolts. PCs relying instead on archery should use their stocks of blessed penetrating ammo against him.
Note that a wish for "emperor moloch", whilst he is still alive, will instead spawn about 20 hostile greater molochs. It is also worth noting that as well as the crumpled scroll, the moloch is also guaranteed to drop his moloch armor when slain.
The crumpled scroll is a mundane item needed to gain the Trident of the Red Rooster. It must be given to saved Khelavaster in Terinyo.
Reading it yields the following: "The scroll depicts a trident made from gleaming black steel. The background depicts an elaborate red rooster."If the crumpled scroll gets destroyed without the player having read it, the Trident of the Red Rooster is forever lost (unless the Ultimate Dungeon can be accessed, which contains multiple emperor molochs). If the player has read it, it can be rewritten using a magical writing set. Wishing for crumpled scroll results in blank scrolls (which can be used to write it).
At 15,000 stones, moloch armor is by far the heaviest known item in the game. Wearing it grants unsurpassed protection against damage,
as well as fire immunity, but severely slows down the PC and their reflexes. Typical stats for moloch armor is (-8, -16) [-30, +50], with
penalties of -20 to Speed and -20 to Dx. Each of these stats can be vary slightly – for example, it is possible to find moloch
armor with less PV but also less severe stat penalties. In its unidentified form, it appears as "hulking armor".The armor is completely useless to many PCs that find it, for the sole reason that they can't actually pick it up – short of wearing a blessed girdle of carrying and/or having a Strength score of over 40, 15,000 stones is more than most PCs can physically carry, meaning that even if they drop their entire inventory such PCs will still be unable to pick it up. Strength of Atlas usually allows PCs, especially magically-proficient ones, to carry the armor and their other equipment too, though they'll have to be very careful and not let the spell wear off whilst they are carrying the armor.
Those PCs who are able to wear it (and don't mind perhaps not being able to carry much else) will get to continue their life as a moloch (armor-wise) – which has its clear advantages and disadvantages. A PV increase of approximately 50 is very handy for taking non-penetrating hits from strong monsters; the massive DV penalty incurred by wearing the armor means that it is often very easy for monster attacks to land, though, increasing the danger of penetrating hits and/or critical hits. The massive Speed and Dexterity penalties really don't help either when trying to evade monsters with penetrating attacks. In summary, whilst the armor might save the PC's life in a greater vault of red dragons, it is certainly not recommended to wear it in many other situations, at least not in the Bug Temple.
Moloch armor is of particular interest to Weaponsmiths. Their level 6 class power to melt armor depends on the weight of the armor in question. Melting a moloch armor can render a few hundred eternium ingots. The armor is also smithable, which can correct the massive DV penalties, ironically making this extremely heavy item increase DV with enough work.
Note that wishing for "moloch armor" or "hulking armor" instead yields an eternium plate mail.
----------------- moloch armor (-8, -16) [-30, +50] {Dx-20} (-20 spd) -----------------
Weight: 15000s
When worn it modifies DV by -30 and PV by +50.
When used in melee combat it grants a -8 bonus to hit a causes 3d10 points of damage.
When used as a missile it grants a -16 bonus to hit and causes 3d10+2 points of damage.
It modifies your dexterity attribute by -20.
It modifies your speed by -20.
It grants immunity to fire.
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