Appendix N 2026 Bonus Dungeon: The Essence of Eblis

 

Before God taught man the divine art of water creation, the desert was ruled by the Djinn. They called storms as they pleased, bringing rain to their worshipers and drought to those who defied them. One such Djinni was Eblis.

 

A: Pleasure Dome. An interior space large enough to hold its own weather pattern. EBLIS whirls around as a cloud, dumping a stream of water into the pipeline leading out under B. Her lantern sits in the center of the chamber. Her gold and gems are buried amid the shifting sands.

B: Great Causeway. Sloughing stone connects the dome to the ziggurat. A pipeline runs beneath, carrying water. Unwanted visitors are subject to wind, lightning, and the creatures of C.

C: Aerie. Eblis’ menagerie of Great Birds and Flying Devils infest the upper levels of the ziggurat. They roost on enormous metal poles driven into the walls, sing to themselves in myriad mirrors, and fly out to extort tributes from outlying auls.

D: Cave of Statues. Hidden stairway up to buried hatch in A. Statues swing shamshirs at intruders who traverse the steps.

E: Barracks. Eblis’ Animal-Headed Soldiers lie about the ground floor of the ziggurat. They are overfond of drink, forbidden to make fire, and resentful of the charmed door that keeps them from helping themselves to the hostages at G.

F: Elevator. A pulley system to access the dungeon below.

G: Pleasure Garden. Eblis’ Hostages lounge amid the green and growing things, clad only in jewelry and piercings, eating sweet treats and swimming in the clear water of the central pool.

H: Dungeon. Eblis’ dungeons are full of hard-headed desert dwellers who refuse to worship her. If they refuse to recant they are fed to her soldiers at E or tossed miles in the air by her whirlwinds.

I: Gatehouse. Each tower holds a Woman-Dragon. They command visitors to disrobe and join the hostages at G, or be blown off the causeway by their wind breath.

J: Undercaves. Fed by drain from G. Tunnel leading to D. Full of hostages Eblis got bored of. These Troglodytes offer to help battle the Djinni, then betray adventurers to ingratiate themselves with her again.

EBLIS

Eblis the Djinni controls the weather. She loves God but considers humans animals to be controlled. She holds the rain hostage unless the villages offer her slaves and treats. Her whirlwinds cannot lift the lamp containing her essence. Her flying servitors carry it when she travels beyond the palace.

 

 

THE MAKING OF

This is a bonus dungeon for the 2026 Appendix N Jam. I finished my main entry and wanted to create another, so I trawled the discussion page for abandoned prompts. You can find the formatted version of the dungeon here. I'll post my for-real jam entry soon.