Haaksen - The Walled Town

The town of Haaksen, population 4800, is shown here.  It is a walled town, with major gates to the southeast and to the north.  It is surrounded by farmland, which is dotted with little farming communities, most consisting of a few farmer's estates, some serf housing, and perhaps a small family church, or a smith.

Detailed hexmap of 2116 - Haaksen

Each small hex on this map is only 1 mile across.

Most of the countryside around Haaksen itself is pretty clear from threats (at least within ten or fifteen miles in all directions).  Within the town, however, is a different story.  And of course, there is always the possibility of discovering something forgotten in the immediate countryside.

Within the town itself, it is structured as a walled trade town.  There is an outer wall, within which are most of the trades and merchants. There is a sharp divide in this outer ring of the town, dividing it clearly into four sections.  Those sections are the Merchant Quarter, to the northwest (just west of the northern road out of town).  There is the Scrivener's Quarter, to the northeast (just east of the northern road out of town).  There is the Holy Quarter, between the Merchant Quarter, and the southeastern road out of town.  And finally, there is the Artisan Quarter, located between the Scrivener's and Holy Quarters.

Image of the Walled Trade Town of Haaksen, showing the concentric walls

The town is built on a high rocky spot of ground, with the highest point, the center of the inner wall, being the site of the Mayoral mansion, Hardbriar Castle.  Also in the inner wall are the homes of extremely important people in the town - lords and wizards; guild heads and notable clergymen.  Outside of the inner wall, in the quarters, are housed primarily businesses and the more important workers of those businesses.  In the Merchant Quarter, there is a thriving market that meets three times a week in force, but always there are some stalls open for business.  In the Scrivener's Quarter there are offices representing the various magic schools, clerks for hire, sages for consultation, book dealers, cartographers and other members plying the trades of the learned classes.  In the Artisan Quarter, there are all manor of artisans - including carpenters, armorers, smiths, clothiers, glass grinders, stone cutters and so forth.  Finally, in the Holy Quarter, the smallest section of the city, there are a number of small churches and buildings dedicated to the workings of various Orders of the Westron Church.  The largest, but far from the only, order represented here is the Hospital of the Pierced Pelican, a healing hospital run by Sisters of St. Brigid.

The walls and chief buildings have a lot of stonework making up their construction, almost everything else is wooden.  There is a thin region of trees, about 200 yards or so across, that completely surrounds the Town, as a reminder to the inhabitants about the vast forests that covered this part of the Sildur Reaches before the arrival of the Westroners.

Interesting adventure sites inside the town itself are:

Hanard Keep - A fortified villa belonging to the Dwarves at the had of the Smithing Guild, located in the Artisan Quarter.  The Keep itself is not too exciting, but there are rumored to be levels and levels of dungeons underneath.  The Dwarves have uncovered entryways to deep goblin infested caverns, and fight a battle to keep the goblins down, and secret, for fear that they will lose their Guild Patent in the city.

Chilaine Tower - An abandoned (?) wizard's tower, also complete with dungeons underneath, at the outer edge of the Scrivener's Quarter, up against the outer wall.

The Fatted Calf - A pub for soldiers and adventurers, located at the gate to the inner wall, from between the Holy Quarter and the Artisan's Quarter.  Once a week, there is a great ceremony where the floor in the back common room of the pub is pulled back, revealing a shaft.  A massive wooden platform is then lowered some 100 feet, down to the banks of a deep underground river and left there for an hour.  It is then raised back up.  Adventurers will volunteer to descend on the platform, to spend a week exploring the underworld, and sometimes they, or worse, will come back up - to be fought (when necessary) by the cheering inhabitants of the pub.

The Catacombs - there is a single graveyard in the city, and it is a walled park attended to by some monks who live in an attached hermitage.  These are of the order of St. Horace, and have taken a vow of silence. Other than tending to the graveyard/park they also have a large aviary where they tend to messenger birds for the use of the citizens of the town.  In the deep earth under the graveyard, however, there is a system of catacombs - tunnels of an inhuman and ancient design crisscross and cover multiple levels underneath the graveyard.  Other than a colony of ghouls that has taken up residence, there are said to be stranger inhabitants.

Werms Adventure - Web of Ostigaar (3)

A map of the whole Harmalan estate is not practical, as a blog entry (perhaps as a longer adventure, to be written later), however, a map of the subterranean dungeon under the main house of the original estate is appropriate.  It is pictured below (future article will give key to the map, all encounters, Ostigaar herself, traps and treasures).

But first, here is image of original Harmalan estate, when it was open to sky (before becoming stoned over by higher levels of the city.

This sketch shows the main manse of the estate, the walled gardens, the edge of Eindar Pillar in the background, and even the curious gardens and parks within the estate where the Harmalan magical menagerie and botanical delights were found.

Under the main manse, dug down deep into the rock, were chambers after chambers, all given to the curious practices of the Harmalan Warlocks, as they fancied themselves.  A curious mix of magic, alchemy and mysticism seemed to guide the practice of these once noble, but eventually mad, noble practitioner of the various magical arts.  Below is a map of a portion of those dungeons.  These would be in layer Z of the Eindar Pillar cross section.  The scale of this map is 10' to the square.

Werms Adventure - Web of Ostigaar (2)

The haunts of Ostigaar are deep in the lowest levels of city structure on Eindar Pillar.  Here is a cross section of the pillar.

Cross section of the existing (and ruined) layers at the Neck

The layers that are marked, A-E, are all currently in use.  Those that are marked, S-Y, are all in ruins.  And layer Z represents the top of the pillar, and any long abandoned layers that may have been dug down into the rock.

This cross section, is of an area called the Neck, that connects the wide part of the Pillar with the southern most tip of the pillar, where it is narrowest.  At this point shown, the viewer is looking north, directly at the narrow part of the Pillar.  Here, the rocky surface, the part in the diagram above marked Z, is approximately a quarter of a mile wide.  South of the Neck, there are a number of towers, and connecting bridges over to the Mound of Etro.  North of the Neck, most of the higher structure of Eindar Pillar exists.  The picture below is an artistic representation of the area in question.  The red line approximates the view above, although the tower (represented in the drawing above by E, is actually somewhat south of the red line).  The layers in the picture below should not be taken too literally, they just show the different groupings of upward growth on the pillar, that show where the buildings artificially rise up above the pillar.  This gives the viewer, on a day with few clouds among the buildings and pillars, the impressions that mountains of buildings are growing up all around.

Overhead view showing the Neck (red line) in relation to surrounding city

If you can see the cross hatching on the tops of the pillars, each square represents, roughly, 60 feet across.  The bridges between the pillars in the diagram represent the normal methods of connecting the different sections of the city in these parts.  There are numerous ways of flying, but this isn't available to most common citizens - only those who own a winged mount, or some device capable of flying (such as a carpet, ring, or potion), or the lucky few (less than 1%) who are spell casters.  The round towers are official city towers, built along the edge of the stone pillars, to keep an eye out on flying traffic, as well as observe the bridges and other foot traffic.  They are depressingly similar in construction, being all built according to established patterns and architecture, and feature broad flat roofs suitable for the gryphon riders of the city guard to easily land and take off.

The immenseness of the stone structure within the city should become apparent from considering that this picture represents only a small section, yet already shows a massive amount of city growth.  It should be pointed out that this stone growth represents the concerted effort of over 1200 years of building, often with magical aid, or assistance from beings (dwarves, gnomes, others) that work with stone almost as easily as others work with wood.

Current Layers -
A. Smith Roundabout - Craftsmen and fine metal smiths.  Some sales shops, and some workshops.  This area represents a large amount (in terms of wealth) of the expensive trade from this part of the city, as such it attracts a fair amount of notice from the guard (at least the foot bound members of the guard).
B.  Jeweler's Plaza - Used to be fine (expensive) homes of local smiths and jewelers.  Have dropped in price, ever since stone columns were erected to build the "Smith Roundabout" above the main plaza of this level. The fountains still run, but the luster has gone out of the area.
C. Torbin Hall - There is a fighter's hall, incorporating some walled in training grounds, and barracks for bravo's and trainers that choose to live here.  Much like a smaller version of the Fellowship of the Shield (located over on Avin Rock).  Some of the training ground is in the part of this layer that still opens up to the sky.  The other section contains the home of a sage-philosopher, Echy Feranz, who corresponds regularly (by means of hired messenger homunculus) with the Archivists of Parn Tandalorn.  The remainder of this layer is filled with expensive homes, but not those with walled courtyards or gardens - more of the simple type of home that a secluded professional would dwell in.
D. Arbu's Run - This layer contains what were once expensive villas, when it was the topmost layer in this part of the city, but has since been largely subdivided and now most of those villas are filled with cheap apartments and small rooms for rent.  One part of the Run, however, has a very large pool, with a number of lovely (or once were lovely) fountains feeding it.  These are fed by a magical source, and there are spouts spilling water down to the layers below it (down to S, and through to U and W), still, from when those layers were still actively used (before they became ruined).
E. Fin Dorbin Tower - This is one of the towers of the city guard, added to every couple of centuries, iun height - but unlike the covered over streets of the city, the towers remain in use.  This one is filled with the homes of members of the city guard, and contains a number of basic services useful to the guard - such as smiths, training flats, eating areas, etc.

Ruined Layers -
S. Monk's Vault - There was once a monastery here, with a number of buildings, monastic cells, chapels, and even a scriptorium.  It is widely regarded with superstition by the urchins, thieves, and lunatics that wander these ruined levels.  There is a large colony of giant rats, and some say were-rats, that dwell in the area.  It is not known the real reason the urchins avoid the monastery, but talk of a ghost is common.
T. Herb Market - This was once a very up scale herb market, but has since, along with the rest of the layer, gone into ruin.  The whole area is now overgrown with bizarre plant life, including a number of large and dangerous fungus species, as well as mushrooms of a variety of types and sizes.  The area is quite dangerous, and no catalog has been made of the incredible creatures that are said to inhabit the subterranean jungle.  Rain spouts on the exposed edge continue to collect rain water and feed it into an ingenous stream and reservoir system, that runs down into level W, feeding the aquaduct system that is also fed by the water supply from layer D above.
U. Wizard's Warren - This part of the city once housed the home of a wizard, named Atosh Idor, but he is long dead.  Unfortunately, the beings that created, and some that he would summon (he was a corresponding member of the Summoning school, found on Ancro Pillar) are still around.
V. Old Aery - This was once the chief gryphon aery for the city guard, marked by the very high pillared openings to the open air on the eastern edge.  These days it is home to a small tribe of goblins that tend a nesting pair of wyverns and their young.  In a curious relationship, the goblins capture food for the wyverns, and in turn are not only not eaten, but the wyverns serve to scare off all but the most dedicated of goblin exterminators.  They keep to themselves, mostly, or else the city guard would have long ago (perhaps?) mounted a determined effort to expunge them.
W. Catacombs - What was at this level of the city, and when it was here, is unknown, but this layer is full of small closed off areas, with curious furnishings.  Urns, giant jars, great water cisterns, and so on.  A wide variety of different subterranean creatures dwell here now, making it quite dangerous to move through.
X. Haunted Music School - This was once the location of a number of different structures, including a large music school.  A curious musical instrument built out of the curious tusks of giant animals, hollowed out, and activated with some sort of flame (regular? magical?  unknown).  The layer is now the home to a wide variety of different undead beings, and other dangerous denizens.
Y. Harmalan Estate - The estate of one of the leading families of the founding of Werms is located on this level.  They owned a wide variety of small industries, including some gardening of obscure and magical plants; the tending of small but very dangerous (although valuable) magical animals, and other related efforts.  The haunts and holds of the ancient buildings, although frequently crumbling, are now the home of Ostigaar and her minions.
Z. Dungeon Layers below Harmalan Estate.

Details on levels Y and Z will be coming soon, to complete this adventure.

Geography of the City of Werms

The city, as mentioned, is built on top of stone pillars rising up out of a seemingly bottomless hole in the ground known as Cambio's Delve.

The pillars appear to be natural formations, due to the irregular nature of their shapes and heights.  These extend up, in differing heights, above the surface of the edge of the delve by heights ranging from approximatedly 20', up to the tallest pillar (that is the current home of Globe Keep) which sticks up approximately 100' above the edge of the Delve.

The structures of the city, as described previously, consists of stone buildings, layers and layers of stone buildings.  The oldes layers of the city, built when it was first constructed, are now burried under as many (in some spots) as 10 layers of more modern growth and development above the original layers.  One of the few exceptions is the royal area around Globe Keep, which has not been replaced or buried over since founding, but has grown by building up (so that original layers are still buried under ground, but successive layers were not replacements, but augmentations, so that six layers down from the current structure of Globe Keep, there exists much earlier construction that is (at least partially) still in use.

As can be seen in the picture, there are 18 different pillars that rise up out of the Delve.  Three of these ('E', 'F', and 'R') all have stone bridges over to the surrounding land.  Those bridges allow travelers to enter and leave the city, along trade roads.  The roads pass through great curtain wall surrounded gates, consisting of multiple portcullises, and sandwiched between narrow, but tall, towers.  Large towers, hugging the edge of the Delve, provide for the end points of the curtain wall - it does not extend all the way around the delve.  The Delve itself is about four miles from north to south, and about three and a half, from east to west.

The tallest pillar, and the oldest established, is 'G', which rises about 100' above the surrounding country side.  The lowest pillar, and one that was not settled for a long, long time, is pillar 'P', which extends only about 20' above the surrounding country side.  It was, long after settlement and construction began on the others, used as a quarry, and there were great amounts of stone removed from the top - with the refuse dumped into the Delve, and the useful stone cut into the shapes and sizes needed.

Three of the pillars ('S', 'T', and 'U') are not connected to others, nor to the main country side.  They are in isolation, from ground traffic, from every else.  All of the other pillars are connected to one or more neighbors, and some ('E', 'F', and 'R') to the country around them.  There are multiple stone bridges at just about every point where a pillar is close enough to a neighbor to afford a crossing.  Many of these, between adjacent pillars, are at differing levels - some connecting the tops of the pillars to each other (arching stone bridges, reaching up or down, as height differences dictate), and some connecting either the building layers built on top of the pillars, or the dug out dungeon levels burrowed down into the pillars.

Due to a curious tax law, no city sales tax is exacted from sales transactions that don't take place on a pillar.  Because of this, twice a week there are very large sprawling market days that take place - all on the broadest of bridges between pillars.  They started out as impromptu affairs, but grew to daily nuisances, and finally the city had to regulate how frequently they occur, and how much throughway they have to leave on the bridges.  It can get quite clogged on the main bridges between pillars on a market day.

Khomaes Barony (1)

So far the postings on Khomaes have been about the city itself, and some of the peculiar encounters that lurk in the darker areas of the very unique city.  An adventure (the Cult of the White Shadow) and some other details have come out.

This is the information about the barony itself.  The city of Khomaes stands in the northwestern part of the Darkearth Plains, between the Lost Mare River and the Greywater River.  It is between the Aghanz Hills to the north, and the King's Highway to the south.

The city itself has a population of 22,000.  There are a number of towns (on the map, as A-G), with an additional "urban" population of about 16,000.  In the open farmland in between these areas, which are dotted with countless unknown and nameless villages, the population reaches approximately 100,000.  Like most of the Westroner Baronies, Khomaes is very much a rural, agricultural setting.

Next postings will include the remainder of the encounters for the Cult of the White Shadow adventure will be posted, and then on to the next of the Darkearth Baronies - Werms.

This is part one of a two part article on the Khomaes Barony.  Part two is located here.

Khomaes Adventure - Cult of the White Shadow

There are are very interesting forces at work in Khomaes.  Although the Barony (which includes the city) is ruled by a nominally good member of Westroner society, Baron Aldra Ap Iaggio, there are forces within the city that are far from anything recognizable as Westroner culture.  A broad, but unorganized, subculture of different groups exist within the city, some of them religious, some with more earthly gains.  One of the most bizarre, however, is the Cult of the White Shadow.  An encounter by the player characters with this cult would probably be a dangerous one, but one where good characters would probably seek to harm the cult, and its leaders, in any way possible.

This secret organization draws its members from among the families of the wealthy nobility, and yet preys on the members of the poor and dispossessed classes.  The members are typically 2nd and 3rd sons and daughters (and others, further removed from being first son or daughter), that are likely not to partake of the inherited positions of authority and power within those families.  These are drawn into the Cult, and typically have little loyalty to the culture that has little room for them.  It should not be thought that all of the sons and daughters of these families that don't stand to inherit will immediately become members of this or that cult, it is only a small percentage.  But a high percentage of the recruits of the Cult do come from these situations.

The cult believes that it has found a way to contact servitors of one of the deities of the Old Ones.  In this case, it is the Lady of Air, and her servant is the White Shadow.  The White Shadow (according to the Cult) is an ethereal creature (actually from the shadow dimensions, but they are similar in characteristics to the ethereal plane) that seeks to bring about changes to the material plane, such that all beings, especially those with a brain, are subject to the Lady of Air, and her desire to bring an end to stultifying order, and overly shackling concepts of law.  In truth the doctrine is quite complicated, and under close scrutiny (like most Cults) does not seem logical.  The Cultists, however, don't seem to mind.

One of the main activities of the Cult is the summoning of Shadow Wyrms, which are supposed to make the way open for the White Shadow to arrive.  These Shadow Wyrms are infernal creatures, not resident to the world of the Valley, but must be summoned by magical means.  It is the belief of the Cult that those means include the sacrifice of young maidens, and the gathering of those maidens is the main business of the cult, within the city.

The activities of the Cult occasionally arise throughout the city, and there have been several Paladins and Clerics of various orders within the Church that have sought to stamp it out, but it arises again, and again in spite of such efforts.  Currently, the headquarters of the Cult are located in a series of chambers, carved out of the rock of Dancer's Spike, entered via secret passage from the villa of a certain noble famly, the home of Lady Rema.  Lady Arabelle Siago Rema herself (an elderly noble woman) is a member of the cult, but other than hosting the "dungeons" where they are headquartered, has little to do with the day to day abduction and murder activities.  She does, however, maintain a social circle of various nobles that are involved.

A map of the chambers is given here, with a key below.

A. Golden Chamber - This is the main room of the cultists when they gather.  As a precaution against non cultists entering here, there are a number of pillars in the room, which are charmed to produce guardian Shadow Creatures.  These apparently appear in direct proportion to the number of invaders that enter the room.
Each round someone comes into the room, 1d3 shadow creatures appear.  There are 12 pillars, so the maximum number of creatures that can appear in one round is 12.
Smashing the pillars will cause them to cease working.  They are made out of amberstone.  The base of each pillar has a gold collar around it, worth approximately 300gp each.

B. Storage Room - This is the room where the cultists keep their weapons, used for kidnapping and killing.  It has several racks in it, all containing a variety of bladed weapons, from push daggers, on up to short swords (nothing larger).
In the room, located up near the ceiling, there are two air sharks swirling around.  These are the trained pets of the weapons master, and will attack anyone else who enters the room.
If the racks are emptied, hidden inside one (which is not apparent unless all the weapons are removed) there is a hidden magical short sword, which is +2 to hit and damage, and which does double damage vs. elves of all sorts. 

C. Guardian Room -  This room is never entered by normal members of the cult, nor would they progress to the chambers beyond here (E,F,G,H).  In this room are two rot-trolls, which will attack any who enter who are not bearing the gold White Shadow pendant that senior members of the cult bear.  They will not stir from this room, nor will they allow any to pass it while they are still "alive".  A golden lined fountain against the southern wall sparkles out a flowing supply of special unholy water.  It provides healing (as a potion of healing, 1d6+4 hp) to characters and beings of an evil alignment (the rot-trolls know this, and won't hesitate to drink from the fountain in the midst of a fight, should they need to).  It, however, acts as acid vs any characters or creatures of a lawful good or chaotic good alignment. Those of a neutral alignment (true neutral, lawful neutral, or chaotic neutral) are unaffected by the unholy water.

D. Prison Room -  This room contains a large iron cage in the middle of the floor, with approximately 8 wretches crammed into it, who are awaiting sacrifice.  These are all young women, mostly taken from the low city, who have had their minds tampered with.  Sadly, due to diabolical magical treatment, they are no longer aware of their surroundings, or what is happening to them, and are only vessels of life in the most academic sense.  Guarding the room, are 6 Shadow Creatures.

E. Fetid Room - This is a room full of a curious fungus fungus room.  There is a curious growth, covering all surfaces in here (which includes the walls, ceiling, floor, several stone benches, and a fetid pool in a low-walled (12") enclosure, about 8 feet across, in the middle of the room.  All those surfaces have a weird sort of orange fungus growing on it, which will (if it senses body heat nearby), emit a strange orange fog that will not only affect all in the room, but also all those within 10 feet of the doors to the room, even if those doors are shut.
 The orange fog disrupts magic.  It has a chance to disrupt the magical properties of items (roll, once per property, percentile dice.  A roll of 25 or less means the property is negated for a period of 1d4 hours.  Artifact level items are not so affected).  It can make spell casters forget their spells, or lose their ability to channel divine magic.  If a magic user, make a save vs. spell.  If it is failed, then 1d4+1 spells (random from among those memorized) that are currently memorized, are forgotten (i.e. can not be cast without re-memorizing).  If a cleric, make a save vs. spell.  If it is failed, then lose the ability to cast 1d4+1 cleric spells (random levels) for the rest of the day.  In addition, the orange fog (unless a save vs. paralyzation is made) will render the victim "attractive" to the Shadow Snakes in room G.
The pool, if disturbed (it has a surface crust of the orange fungus' spoors), will cause two great shelled giant rotting filth-prawns to rise up out of the muck, and begin to attack (and inject with their damned magical larvae) any in the room.

F. Nursery Chamber - In this room is a giant larval grub (15' long, 8' high and 8' wide) of a greater mist walker.  It is being tended to by six Cultists (3 Swords of the Shadow; 1 Mind of the Shadow; 2 Flames of the Shadow) at any one time.  These are senior cultists, and at least two of them are (in addition to their normal stats, see below) also trained as 7th level necromancers. The sole duty of the Cultists is to take care of the grub, and not to enter combat in other areas of the dungeon.

The grub, if attacked, can be killed without difficulty (it only requires some repeated hacking, for approximately 1d6+6 rounds).  The problem with this is, that the juices and fluids that will spray forth from the grub will affect all in the room, as per the Mental Lash of a lesser Mist Walker.
If the cultists are killed, or if the Grub is attacked, then the giant Grub will flail about, seeking to crush all in the room.  Each turn in the room with the flailing Grub, all who are smaller than Large size, must make a saving throw vs. petrification, or suffer 2d8 damage from being rolled on and crushed by the ponderous Grub.  This is in addition to any save required because of spraying juices or fluids.  If anyone is paralyzed, due to spraying fluids, then they suffer a -2 to their saving throw attempt to avoid being crushed.
The cultists each wear a gold pendant, the sort that will allow passage beyond the rot-trolls of room C.  These are worth, in gold, approximately 150 gp each.  Selling them in the city of Khomaes, however, is likely to arouse suspicion, and perhaps prompt a visit from cult assassins.

G. Portal Room - This room contains the portal, guarded though it is, to the treasure room of this dungeon.  The center of this room has, on the floor, a round slab of marble, with a carved magical circle on it, that serves as a portal.  Activating the portal consists of putting on the curious bone helmet sitting on a pedestal, within arm's length of the magical circle, and then standing on the circle.
Hanging from the ceiling,in all parts of the room other than the very center where the magical circle is, are thick, rubbery tentacle-like roots hanging from the ceiling, having forced their way through the rocky ceiling, and now filling the room.
Swirling around, through the air, and among the tentacles, are a half dozen (6) Shadow Snakes.  These will give attack preference to anyone who still bears the orange fungus gas from room E.
If metal weapons are used in combat against the Shadow Snakes, the tentacles will react, and begin spraying a protective mist into the room, which is a light acid spray.  Everyone in the room during a round when metal weapons are used (and the immediate round following) has to make a dexterity save (d20 vs dexterity) in order to avoid a thick discharge of the acidic mist.  Failure means an acid attack (2d4 first round, 1d4 for two following rounds; save vs. poison for half damage).
There are several niches in the walls around the room (which have to be looked for specifically, because the tentacles from the ceiling will hide them from casual observation).  The niches each contain an urn, most of which are full of poisonous insects (no real attack, can be smashed handily, but save vs. poison to avoid a nuisance bite, if save is failed, then take 1d3 poison, and the irritant gives -1 to all attacks for two days).  There is one urn (random) that contains gemstones worth 3000 gp.
Standing on the magical circle, while wearing the helmet, will activate the teleportation form this room to room K (the only way to enter room K is via this portal).  The actual teleportation takes 1d6 rounds, during which time the person being teleported is subjected to acid sprays (save as usual) from the tentacles, and can be attacked by the Shadow Snakes.

H. White Room. - This room is empty, and is painted white throughout.  There are blood stains on the floor, and bits of rotting flesh in the corner of the room.

J. Entrance. - This is the entrance to the Cult dungeon.  It is found at the end of a long secret passage, from a hidden room at Lady Rema's villa.  There are casks of wine stashed here, as well as a pile of clothing, and normal city garb.  On the wall are a number of peg hooks, each holding one or two grey robes, with hoods. These are the garbs of the cultists.

K. Audience Chamber. - Upon being teleported into this room from G., the room takes on a curious glow once the inhabitant is standing in it.  That glow slowly fades to black, and then stars appear all around the person in the chamber.  It appears as if they are not standing on anything, but are suspended in deep space.  From out of the space, comes a hideous, gigantic white creature, like a huge (miles long?) body of a great white moth's body.  The flesh on top of the worm is rotting, and flaking off into space, and the legs are apparently groping.  The gigantic wings are rotting through here and there.  The face of the thing is shockingly horrible - looking like a great abomination of a woman's head, but deformed in horrible ways.  The face sees the victim, and the great wretched, fetid creature begins gyrating towards the person in the chamber.  It will seek to communicate telepathically, but since it is so alien, yet strong, it has a chance of damaging the mind.
This has a huge potential of affecting the individual negatively.  First, make a save vs. spell, to see if the mind is damaged.  If the save is failed, lose 1d3 Intelligence and 1d3 Wisdom.  Next, make a save vs death magic.  If this is failed, then the alignment of the victim is affected.  First, test the law/neutral/chaos axis - roll 1d6.  On a 1-3, the alignment shifts one slot towards chaos.  Then test the good/neutral/evil axis - again roll 1d6, on a 1-3 the alignment shifts one slot towards evil.  These changes can be overcome over time, but will affect the character's behavior in the short term (several weeks).  Finally, there is a chance that the character, in being touched by the creature in space, will be affected by exposure to the magic of that being.  Roll a test vs. Intelligence.  If this is passed (use the modified Intelligence, if it was lowered), then the character has learned some secrets of the creature's magic.  The character now has a chance to learn 1d6 spells that would normally be accessible by a necromancer.  Randomize which spells, and then roll (based on the character's intelligence) the chance to know that spell.  After all this, the character takes 3d6 psychic damage, but is returned to room G.  Unless the character passes a Wisdom test, he/she will be in a coma for two days.
If the character, at any point, removes the helmet, then the connection is broken.  Immediately take 6d6 psychic damage, and return to room G.  Also make a Wisdom test to avoid coma, but if failed, then this coma lasts 4 days.

Next posting will include stats on the following creatures from this dungeon:

• Air Sharks
• Filth-Prawns
• Rot Trolls
• Shadow Creatures
• Shadow Snakes
• White Shadow Cultists

River Jarls of the Greywater (Map)

The area of the River Jarls, around the Greywater River, is an interesting place.  Here is a basic map of the region, with some items of interested noted on the map (details coming soon).

1. Icewall
2. Seawyrm
3. Bright Iron Fastness
4. Hearthhome of the White Wolf
5. Rookroost - Daughters of the River Raven
6. Clearwater
7. Mead Hall
8. Northwind Steading
9. Furlingga Tribes (Gnolls)
10. Rockhome Kingdom (Dwarves)
11. Marsh Trolls
12. Orc Clans
13. Great Bear Kingdom

A. Great Crystal
B. Ice Lake
C. Witches Three
D. Stonehouses
E. Plain of Fire
F. The Sword People
G. Tower of Belue Gorm
H. The Great Tree

Darkearth Plains Map

First map of the Darkearth Plains.  This is lifted from the most detailed overall valley map (done in autorealm).  I am also thinking of doing a version of this in hexographer, and they populating it as a sort of sandbox area, just for giggles.

Not all of the sites mentioned in the previous writeup (which was an intro sketch to the area, just collating what I already knew about it, and had captured elsewhere), but it is a good start - more coming.

Update map of the Valley

I'm still working on this, and I plan to do hex maps using Hexographer (in the classic Basic D&D style) of high interest areas.  But here is an updated map of the valley.

This is done using Autorealm version 2.1 with only free symbol libraries available from the various Autorealm sites.

Please let me know if this is a useful scale map.

Gorrem - City of the Ten Gates

The namesake, and chief, city at the heart of the Barony of Gorrem is also called the City of the Ten Gates. It has a population of 27,000. There are a number of towns that are reliant on it - these are the chief population centers of the Barony, along with each having its own supporting network of villages and farm country.

• Colvine (population 4,500) to the north
• Harwych (population 6,000) to the east
• Sallow (population 6,500) to the southeast
• Haventown (population 5,000) to the south
• Lightcastle (population 5,500) to the west
• Aldbridge (population 4,000) to the northwest

The Barony is located in the Wychwood (south central) region of the Valley, and its chief political neighbors are the Barony of Lynch (east, on the far side of the Tiazarr River); the Barony of Pellorix on the far side of the Ancelhenn Lake to the southwest; north across the Great River is the Barony of Na Kram.

Much of the Barony is forested, and in addition to the many human towns listed above, there are a large number of "forest folk" in the wooded areas of the demesne.  To the west (in the Redsmoke Woods) there are a large number of Hedgehog People.  To the east, in the Plum Woods and the Belley Woods, there are a number of Mouseling communities.  Also in the region between Belley and Plum is the Green Apple Commonwealth - a small Halfling county that owes fealty to the Barony of Gorrem.  In the forests in the northern reaches of the Barony, along the Great River, there are numerous forest settlements of Wolflings.

The Barony is not home to many Dwarves or Gnomes.  And the few Elven settlements that exist are deep within the forested regions of the demesne.

The current ruling family is the Household of Terrasund, with Baroness Catherine II on the throne.

The city is home to the Homehall Cathedral - maintained by a community of clerics and monastics of the order of St. Ermo.  The Tower Druaqua (Bardic College of Maelwyn) is there. Also within the walls of the city can be found Castle Tattelis - home of the Terrasund family.  Not really of political concern, but of possible interest to adventurers and explorers - the abandoned tower of Ordobrandt is also within the city, but it is guarded by city guard.

Within the walled fields surrounding the city, there is the keep and practice grounds of the Knights of the Malmen Rose.  The Knights are a chivalric (but not Paladin) order that has a loose alliance with Gorrem, but have a distinct arrangement where they do not have Feudal duty, but are rather allies.

The Ten Gates, as well as much of the city, are protected by the city watch, known as Gorrem Levy.  They are much more than a levy, however, as they are a regular full time soldiery.  Typical equipment includes ring mail, simple helmet, bardiche, and short sword.  The Gorrem Levy are (total) approximately 2000 strong, however only 800 are serving at any one time.  There are several towers both on the outer walls and located along the inner walls where these are housed.

In addition to the sites and locations already mentioned, the city is somewhat known for its Inns and Taverns, each of which boasts its own ales and beers.  There are competitive wars between the larger Taverns, each claiming to be the "Best in Gorrem" or "The Baroness' Favorite".

Area Map - Finch Abbey

Located in the Redsmoke Woods, in the western reaches of the Gorrem Barony, there is a small abbey of St. Brigid's known as Finch Abbey.

This is the location of the adventure I will be running at MarsCon (see here and here). Here is a regional map of the local area. The hexes are 5 miles across.

1st level of the Dungeon underneath the Forest Abbey of the Hedgehog People

If you like the old school look (genuine vintage TSR looking maps), and you like doing digital map drawings, then I can recommend (from my experience) nothing finer than Dungeon Crafter.  I prefer the old 1.4.1 version, and there are some excellent tile downloads available over at Dragonsfoot.

Anyway, following that paradigm, here is the map for the first "dungeon" level of Finch Abbey.  The location of the adventure I will be running at MarsCon.  I use the word dungeon hesitantly, because while it is the first level an adventurer would recognize as such beneath the good abbey, there are also two basement levels below the abbey.  So this guy is pretty far underground for starters.

As far as inhabitants go - that will have to wait until after the convention, before I post it here.

Dungeon level 1, beneath Finch Abbey

Week of Encounters Day 1: The King's Highway

This encounter takes place in the Shattered Plains region of the valley, far to the west.  It occurs along the King's Highway, not too far to the west of the Durwash River crossing, where the Highway passes over that mighty river.  Like all of the river crossings, the mound the Highway is built on has a vast opening through it for the river to pass underneath.

The King's Highway is an interesting feature in the Valley of the Old Ones. It was built by the last King of the Old Ones, and in spite of their absence for a long, long time the highway remains intact, and still in use. It is, however, a magnet for danger, because of the associated rumors about periodic structures full of the treasures of the Old Ones.

The encounter in question here concerns the efforts of the player party to cross past the highway for some reason.

Physically, the obstacle is the Highway itself. The section the players come up against is over 150 feet tall. Much of the side is covered with patches of exposed rock face and boulders. Climbing the nearly sheer face of the highway is bad enough (requires 1 hand at all times to hang on, and dexterity and strength checks as the DM warrants), but the rocks are teaming with all manner of small predators, like rock snails.


Rock Snails
Num Appearing: 2-8
Alignment: neutral (evil)
Movement: 5'
Armor Class: 4 vs. One foe in contact. 1 vs. All others
Hit Dice: 1d-1
Attacks: 1 (bite), possible poison
Damage: 1d4
Save: F2
Morale: 8


Special Attack: poison (save or as sleep spell); corrosive slime (after successful attack, or against incapacitated foe, snail slime causes automatic 1d3 points per round. Save for half)

The top of the mound is approximately 500 feet across in the area the players are attempting to cross (although this varies from place to place). The most striking feature is that the entire surface is covered in smooth marble blocks.

The top of the mound is indeed a highway, and it stretches as far as one can see to the east and west.  The center 150 feet of the top is the highway itself, with approximately 150 feet on either side dedicated to structures that were once standing, and in some spots are still present in a ruined state.  The remainder of the top is just a grassy surface that gives way to the rocky escarpment on either side.

Once the party comes up to the top, the DM should show them the map of the apparent buildings in the area, and let them look around for a few minutes.  Suddenly, the rubbled doors are thrown open on the "Great Stone House" on the map, and out rush a band (16) of Star Marauders.  These particular Marauders have the tattoo'd Sign of K'nar visible on their foreheads.

Star Marauders (sign of K'nar)

Num Appearing: 4-24
Alignment: chaotic-evil
Movement: 60'
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 2d (9 h.p.)
Attacks: 1 (shortsword)
Damage: 1d6
Save: F2
Morale: 9


Special Attack: Heat generation.  This band of Star Marauders has been branded with the "Sign of K'nar" tattoo, which means that they have the capability to generate extreme heat for a short amount of time.  Once per day, for a period up to 10 consecutive melee rounds, these Star Marauders generate heat that will cause 1d4 H.P. damage per round to anyone in melee contact with them (save v. spells for half).


These are led by a 3HD leader (14 h.p.), who is an expert with a longsword.

Once the Marauders are dealt with, it is revealed that there is a set of stairs in the great stone house, leading down into a series of dungeon chambers (detailed separately).

Valley of the Old Ones

A setting for some Old School roleplaying. Drawn using Autorealm.

Once, ages ago, before even the dragons remember, the Old Ones held court on the sunny face of the world.  At that time, Ba'a Zarn, the king of the Old Ones, ruled a mighty empire.  His craftsmen were the source of many things - the stars, music, time - but one of the the strongest things they built was the King's Highway.

This highway is a massive stone lane, large enough for the King's chariots to ride over, built on top of a mound that varies between 100 and 200 feet above the surrounding plains.  Periodically, there are ancient guard towers that still stand, and massive stone lined tunnels that go through the mound.  There are even tunnels under the mound for the tributaries of the Great River to run through.

The Great River circles the entire world, and the King's Highway generally follows its course.

The Valley of the Old Ones is one spot along the Great River, home to the ancient human city of Narn.  The valley measures 3200 miles from end to end. The city is old and crumbling, but was once mighty enough to withstand attacks from the warlords out of the mountains surrounding the valley.  Now it is mostly bereft of riches, so is not the subject of attack nearly so much.

In the plains throughout the valley, countless small unknown villages dot the countryside.  With the collapse of Narn some generations back, local nobles began the construction of many of their own castles and keeps, to keep safe from the mountain raiders.

Today, Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Halflings dwell in the valley, trying to make a peaceful life.  The surrounding ancient ruins and wonderous sites remind them that the Old Ones once roamed here.  Those same sites can be the home of adventure and exploration, but can also be the source of great, unnatural danger.

This will be the setting of a number of old school adventures that I am brewing up.  I hope to reveal the first at MarsCon (January 2011).

Tags: fantasy role playing