Land of Black Ice - The Frozen Monolith - Gateway to the Plane of the Gray

Land of Black Ice - The Frozen Monolith - Gateway to the Plane of the Gray

Far, far to the north beyond the border of Blackmoor is a broken and pitted column atop a small mountain. From here can be seen the howling waste that is the Land of Black Ice. But it is here that the skin between the worlds is thin and this column is like a monstrous fang piericing the flesh of the Oerth and allowing the poison that is the Gray to seep in.

The strongest of the Sisterhood, the alliance between the witches of Blackmoor and their varied allies, has made their way to the Monolith and beyond. The witches have fought and defeated the forces of the Gray upon its own plane, and have sealed many portals within and without Blackmoor. This most distant and forbidding gateway is perhaps the oldest of any they have encountered. It is certainly powerful and dangerous leading directly to the great fortress at the heart of the Gray's domain.

A great battle was fought and won on that plane. The gates of the Gray's fortress were thrown down, its towers felled and walls broken in many places. But the Gray was not defeated and the Frozen Monolith remains open.

The sisters mount a strong guard on the Oerthly side of the gateway but still servants of the Gray slip from their plane to ours. Evil stirs within the ruined fortress and always there is need for the strong and brave and adventurous to cross through the gateway and strike down the evil of the Gray as it rises from ashes of its stronghold.

Project - Demons and Devils of the Flanaess - Hierarchs of the Horned Society Summon a Devil

 Project - Demons and Devils of the Flanaess - Hierarchs of the Horned Society Summon a Powerful Devil

Beneath the Citadel of the Hierarchs in the capital, Molag, of the Horned Society, is the Great Summoning Pit where the link to the Nine Hells is maintained. The great portal is opened with the sacrifice of 1,000 souls and many more live offerings are cast into the fiery portal after it is awakened. From here are the greatest of Devils brought to the Oerth. Minor Devils and other denizens of the Hells may be summoned forth by individual Hierarchs in the own chambers, towers, castles or estates, but only here do the most powerful and noble rulers enter.

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 8 End

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 8  End

11.

This area represents the hall west of the entrance to Room 10. 

The walls are plastered and in relatively good repair. They appear to tell a story. Starting from the entrance to Room 10 they show Flan warriors in chariots and afoot fighting Elves in green leather armor. The elven warriors are mainly archers and they take a severe toll on the Flan. As the Hall turns north the walls show a woodland glade with burning forest around it. The bodies of many Elves and Flan are scattered about. A group of Flan in heavy armor face a party of Elves who bow before them. At the head of the Eleven group is a beautiful Elven woman whose hands are stretched out while a Flan with a crown puts chains upon her wrists.

As the Hallway turns west again the Hall shows on one wall the Eleven woman holding a bloody knife in one hand an the head of the crowned Flan. On the other wall it shows a pyre with the crowned Flan's body on top while in the background the Elven woman appears to be dragged into an opening in the side of a hill.

As the players reach the sealed entrance to Room 13 they see 2 armed and armored figure bearing axes. These two mumified Flan warriors will attack if they are attacked or if anyone tries to unseal the chamber to Room 13.

12.

This long Hallway has its plaster heavily worn and broken. The roof has cracks in many places that leak a steady patter of small debris. The floor is covered in a layer of small stones and dirt, but is otherwise quite safe.

13. Aelfflead's Tomb Chamber

This chamber is surprisingly barren and unadorned. The walls to east and west are lined with bodies chained to the walls, a dozen to each side. They are dressed in what was once fine clothing. To the west are the bodies of a dozen women, to the east a dozen men. 

As the party enters they begin to move toward the center of the room. They wear iron collars with chains attached to them. The chains play out from the wall with a grinding clank of rusting metal set into motion. When each side nears the center of the room the chain pulls tight and stops  them just out of arms reach from each other. The bodies, dry and desicated, reach pitiously out toward but cannot reach those opposite.

One of the female bodies wears a pair of Boots of Elvenkind.

At the north of the room is a dias with a throne upon it. The throne is made of some type of thorned briar and the figure on the throne is pierced dozens of times with sharp dagger length thorns. From a distance she appears to be a beautiful  Elven woman (identical to the pictures in the Hall at area 11). As the players approach she twists and turns in apparent agony. The beautiful face is strangely frozen, her limbs stiff and frozen.

Within twenty feet the players may be able to detect that she wears a mask of some type, ceramic, porcelin, such as some rich child's doll might possess. Her limbs are similarly constructed. If the mask is removed her face is a horrid visage of rotted flesh, sunken-eyed and broken toothed. Her limbs have been removed and replaced with the sculpted imitations of arms and legs. 

Aelfflaed cannot speak but moans out a wordless plea for release.

The mask and limbs are quite valuable but if seen by Elves from Celene evokes a strong reaction. The story of Aelfflead is still told among the Elves of Celene and inspires a strong dislike for humans Flan or not.

NPC - Gynbyrg Priestess of Veli

NPC - Gynbyrg Priestess of Veli

Gynbyrg while a priestess also possesses the powers of a druid. She is one of the caretakers of the Sacred Ash Tree among the women of the Cruski. 

The priestesses of Veli are a very secretive lot. They are one of the three orders within the tribe. The Caretakers such as Gynbyrg are a small order with no more than 5 or 4 dozen members. The Keepers of the Sedr are much larger and all women of the Cruski are members though most know only the smallest of cantrips. The Order of Veli contains both men and women and is large enough so that every hall or collection of hovels will have a priest or priestess watching over the tribe.

Gynbyrg is fairly young but is second only to Runa an ancient priestess who has overseen the Caretakers for decades. Gynbyrg wishes for the older womens death so she can command the order. She has been secretly gathering followers and on the death of Runa will greatly expand the Caretakers in number and in power.

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 7

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 7

8. 

This corridor is partially block by falling stone. It can only be used by crawling over the debris. There is a 1 in 6 chance per person per 10x10 square of travel that loose stone will hit the player for 1d6 damage.

9. The Earth Room

The walls of this room show scenes of farmers plowing a field, men working in a mine, and great caverns beneath the Oerth. The floor is comprised of loose dirt as if it were a freshly plowed field. Anyone walking in this room without wearing the Earth Amulet from room 7 will cause 3 small Earth Elementals to be summoned. They will attack anyone in the room not wearing the Earth Amulet.

Buried in the field are around 100 golden seeds each worth at least 1 gold piece each for their skilled crafting.

10. The Fire Room

The walls of this room show scenes of men working a forge, a volcano emitting a flow of lava and a great pyre of some mighty hero or king.

A large fire burns in the center of the room. Within the flames sleeps a Fire Elemental. Anyone wearing the Fire Amulet from room 7 may command the Elemental to serve them. The Elemental will fight for or do the bidding of the Amulet wearer anywhere in the tomb. 

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 6

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 6

7. 

This room has crumbling plaster on all 4 walls. One wall depicts a field freshly plowed, another shows rain falling on a field of freshly sprouted grain, another shows a brisk wind blowing a field of golden wheat, the last shows a burning field of stubble and stalks after a harvest.

A  fire burns at the center of this room emitting a dark smoke. When the first player enters the fire leaps to the roof then dark birds seem to fly out. These birds are made of smoke and fly toward the players' faces. If they hit they blind the player for one combat round and make them cough. The fire can be doused with water from the Water room (5) or dirt from the Earth room (9).

Each combat another dozen smoke crows are created and attack the players. When destroyed each dozen makes a 10x10 area thick with blinding, choking smoke. The smoke crows will continue to be created and attack the players through any area of the tomb they can reach till they have filled every reachable area with smoke but cannot exist outside the tomb. 

At each corner of the room is a foot square slab that can be lifted out or smashed to reveal a small opening. A small silver chest is in each opening holding an amulet bearing one of the symbols for earth, air, fire and water. The player wearing the correct symbol for the various elemental room (room 6 is water for example) will have the stated benefits for that room description.

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 5

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 5

6. 

The center 30x30 area of the room is encircled with vertical axis fan blades.

A set of these blades every ten feet. They have a diameter of just over 9 feet so there is a small amount of room between 1 set of blades and the next , The edges of the blades are razor sharp. 

At the very center of the room is a 2ft high golden statue of a Satyr playing a flute sitting on a pedastle. Touching the statue will cause it to start playing and the fan blades will begin spinning unless the person touching the statue is wearing the Wind Amulet from room 7. The statue weigh is very heavy (as it is made of lead with a thin covering of gold foil). 

NPC - Paega - Priestess of Nerull

 NPC - Paega - Priestess of  Nerull

Little is known of Paega's past or if she is entitrely human. She is one of the  prime servants of Nerull in Rel Astra and the most feared. Where she goes she does not  just bring death, she brings suffering and fear. Murder in its most grusome and random sense is her form of devotion to Nerull.

Her left arm is withered and at its touch she can wither flesh as if it was weeks dead. Her right arm is swollen and green as if it were rotting in the sun and her right hand is clawed, her findertips like knives. She wears a pale mask with dark eyeless pits that drip blood. Those who stare into that abyss can become blinded as their own eyes leak blood. One look into those eyeless depths will cause weeks of restless nightmares.

Paega has been killed several times and each time Nerull has brought her back to plague the Oerth.

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 4

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 4

4. The long hallway has plastered walls that show scenes of fishing and ancient ships upon peaceful waters to the east. To the west the scenes show cloudy skys and storms lashing fields and farmland.

5. This room is plastered with bluish illustartions that appear to show underwater scenes. There is a wide pool of water at the center 30x30 section of the room. At the center of the pool, which is about 10 feet deep, is a golden statue of a mermaid. It weighs around 5lbs and is quite valuable. Anyone entering the pool without the Amulet showing the Water Sign will summon a Water Weird which attacks those within the room (other than the Amulet wearer.

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 3

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 3

3. Arrows of Wheat

Inside the room is a field of wheat. It is almost 5 feet high and still ripples slightly from the inrush of air when the sealed passage was opened. The wheat is made of gold and radiates strong enchantment.

Each stalk is crafted with exquisite skill and its value as a work art would far outweigh its value as gold. Removing the wheat is a problem. When a stalk is touched it becomes an arrow of gold +1 to hit and +1 to damage once fired they become normal organic stalks of wheat after they have done their damage. There are hundreds, perhaps close to a thousand stalks of gold wheat.

The walls of the room are plastered with crumbling scenes of a huge beast being hunted through a field of wheat. At the center of the room is the dry and withered form of the creature. It is quite dead. Surprisingly its skin is very supple. If skinned its hide can be made into a cloak that allows friendship and communication with bovine creatures.

At the 4 corners of the room are pedastals upon each is the statue of a Flan warrior bearing a bow. As the characters enter the room they will be fired upon by the stone archers. They archers will pluck stalks of wheat as they shoot as if from a handy quiver and fire the magic arrows. These statues will fire until there are no more targets or no more arrows but will not leave the room.

   

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 2

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 2

Some openings between rooms are blocked as shown on the map. These are not doors but sealed partions of brick and mortar. They are covered with a decorated plaster showing scenes from the distant past of the Flan such as hunting, farming, celebrations. The passing years have made them very delicate. They are easily broken in a shower of dust and crumbling brick. Those who shatter a passage are cursed for a cumulative -1 penalty per portal until the curse is removed.

2.

Down the center of this room are two rows of crouching figures. Each is clothed in rotting fragments of cloth that show the dull remnants of bright colors now faded. As the players enter the room the figures will rise and turn toward the players. They will move toward them with arms outstretched while an eerie moaning will come from their desicated throats.

There are two rows of 8 figures each. They are chained togther in groups of 4. A single blow is enough to slay them but they will arise again within 24 hours. If anyone understands ancient Flan they will hear in the moaning speech pleas for mercy ande to be released. For every 4 of these ancient Flan slaves killed a -1 curse will be upon the slayer but for every 4 released from their chains a +1 blessing (24hour duration) will be placed on the one to release them.

While there is no key the chains can be struck or even twisted off by an exceptionally strong player.

The walls of the room are covered in decaying plaster that show chained slaves working in a field of wheat. There are broken baskets in the corners filled with the dust of wheat collected long centuries, perhaps millenia before.

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful Part 1

Project - Cairn Hills - The Tomb of Aelfflaed the Beautiful

(Map from random dungeon creator watabou)

The Cairn Hills are home to hundreds perhaps thousands of tombs and barrows reaching back into the distant past of the Flanaess. Many of them have been discovered and emptied but the valleys between the low hills still hide much to be discovered. 

This tomb is untouched and therefore still holds treasure but it also contains dangers and protections for those who would rob it.

The surrounding area is home to bandits, gnolls, ogre's and trolls. A nest of manticores is nearby.

All rooms are of stone with ceilings 8 feet at the walls rising to 15 feet at the center. The walls are carved from dense blocks of a light grey stone. Each block weighs in excess of 500lbs. The  roof is made from a darker stone and seems to have been melded together somehow. A faint trace of magic still lingers.

There is no light in the dungeon. The players will need to provide a light source if the cannot see in the dark.

1. Entranceway.

The outer door is covered with dirt and rubble but a recent storm causeed a slide and the upper poprtion of the doorway is revealed. There is a ward set into the door formed from the armbones and skull of an ancient Flan warrior. If it is touched it will say in ancient Flan "The curse of living death is upon this grave." The skull will then emit an eery laugh and collapse into dust. The door will split and fall to rubble. When the door collapses air is sucked into the room as if into a vacuum.

A set of stairs leads down 30 feet to the room. 

At the center of the room is a small chariot. It is exquisitely made (elvish workmanship) it is inlaid with silver but the wood is dried and fragile. A figure is chained inside the chariot. An ancient Flan warrior dried and desicated. It has three +1 Javilins and a longsword of equally ancient design. When the first player steps into the room it will begin throwing javilins at them. After it is out of javilins it will attack with its sword. The chain holding it to rotting chariot will easly break free and allow it to pursue the players though it will not leave the room. 

Attached to a peg inside the chariot is a whip that causes wounds to bleed for extra damage and can dismount a rider 10% of the time after a succesful hit.

End Part 1

NPC - Eydis Paladin of Ve

NPC - Eydis Paladin of Ve

Ve is the patron god of the Schnai. His brothers Veli and Votan are respected as are the other gods and godesses in the pantheon of the Manskr (those people called Suel Babarians by outsiders). 

It is Ve who dispells the darkness and ends the long night. He who kindles the fire. His home is the sun and his armor is golden. Those who serve him, his priests and paladins wear enchanted discs of gold upon their armor granting the various protections.

Eydis is one of Ve's favored champions. She bears several disks of power and an enchantedswortd that burns with the fury of Ve. When she was a child she was given to the order of Ve and raised to be a wartrior-priest but so great was here strength and piety that she became one of Ve's holy champions.

Temple of Nerull - Rel Astra - The Three Faces of Death

Temple of Nerull - Rel Astra - The Three Faces of Death

The most well-known of Nerull's temples is in or mainly, beneath, the city of Rel Astra. Beyond the great three-headed statue to the deity is a winding stair that leads not to the UnderOerth but down to the dark plane of death controlled by Nerull.

The statue shows three faces of death. The right side is murder, the left darkness and the central head stares out from the Abyss. The hands of the statue are bathed in the blood of sacrifices to the dark god and his worshipers bathe their hands in the collecting pools beneath.

A greater temple to Nerull is said to exist but one that is hidden and known only to the highest members of his clergy.

Project - Blackmoor Land of a Thousand Witches - NPC Maarika the Fallen Sister

Project - Blackmoor Land of a Thousand Witches - NPC Maarika the Fallen Sister

Once one of the most powerful witches in Blackmoor and a leader among the Sisterhood Maarika crossed the passage torn through the barrier between the world of the Grey and our own. In the battle against the terror that afflicts Blackmoor she fell and was thought slain, but her body was never found.

Now she was somehow returned to Oerth, but her mind is twisted, her form ravaged by some disease that exudes darkness, and her power turned to evil. Whether she is a servant of the Grey or just driven mad by her wounds and time in the Grey's foul realm is unknown. 

Some of the Sisterhood have confronted her only to be injured or slain. A force was sent against her and she had fled to the Land of Black Ice. Will she return? The Sisterhood would have her hunted down and have turned to adventurers who would do the task for coin as their own strength is stretched thin defending the land of Blackmoor.

Project - Sedr Magic of the Cruski, Fruztii and Schnai

Project - Sedr Magic of the Cruski, Fruztii and Schnai

Often called "Suel Barbarians" these people of the north-eastern Flanaess are at most distant relations to those of the Suel Imperium. During the time before the Rain of Colorless Fire they served at times as mercenary tribes but more often waged intermittent war upon the Suel. At the height of the Imperium's power they were driven from their lands far to the north-east where they dwell today.

These three tribal-nations worship the same pantheon of Gods though each has their own patron, one of three brother deities. Veli is worshiped by Cruski, Votan by the Friztii and Ve by the Schnai. Many other other Gods and Goddesses are worshipped though among all three Fray the Oerth-Mother is highest among all three.

Fray it is who gave the tribes magic, the Sedr, though it is said she taught it first to Votan while his brothers disdained its use, so that today it is among the Fruztii that men and women practice the art, while among the Cruskii and Schnai the Sedr is held secret by the women of the tribes.

Sedr magic has three branches, the Seeing, the Ice Magic and the Bone Summoning. Most who practice the art learn evenly of all three though some become drawn to one particular craft of the others. Women who use the Sedr magic are called Volle or witches and men are called Vola or warlocks. Skalds, the bardic-priests of Votan, Veli and Ve wield some of the Sedr magic but also possess the gift of priestcraft from their patron deity.

The first branch, the Seeing involves ritual divination, but also the ability to walk among the lands of the dead and speak with those dwelling there.

The second branch is Ice Magic and it is both strong in defense and offense for the wielder granting spells that allow casting of frozen bolts of ice, granting resistance or immunity to cold, summoning frozen elementals, creating sheets or barriers of ice and so forth.

The last branch is Bone Summoning, necromancy, and the wielder summons the dead and commands them.

NOTE:

"Suel Barbarians" is something applied to them by outsiders but the reality is that they were barbarian tribes that both raided the Suel and served them at times as allied or mercenary forces, They worship none of the "Suel" pantheon. Votan, Veli and Ve are brother Gods and Fray is a mother Goddess, but there are many, many lesser Gods in this pantheon. Among the tribes they either refer to themselves as the Volke (Fruz) or the Manskr (Schnai and Cruztii) and never "Suel Barbarian" which is a terrible insult.

Project - Blackmoor Land of a Thousand Witches - NPC Brenna

Project - Blackmoor Land of a Thousand Witches - NPC Brenna

Brenna is originally from the Timberway among the Fruztii or Frost tribes, but she followed a spirit quest and found herself in Blackmoor near the Land of Black Ice and a welcome addition to the Sisterhood. Her way of magic is different from the witches of Blackmoor and is strongly linked to totems, rituals and amulets. The way of the Sedr magic practiced by the Fruz, has strong tinges of necromancy among its traditions and she wears the bones of dead heroes with which she summon them to fight for her if need be.

Her powers are also those of seeress and she can set her spirit to walk among the lands of the dead to ask questions of the past or project her sight to catch visions of the future. Finally he greatest strengths and protections come from the cold and she is granted both ice magic and power of elementals from the land of eternal cold.

She is familiar with the Grey and knows portals to its realm where the intersect with that of the frozen planes of Ice.

Project - Blackmoor Land of a Thousand Witches - NPC Hilja

Project - Blackmoor Land of a Thousand Witches - NPC Hilja

Hilja is druidess dwelling in the Burneal Forest. She is not often encountered in human form and when she is has the tendency to disdain clothing. She rarely speaks, at least in human tongue, but communicates with many animals usually while taking their shapes. She bears sevceral amulet and totems that allow her to instantly change to one animal form or another.

While allied with the Sisterhood and a powerful enemy of the Grey she is not herself a member of the Sisterhood. Her concerns are less about Blackmoor or even humanity and more about the animals inhabiting the land.

NPC - Jedzec Centaur Lord

NPC - Jedzec Centaur Lord

Between the Burneal Forest and the Cold Marshes is roadway one heavily travelled by the centaur herds. Now that the land is under perpetual assault by the entity known as The Grey and its minions the herds have moved further west and only the warriors patrol the old pathways are enter the forbidding marshes.

Jedzec is a lord among his people and can be often found among the edge of the marshes though even he does not ride to deeply within the forbidding boundries of the frozen bog. He is an archer beyond compare and normallyc arries no other weapon. A skilled ranger he has an affinity with the Oerth and nature beyond most of his kind. Jedzec is an ally of the Sisterhood in Blackmoor and can call on their aid. In return he and his clan will aid any of the Sisterhood who call upon him.