Let’s Make a Hexcrawl Setting

[Daztur]

The Bridges East and West
Additional information about Hex 17.17.

Using this thingie again: Serendipity: City Generator (

With Castle Tarengael lying in on an island in its center, two great bridges span the River of Crystal Waters here. They are the foundation of much of the wealth of the Duke of Thring for the Duke charges tolls both on those who cross over the bridges and those who sail under them. The western bridge is made from mundane stone and appears drab alongside the eastern bridge, which is made of a glass-like material that is as strong as steel. This bridge shines radiantly in the light of the sun and almost seems to glow at night but it is slippery when wet and can be difficult to navigate around, which is why some portions of it are often painted with scenes from Thringish history. However, such paintings never last for long it is difficult for anything to adhere to the bridge and it soon weathers away.

At the far end of the two bridges are a pair of simple by sprawling villages, unimaginatively named Westbridge and Eastbridge. They are inhabited by those servants of the Duke for whom there is no room within his castle. By Thringish law they are not true holdings and have the same legal standing as a collection of shed in a cow field. They are also not fortified for no people of value (at least in eyes of the nobles of Thring) live in these villages.

Westbridge is even poorer than Eastbridge since few travellers come west from the Hills of Gore and the desolate lands from the west and to make matters worse the men-at-arms that serve the Duke's steward keep a sharp watch on its people and ensure that none have money that would not be better kept in the Duke's pockets. From among the poor of Westbridge a few men have been able to rise, notably the Black Duke of Thring who was born here among the muck and rose to become one of the greatest warriors and greatest tyrants in Thringish history.

Recently a weaver from Shuttered has set up shop in Westbridge and the Duke has granted him a large number of peasant children as apprentices. He claims to have come here to avoid the restrictive rules of the Shuttered craft guilds.

Meanwhile, Eastbridge is a different place altogether. Many merchants come here from the north and east to deal with the court of Thring and all those who are not welcomed into the court as guests stay on the east side of the bridges. As a result, there are a large number of inns here clustered around the main square where the monthly warhorse market is held. These inns cater to not only travelers who are unable to arrange for rooms in Castle Tarengael itself but Thringish men and woman who seek to enjoy themselves away from the confining etiquette of court.

Strangely enough, the streets of Eastbridge are actually paved, at least some of them. The paving stones that are used have been transported here all the way from the Bitter Coast.

Hooks:
-Why is there an entire bridge made out of glassteel here?
-How heavy are the tolls here?
-Why does it mater that Eastbridge and Westbridge aren't legally holdings?
-What is the weaver up to?
-Any interesting inns in Eastbridge? What sort of entertainment can be had there?
-Why were paving stones brought here so far from the Bitter Coast?

 

[Sanglorian]

Hmmmm, don't see any email address on his blog. What might be easiest is to just use his writing as inspiration for the area around Thring but don't copy any of his writing, sort of like what chutup did with the zoo in Shuttered that used an idea from Vornheim and what we've done with a gazillion other ideas (like how I've ripped off a bunch of stuff from the Monsters and Manual blog while changing all of the names, adding and changing details and writing all of the text myself).

If this thingie ever gets published, we could do a kickstarter to pay for some additional art and whatnot and publish it at cost so there's no profit or give any profit to charity. I have zero desire to make any money off of this. However, Sanglorian has mentioned spin-off books like a Shrouded Lands monster manual and it's important to leave the door open to stuff like that.

You could leave a comment on one of his posts asking him to get in touch with you. Otherwise, using his writing as an inspiration sounds good.

A Kickstarter sounds great! That could be a lot of fun.

You mentioned that you're planning to run the D&D playtest in the Shrouded Lands. I've given that possibility some thought and this is what I've come up with. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

THOSE VEXATIOUS CAVES!
So the 5E playtest packet was released yesterday! I’ve given some thought to placing the Caves of Chaos in the Shrouded Lands. I’ve included my brainstorming below. I plan to write it up into a proper entry for the setting eventually, but I thought that I should get your feedback first.

Am I correct in my interpretation that there are two separate but cooperating groups of orcs? Or is it one group that lives in two places? If it’s the former, does anyone have any suggestions for the second group of orcs?

I know some people like their female dwarves to have beards, and others don’t. I thought that the beard-mask is a nice compromise: for those who like dwarfmaids with beards, removing the mask exposes a beard that has been braided, clipped or otherwise marked as feminine, while those who like hairless dwarfmaids can have them expose a symbolic beard (perhaps tattoos, a wig or a golden facsimile).

THE CAVES
I think the best place for the caves are the Grey Mountains, those cold and forested regions governed not by Man but by a beast. There are already orc, hobgoblin, minotaur and goblin communities in the Mountains, and we know there are gnolls and kobolds in the north (for example, the Broken Spear).

The caves are the site of the third dwarven fortress, which was finished and manned but did not survive its first siege. Except for sections G and I, all of the caves are actually the remaining rooms and basements of the dwarven fortress. The distinct Titan-Grumludish architecture that defined the dwarven fortresses of that age should be readily apparent to anyone who has visited Grumluda, Hoth Achar or Titan’s Skull.

The orcs: The commanders in Hoth Achar have a great interest in the ruined fortress, and have dispatched a garrison to seize a section of the ruins and investigate as best as they are able. The female orcs brought their whelps with them or bore them after arriving, as is expected under the Double Duty.
Interested in: Information about the ruins or the other humanoid tribes.
If left unchecked: The armies of Hoth Achar eventually sweep into the caves, driving out all the other tribes, and begin to rebuild the fortress.

The hobgoblins: The original occupants of the caves, the hobgoblins have been steadily evicted from each section of the caves as other groups of humanoids have moved in. They are convinced as a tribe that they have been cursed with misfortune, and their schemes for leaving and travelling to another part of the Mountains might amount to something if they ever run out of shroom wine.
Interested in: Protection and news of other places to live.
If left unchecked: They sneak off one night and settle somewhere elese.

The goblins: The goblins split from their cousins among the Ten Thousand Stumps. They aim to replant their oak groves, but the ground here is stony and hard. If only they had blood with which to water their trees …
Interested in: Living sacrifices for the oaks.
If left unchecked: Their oaks grow tall and strong and the goblin population grows considerably.

The kobolds: The kobolds of the Broken Spear sent many of their cleverest and strongest to the caves, their leader carrying a strange flashing device that spoke directions to them. The kobolds believed this to be the voice of Alberon—whom they do not worship, but do fear and respect—guiding them to the promised land. The device instructed them to enter the caves occupied by the cultists, but they were repulsed and lost many of their numbers. The kobolds moved into one of the caves and bide their time, while the device still patiently and regularly orders them to travel into the cultists’ cave.
Interested in: A way to get into the cultists’ cave.
If left unchecked: They break into the cultists’ cave, kill the cultists, clear the mysterious passageway and follow it down into the earth.

The gnolls: The gnolls of the Broken Spear saw the kobolds leaving with the device and the pack split on the question of whether to follow them. The group that supported pursuit followed the kobolds to the caves and then claimed a cave for themselves. The followers of Snaptooth, the leader, are starting to suspect that he has a taste for leadership and has no plans to attack the kobolds and claim the device.
Interested in: Troops to defend Snaptooth, troops to defeat Snaptooth.
If left unchecked: The tribe tears itself apart.

The cultists: No god revealed so far is associated with the undead, but one of the skulls of Tiamat is guarded by skeletal minotaurs. These cultists believe that necromancy can bring back Dead Tiamat, and so they have experimented with the dark arts. So far, they have only mastered human skeletons and zombies: they created a stronger undead, the wight, but it was beyond their powers to control and they imprisoned it only with great difficulty.
Interested in: Protection from the other tribes, necromantic magic and lore, dragon body parts.
If left unchecked: The cult creates a dracolich.

The minotaur: The minotaur was a citizen of Lastmaze who was exiled after he clashed with Ja the Red. Over the years he has painstakingly carved out this labyrinth; Chimalia marked her pleasure by enchanting it.
Interested in: News of Lastmaze, a chance to slaughter orcs.
If left unchecked: Is further blessed by Chimalia by being fused with some other beast (perhaps the owlbear) to become an even more hideous chimera.

The bugbears: In a way, these bugbears don’t seem to fit with our creepy kidnappers. Perhaps they’ve been sent up north by the Sack Man to search for something (the North Pole?). Perhaps they’re kindly souls who genuinely provide a hot meal and bed to any travellers. It would thoroughly creep out the PCs to encounter a group of monstrous humanoids with no hidden agenda except to smoke some catnip and spin stories. Let me know your suggestions, but until then:
Interested in: Slaves, particularly children (orc whelps, goblin young, etc.).
If left unchecked: One of the children that they abduct and send south to the Sack Man is a dwarf who has never touched iron.

The fire beetles: These fire beetles lack poison or fire, unlike the fire beetles in the Badlands. Perhaps these beetles are missing some essential nutrient. Any other ideas?

The medusa: Our medusae are parasitic bundles of snakes; you couldn’t keep them in the dungeon by chaining them up. I think this encounter is silly anyway, so I’m not going to bother to incorporate it. If you folks have any suggestions, though, I’ll happily hear them.

The ogre: We don’t have a lot of details about ogres yet, but if you have any suggestions for this encounter do speak up.

THE CHARACTERS
Torkar (dwarf cleric) and Garzak (dwarf fighter) were sent by the Hoard to investigate what remains of the third dwarven fortress. They came to Thorek Ironhide to ask for assistance, and the mighty jarl of the bears assigned them two allies as well as providing food and equipment.

The two allies are Tathar Illumien (elf wizard) and Dagmi (halfling rogue). They were beneficiaries of the jarl’s hospitality when Dagmi was caught stealing from the jarl’s treasury. The jarl has taken Tathar’s familiar hostage, and will only return her if Tathar makes himself useful in the caves.

Aloysius is eager to travel to the caves to preach the message of the King.

Dagmi Bolger (female halfling rogue): Dagmi was caught stealing giant bees’ wax from her own second-cousin. Normally, the punishment is death, but her father used his influence to have her exiled. She wanders about, causing mischief and narrowly escaping disaster. Recently, the notion of becoming a cattle thief has become more tempting to her. She is Tathar’s self-appointed tour guide.
Hooks: Does Dagmi ever miss her home or stay in contact with her relatives? What is the most incredible thing that she has stolen? Does she have her loot stored away somewhere or does she really have not a coin to her name?

Tathar Illumien: Tathar is a traveller from an antique land, the Golden Realm. He is exploring the Shrouded Lands, carefully making notes in the back of his spellbook. He is calm and curious, a strange companion for the cheeky Dagmi. It is difficult to tell if he realises that she is exploiting him, but he certainly pays for every meal and buys off outraged merchants who discover her thefts.
Hooks: What does Tathar think of these strange northern lands? Is he really a tourist or does he have an ulterior motive? Will Tathar return to the jarl in time to get his familiar at second level?

Aloysius (male human cleric): Aloysius is a keen-eyed convert to the King in Splendour. He was found by Tathar and Dagmi after being badly beaten by orcs who were not receptive to the message of the Man Who is Lion. After recovering under the jarl’s care, Aloysius is keen to bring the word of the King to the humanoids of the caves.
Hooks: Where does Aloysius come from? Are there any converts to the King in Splendour already among the humanoids? What does the jarl think of the King in Splendour?

Torkar (dwarf cleric): Torkar is a priest of the Drinker of Iron and a knight of the Hoard. His-her beard-mask is made from iron and silver coins strung together. A strict believer in tradition, he-she uncompromisingly obeys the cultural norms of Titan’s Skull and the commandments of the Drinker of Iron.
Hooks: Why did Torkar decide to enter the priesthood? What does being a knight of the Hoard entail? If the demands of her faith and the Hoard were ever incompatible, what would Torkar do?

Garzak (dwarf fighter): Garzak was reassigned by his-her officers from keeping watch along Titan’s Rest to accompanying Torkar on his-her investigation. Since leaving the stuffy confines of the army, Garzak has begun to change his-her appearance. A dwarf could now guess whether he-she is a male or a female, and Torkar worries that Garzak will soon be brazen enough to remove his-her beard-mask.
Hooks: Why was Garzak chosen above all others for this mission? Is he-she a woman or a man? What does he-she think of being under Torkar’s command? What does his-her beard-mask look like?

CULTURAL ELEMENTS
The Double Duty: Among the orcs of the Grey Mountains, women are entitled to fill any male role provided they also fulfill every duty of a woman. Stories are told of legendary orc soldiers fighting with their whelps strapped to their back. Some orc matrons will even marry other women, acting as provider and protector for them.

The Beard-Mask: The dwarves of Titan’s Skull place a veil beneath their nose to hide their beard and disguise their gender while in public. This is a strict interpretation of the Hoard’s second law on gender, with ‘outsiders’ sometimes interpreted to mean anyone outside one’s immediate family.

The nature of the veil depends on the dwarf’s station and personal preferences. Particularly conservative dwarves may cover their entire face, arguing—probably correctly—that a dwarf’s gender can be surmised from facial structures.

 

[Electric Wizard]

17.18 The Forked Castle Connected to 16.16, 11.15

Travelers along the road are surprised by how abruptly this castle's twin spires appear above the surrounding pine groves. It is the home of the House Tyhon, a family with a history of astonishing pride.

The most famous Tyhon tale is of Count Tyhon the Stubborn. His brief affair with a Duchess-consort ended with the streets of Eastbridge (16.16) being paved by stones from the shores of the Bitter Sea. After his trysts were discovered by Wrafton, one of the Duke's sycophants, he was blackmailed. Wrafton chose to test the count's stubbornness. Tyhon was told that he must send every stone from his personal quarry to the Duke until every street in Eastbridge was paved, or bring enough stone from the shores of the Sea of Bitter Regrets to pave the road from the town wall to the East Bridge.

The stubborn Tyhon chose the latter. With the help of gnome guides, he used the tributaries of the Sunless Sea to float raft-loads of foreign stone to a nearby cave and then hauled it into Eastbridge. Wrafton became so furious that he told the Duke of the affair. Tyhon was exiled, and his name vanished from history. His son dueled the dishonorable Wrafton in the Swamp of Champions (16.16.02) and won. Wrafton rotted in the swamp without vigil.

The last count, Tyhon Hotspur, is presumed dead after not returning from a quest to slay the Peryton (11.15). The widowed Lady Tyhon believes he died trying to slay the beast, meaning there is hope that she can hear his voice once again. She refuses to speak to any suitors until she can listen to the Peryton.

Hooks
-Where did Tyhon the Stubborn end up? Is another branch (or fork, if the metaphor isn't blunt enough) of the bloodline continuing somewhere far away from the Forked Castle?
-What entrance to the Sunless Sea did Tyhon the Stubborn use? Was it a known portal, or a secret location?
-Does the Tyhon family still have connections with the gnomes of the Sunless Sea? If so, what forms the basis of their relationship?
-Why did Tyhon Hotspur embark on the quest to hunt the Peryton? What was his fate?

 

[Daztur]

Was out of town for the weekend for ancestral rites for my grandfather in-law (which sound a lot more interesting than they are...). I've got some ideas for orcish religion that are based on mashing together Korean feng shui, the Princess Bride and an alternate history timeline about yams but that'll have to wait for tomorrow. For tonight let's put in a plague...

When Death Comes Courting

Note: this one is based on Henipavirus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia it is a damn scary virus

It begins with a dream. A dream of a kiss from a figure with a face shrouded in shadow. The sufferer then awakes with lips red and pink. This is the beginning of a the disease that sinks deep into the victim's lungs and brings up pink bloody phlegm for a full fortnight. In the young, aged or weak this is sometimes fatal but it rarely strikes down those in their prime. Soon enough, for all but a handful of unfortunates whose lungs have been permanently damaged, the phlegm clears up and the cough dies away.

But when death comes courting, it will not be satisfied with one kiss and after two months or perhaps a year and a day the dream returns with the dark figure ever more insistent. This marks the onset of the second stage of the disease. The blinding headaches, the delirium, the mad ravings and finally the long sleep.

Those who have tasted death's kiss and whose cough has dissipated live in fear knowing that death has chosen them as its own and is merely marking time before it drags them the rest of the way into the grave. There are the lucky ones who recover from the cough and never experience the second stage of the disease but of those who suffer from the headaches that come with the second stage of this disease only the luckiest are able to live and those that do so are never the same again.

Hooks:
-Are the dreams meaningful or merely psychosomatic (there have been cases of this disease giving you a cough and then you recover and then BAM encephalitis month later in the real world, luckily the real world version doesn't spread very easily, at least not yet...)?
-How do people act when they know they have death by brain infection hanging over their heads that could strike at any moment? I assume that they might do most anything for a casting of a cure disease spell but of course the humble priests of these lands would never take advantage of their desperation, would they?
-How widespread is this disease? What races aside from humans can catch it?

 

[chutup]

The Sanatorium of the Damned (32.12)

Along the coast of the Keening Sea, east of the Shuttered City, there lies a miserable stretch of coastline whose one imposing feature is the grim walled community of Erleforst. This is ostensibly a treatment facility for citizens of Shuttered who are suffering from the Courting Death. In reality, there is no known cure for the disease, or at least not one that is cheap or accessible enough for the priests of Erleforst to provide it. Instead, the sanatorium is a dystopian nightmare of regimented training and ritual fasting, presided over by a megalomaniac ex-bishop named Tharcofal.

The Priests of Alberon are wary of Tharcofal for his past crimes, but they also rely on him to control the damned of the sanatorium. For it is well known that these desperate souls will do anything to be released from the disease, and thus are highly effective as soldiers or assassins while they last. Especially as the second stage of the disease comes on, they become utterly fearless, willing to take on incredible risks or flat-out suicide missions in exchange for the promise of a cure. Trained and armed in Erleforst, they are called the Dead Men and given skull-shaped masks to wear before they go out into the world on covert missions. Often the Dead Men collaborate with the Priests-Militant or the Temple Invisible (though in the latter case, the holy assassins will always make sure that the Dead Men die rather than returning to the sanatorium.)

Dead Men have been deployed as far afield as the Kingswood, the temple of the Whispering Sisters, and most famously during the war with Blind Midshotgatepool. Only the high turnover prevents them from becoming one of the most dangerous fighting forces in the Shrouded Lands. However, a rumour has recently spread that one among the Dead Men has now lived an unusually long time.

Hooks:
- Is there a cure for the Courting Death? If so, what makes it unfeasible for the priests of Erleforst?
- Why was Tharcofal deposed from his position as bishop?
- What sort of missions have the Dead Men undertaken?
- Who is this Dead Man who seems unable to die?

Death's Lovelies (27.23)

This meagre camp around an ancient stone cairn is often uninhabited, for Death's Lovelies are a wandering bunch who travel all over the northwestern end of the Burning Lands, and up to Blind Midshotgatepool and the borders of Thring. When they are not around, the only things to be found here are a few red-lipped neophytes and piles of poisoned and cursed treasure.

It is said that Death's Lovelies first formed during the battle of Blind Midshotgatepool, when a contingent of Dead Men from Shuttered decided to defect after they learned that there was no hope of their being cured. One among them took his skull mask and modified it with horns and tusks, ever after being known as the Hog. The Hog led his doomed followers south, where they created for themselves a new nihilistic worldview. Knowing that their deaths were imminent, they decided to die in the most glorious manner possible to leap into the arms of their lover, Death. To die of the sickness is anathema to Death's Lovelies, for it means that one's lover has grown tired of waiting. Better to impress the lover with a great death, so that he/she will shower the victim with gifts when they arrive in her dark chamber.

What the Hog did not expect was that more sufferers would join his cause, some defectors from the Dead Men, others merely locals who fell prey to the disease. As Death's Lovelies grew larger, they gained a reputation as violent brigands who held no fear of death. Some went so far as to plan their deaths meticulously: the first Hog, after much consideration, chose to die by climbing naked into the mouth of a sleeping dragon turtle while singing the bawdy folk song "The Lady and the Codfish".

The Hog's mask was passed on to another member of the Lovelies, and so on - there have now been over a dozen Hogs, and none of the original Lovelies remain alive. Sufferers of the Courting Death come from far and wide to wait by this cairn, where they will shortly be picked up by one of the Lovelies' dedicated recruiters, whose job it is to travel regularly to the cairn and conduct the newcomers to wherever the main band of the Lovelies is currently reaving (though often the group will split into several smaller sections.)

The treasure that the Lovelies collect they have almost no use for. Most of it is dumped beside the cairn. However, as a final spit in the face of the living world, they have learned how to coat the treasure with a nasty contact poison. Others have rigged up traps to destroy would-be thieves, and a few have created cursed treasure by dipping it into the Yellow Pool of Ondos.

More mysteriously, it seems that the current Hog is searching for something in the lands south of Blind Midshotgatepool. Some members of the Lovelies hint at an overarching purpose that has been passed down from the first Hog, though none can say what it might be.

Hooks:
- If the dreams aren't merely psychosomatic, then is there any truth to the beliefs of Death's Lovelies?
- Where's this dragon turtle? Did the Lovelies manage to kill it or is it still extant?
- What's the original significance of the cairn?
- What kind of treasure have the Lovelies acquired? Anything that's worth dealing with the poisons and curses?
- What is the Yellow Pool of Ondos?
- What is the Hog really planning? Does he/she want to get revenge on the Shuttered City?

 

[Daztur]

Sanglorian: I’m holding my first 5ed playtest session this Sunday and I’ll be using your fluff for that and incorporating what happens during our session into your write-up draft.

For the female dwarves, I basically stole ideas from Pratchett when it came to dwarvish gender so it’s taboo for a Shrouded Lands dwarf to do anything that gives a non-dwarf a clear idea of what their gender is. The beard masks could be part of this as long as they’re made so that you can’t tell which dwarf is male and which is female. Of course adventurers are free to flout these taboo and I’m not sure if the southern vaguely-Zulu dwarves from the Shrouded Lands maintain those customs.

The two following entries are my attempt to flesh out orcish culture in a way that makes them feel like D&D orcs but still be fresh and interesting, just like we’ve done with the other races. As we’ve avoided making our dwarves and elves too nice, I’ve tried to avoid making the orcs too evil and I think that they’d make a great PC race. One of the things that I’ve learned from this project is that stealing widely is often even better than being original and these orcs (along with previously-established orc canon) now draw from what must be a dozen fictional sources and real world cultures. See how many you can spot.

To The Pain
Additional information about Hex 26.01

One of the most famous features of Hoth Achaar is the fighting pits where orcish gladiators fight not to the death but to the pain. In these bouts the aim is to inflict enough suffering to make the other gladiator give way. It is seen as unlucky for one of the gladiators to die, although death by blood loss of one or even both of the combatants is not uncommon. These fights are long drawn out of affairs in which the gladiators are given impractical weapons such as double-bladed swords and spiked chains to ensure that the fights do not end too swiftly. The losers in these bouts are often left maimed, but unlike other orcish cripples they are not killed but rather left to beg in the streets and elicit the screams of children.

Orcs of noble blood do not allow themselves to be seen scrabbling in the arena but rather give the gift of pain in one of the great temples of the fortress city. There they are ritually tortured until they give the signal for the pain to end. Although mistakes do happen, the priests try their best to avoid inflicting permanent damage except to remove one eye of their most stoic victims, but those orcs who endure the hooked knives of the priests are often left with an impressive set of scars to boast of.

All of these sacrifices, both in the arena and the temple, are entirely voluntary. In fact the priests demand that only free orcs who give the gift of pain of their own free will may be chosen and a sacrifice may give the signal of surrender at any time and halt the pain. However, many young orcs are quietly encouraged to participate by their elders and they know it would be unwise to not put on a good show for the great audiences that gather in the pits and the temples.

What is the purpose of all of this? Well, the orcs believe that the lords of the underworld (21.02), Gruumsch chief among them, have decreed that the orc race must know pain and misfortune so that they may learn to endure and grow strong. While all orcs agree with the wisdom of this it can be most inconvenient at times. It is all well and good for a baker to learn from the pain of fire by having his skin burned off, but why must other orcs put up with singed baked goods? Is it not far better that if the baker is fated to suffer he do it in the arena without risking his pies?

The orcs hope that the pain that they give in the pits and the temples pleases the lords of the underworld so that the orcs can enjoy the blessings and good fortune that the lords of the sky (26.01) have promised all orcs. But the orc Quartermasters are a careful lot and in the temples of these economically-minded priests consult the sounds of the earth and the movements of the stars so that they can maximize the blessings given from above and minimize the misfortunes given from below. One of the ways that the Quartermasters do this is order various sections of the population to work on different tasks and to move about the city to different temples. So far this has worked well, for example when the wererat plague broke out in the city it appeared among the warg handlers and was quickly dealt with and the granaries were spared. But if seems that the Quartermasters order many things for their own benefit, for instance the rain of gold fell solely on the quarters that had recently been reassigned to the Quartermasters themselves.

All of this is especially important due to the presence of Gruumsch’s Eye within the city. This is a cave that lies within the inner part of the city, quite high up and overlooking the small river that flows easterly past the southern walls of Hoth Achaar. The Quartermasters say that from a mountain cave can flow both the power of the sky and that of the underworld, while foreign sorcerers claim that this cave is the source of a powerful ley line of earth. In any case, great mystical power flows from Gruumsch’s Eye and it is trapped within the city by a thousand thousand orcish charms that have been scrawled across the outer walls of Hoth Achaar.

Hooks:
-What are the effects of having the power of Gruumsch’s Eye contained within the city rather than be able to flow away as a ley line? That’s a lot of magical power.
-Is Gruumsch’s Eye just the source of an earth ley line or is it something else?
-What’s the story behind all of these ley lines anyway?
-Why are orcish priests called Quartermasters? What sort of magic are they known for?
-Wererat plague? Rain of gold? What?
-The lords of the sky and the lords of the underworld seem to be all female and all male, respectively (21.02). Aside from Gruumsch being the most powerful of the lords of the underworld what is there to know about the lords?
-Who are some famous orcish gladiators?
-Who is an orc who is stoical enough to withstand hours of torture and have their eye surgically removed?

The Potato Fields
Hex 26.02
This isn’t the only hex in the area with lots of potato farming, just where the most bountiful ones are.

Many ask: what is the source of the military successes of the orcs of the Grey Mountains. Is it their legendary stoicism, the strength of their arms or the squabbling of their neighbors? It is none of these things, it is the potato. The rocky terrain around the orcish stronghold of Hoth Achaar is poor farmland, orcware is sturdy but has difficulty competing with the make of elves and dwarves and the men of the freeholds are loath to sell the orcs meat and grain. The only thing that keeps the orcish warriors fed are the fields of potatoes that ring Hoth Achaar, which grow great yields even in the stony mountain soil.

The orcs preserve them by freezing them in the cold night air and then heating them on the mountain rocks by day to remove the ice crystals. In this way the sky and the underworld are both respected and all water is removed, leaving the potatoes wrinkled and light. This is the main campaigning food of orcish warriors but when at home the people of Hoth Achaar far prefer orcish pies.

These pies are great round cornmeal pastries stuffed with boiled potatoes, meat scraps and gravy, chunks of boiled egg and pungent spices. The demand for them is great enough that they are also baked in the Sundial Inn (25.04) and elsewhere, although Regulus Verlime grumbles that they are the only bit of orcish culture that has any merit.

Hooks:
-Where else is orcish pie sold?
-What meat do the pies contain?
-What military successes have these orcs had (we’ve already established that they beat the goblins in a war on the side of the dwarves, rebelled against the dwarves and beat back a Freeholder expedition under the old Dukes)?

 

[chutup]

The Song of Dust and Flame (32.32)

This southern patch of scrubland is broken up by a sudden sinkhole, fifty feet wide. A narrow spiral of steps is carved into the rock and the glow of fire flickers in the deep. Thickets of wormroot cluster around the edge of the pit. From the dusty interior there rises a whistling, as if of wind, but musical. Though the notes change, a trained musician will notice an underlying theme within them. The gnolls who dwell here will allow no-one to enter the pit, so its contents are unknown.

Within sight of the sinkhole is a large tower called the Fire Fang, which is the furthest campus of the Bardic College in the City of Smoke (51.29). Here, gnollish singers come to learn one of the most ancient of bardic arts: the Song of Dust and Flame. Taking as its starting point the music that issues from the pit, this song is one that lasts for the entire journey from here to the Keening Sea. As far as any sages know, this pit is where the elemental line of fire begins - from here it curves northeast, passing through the ruins of Bergolast (38.28) and eventually reaching the seashore at 44.19. Each movement in the Song of Dust and Flame relates to a different landmark on the line. For one who sings the song correctly, it is impossible to become lost even in the most benighted deserts (most of which cluster around Bergolast).

For this reason, a bard who has learned the Song of Dust and Flame is never out of work. Caravans arrive from Nororak (29.24) and the August City (26.20) in the north, and from the lonely grey folk in the west. They join the fire line some way north of its beginning, and follow it until it crosses the river, their final destination being Hyfalls (40.20) or the City of Smoke. Always they trail behind a gnoll singing the song of his ancestors in a low, dirge-like voice. Always this dirge leads them through to safety. Occasionally a bard will also be employed to lead treasure-seekers into the ruins of Bergolast.

It is considered bad luck for the Song of Dust and Flame to end. Although there is a final section of the song corresponding to the shores of the Keening Sea, it is usually not sung. Instead the bard simply turns around and sings the song backwards as they return the way they came.

Hooks:
- If the gnolls don't want anyone going into the pit, who carved the steps?
- Is the pit really the beginning of the fire line? How does a ley line begin or end, anyway? What's down there?
- Who are the lonely grey folk of the west?
- Are there any other songlines that the gnolls know?

(a real thing)

 

[Electric Wizard]

The Pact of the Eye
Additional information about Hex 26.01

The dwarves chose Hoth Achaar's location for many reasons. The most secretive was the opportunity to study and perhaps exploit the ley line that surfaces in the mountain cave. The research was kept quiet. Even in their zenith, dwarves distrusted magic, and memories of the catastrophes that befell Othonoi (44.17) were still fresh.

Ram Roskinder, the Shrouded Land's most infamous dwarf demiurge, headed the ley line project. It was here that he created his controversial Holy Mountain Thesis. It states that lines emerge at locations deemed holy by the gods. Whoever claimed these sites, physically and spiritually, would be blessed with great elemental knowledge.

Roskinder's thesis was Hoth Achaar's undoing. He began correspondence with a wizened orc who claimed to be the last surviving priest-king of Othonoi. Roskander eventually allowed the orc's disciples into the stronghold to aid research and implement his ideas. The Disciples of Othonoi moved about the city with invisibility cloaks. They began whispering spells into the ears of the sleeping masons and architects. Soon engravers feverishly covered the walls in runes by moonlight. They viciously assaulted any who attempted to restrain them. Paranoia, then chaos spread in the streets as citizens sought a source for the madness. It didn't last long. After the final rune was carved into the walls, a mighty earthquake rocked the city. Its gates were torn open. An orc army marched in and occupied the city within hours.

The dwarves were astonished that their conquerors showed mercy. The tribe allowed them to continue their lives in exchange for tribute and passage through the city. The orcs formed a secret society called the Quartermasters. It was based around the study and reverence of captured ley line, which they renamed the Eye of Grummsch.

Over the next century, the races co-existed under the so-caled Pact of the Eye. Sometimes they even formed alliances against common threats. After a bloody dwarf rebellion, however, the Quartermasters seized power and drove the surviving dwarves out of the walls.

Hooks
-Was the ancient orc really a former priest-king of Othonoi? Who was he, and what did he gain from the Pact of the Eye?
-Where do the descendants of the rebellious dwarves dwell?
-Roskinder's theory is controversial even after 1,000 years. What do other schools of thought believe about the lines?
-What became of the Disciples, and more importantly, their amazing invisibility cloaks?

 

[Daztur]

The Eyeless Watchers
Hex 34.00

Carved into the rock of these tall peaks are statues of the dwarf lords of old. They are tall and fine limbed for the lords were not as common folk, but now they stare eyeless from their shattered faces down at Titan’s Skull (33.00), the fortress city of the dwarves that once knew another name. Before the goblin wars the Lords of the Mountains lived on mountain peaks which they flew to in the form of ravens. In their lonely dwellings they counted their coins, brooded over wealth that was not yet theirs and mumbled to themselves songs of power that the elves have never learned.

During the goblin wars (24.02), the Lords commanded that five great fortresses be built (26.01) and the common dwarves grumbled at the cost and the labor but obeyed. Into the goblin woods the common dwarves went with fire and ax and there they died. As the war dragged on, the King of the Mountains gathered the bulk of the dwarf lords to Hoth Achaar (26.01) where they directed the war to its eventually-successful conclusion. This did little to hearten the many dwarves whose children had died and whose purses had been drained by the long struggle. When Hoth Achaar fell to orcs within and orcs without and the last King of the Mountains died at the hands of a great orc with a half-burned face, the burghers who lived beneath the Titan’s Skull seized the moment and the city. They killed what dwarf lords they could find, looted their treasures and drove their loyal servants down deep far from the light of the sun.

Meanwhile, within Hoth Achaar, the surviving members of the court of the last King of the Mountains was astonished to still be alive and that the orcs had shown them mercy. At first they plotted how to drive out the orcs but when they heard of the revolt of the burghers and how the greatest hold of dwarves had closed its doors to all loyal to the king and his lords many of them reluctantly decided to stay in Hoth Achaar and acquiesce, at least for the time, to orcish rule. In time, the descendants of these dwarves rebelled and were driven out into the wilds where they were hounded by the Titan’s Shadow.

They say that all the dwarf lords now lie dead, but still the dwarves of these lands shudder whenever they hear the call of a raven for they have heard the old stories about how the dwarf lords remember everything and forgive nothing.

Hooks:
-Why did dwarf lords look different from other dwarves and have the ability to turn into ravens?
-What was the original name of the dwarven capital?
-Who was the orc who killed the last King of the Mountains?
-What is the current government of the dwarves of the Titan’s Skull? We do know that it is run by burghers…
-What were the ancient songs that the dwarf lords knew?
-Do any dwarf lords yet live? If they are all dead is there any of their treasure that has yet to be recovered?
What (who?) is (are?) the Titan’s Shadow?

 

[chutup]

The Tomb of the Nameless (42.02)

In the last days before the fall of Hoth Achaar (26.01), there was an orc who had no name, a slave owned by the King of the Mountains. When the Disciples of Othonoi brought madness within the fortress walls, the King suspected that orcs were to blame, but could find no proof that would allow him to move against Ram Roskinder and his zealous followers. Instead, the King would beat and torture his nameless slave, and once even doused her in burning oil. At last, riven by paranoia, he commanded that she should be forced to enter the cave from whence the earth line issued. No other had ever survived going into that place.

Yet, after the earthquake tore the walls of Hoth Achaar in two, and the orcs and dwarves did battle in the streets, the Nameless emerged from the cave miraculously unscathed. Without a word she took up a sword and slaughtered a dozen dwarves to reach her former master, whom she beheaded, thus ending the monarchy of dwarfkind to this day.

After the battle, even the Disciples of Othonoi feared the strange knowledge and power that the Nameless had acquired. She later taught that while inside the Eye of Gruumsh she had received a vision from the lords of the underworld, who warned her that orcs must suffer pain in order to grow strong (see 'To the Pain'). They told the Nameless that far in the future, a time of great trial would come for the orcs, and only by gathering great strength would they survive it.

Though the orcs still practise the pain-rituals that the Nameless imparted to them, she was always an outcast on the fringes of their society. Much of her deeper teachings were incomprehensible. In her final years, she led an expedition east to the Withering Moors, and there passed out of record. It is unknown what she was looking for in that bleak place, and whether she found it, but it is known that after she died her followers built a tomb for her which is guarded by the strength of orcish trapcraft.

The dwarves of the Titan's Skull have many times sent expeditions to raid the tomb and desecrate the corpse of the regicide. None have ever managed to penetrate the tomb's labyrinth. It is whispered in the mountains that no mortal traps could withstand the strength and stonemasonry of the dwarves, so there must be some supernatural danger within the tomb.

Hooks:
- What's inside the Eye of Gruumsh? Did the Nameless really receive a vision from the lords of the underworld?
- What was the Nameless searching for in the Withered Moors?
- What's inside the tomb that makes it so secure, even after hundreds of years?
- What is the terrible trial that the lords of the underworld predicted to befall the orcs? Is it coming soon?