Help Me Populate My World!

[Raptor]

Castle Treyhalien

No one goes around Castle Treyhalien anymore as its been a place associated with bad luck. Fifty years ago it was part of a properous barony to the north. The people were happy and content with their lot in life. Things started to change when the Baron's daughter blossomed into a beautiful woman. She attracted the attention of High Priest of DietyX and he demanded her hand in marriage from the old baron. The Baron loved his daughter and knew she would only be hurt but this foul creature so he refused. He also knew the first child would become a sacrifice. Thwarted, the High Priest was enraged and prayed to his dark god to curse the barony.

This curse caused the crops to fail and the people starved. Many died. The selfish ones demanded the baron give up his daughter no matter the cost. The baron refused. The populace resorted to force and tried to take the daughter to hand her over to the High Priest. The daughter threw herself from one the the towers rather then go to him. The baron was so grief stricken he went mad and hung himself. The people were devastated at what transpired and either died from hunger or drifted away.

The crops never grew back and the people never returned. It is said that the occassional traveller comes across the deserted castle and village. It is also said that on the anniversary of the suicides, the Baron and daughter are seen walking the battlements of the old castle.

 

[Warren Okuma]

Cove of the Lost Hero.
This is an underground grotto/harbor. Growing in the sea water are trees. Trees of the Caverns. No sun. Yet they grow and have weird white leaves. It's a trading post for magic wielders, mostly spell components. The town is Venice style, built on the water. Each Merchant check nets a random magical item sold. DC 20 Minor, DC 25 Moderate, DC 30 Major.

When the heroes arrive they are told the three rules.
1) Buying and selling is our life blood. To disrupt this is a crime.
2) Do not ask about the Lost Hero.
3) The court of merchants will cover all disputes and will be charged 100 gp. If they cannot solve it, it will go to the council of four and you will be charged 1,000 gp. If they cannot solve it you will go before the Grand Sorcerer and he will charge you 10,000 gp. They usually rule in favor of primary spellcasters.
4) Do not annoy the trees. For they are valuable.
5) Do not annoy the Grand Sorcerer, our ruler.
6) Taxes is 5%. For citizens 2%. Only Primary spell casters can be citizens.

The council of four consists of an awakened giant mole "cave" druid, a human cleric of Boccob, a faceless humanoidish wizard, and a beautiful, elven sorcerer who's eyes have been dug out.
It is a mostly honest place, but with intrigue...

Atmosphere roll:
1) The players see a wind that has no force.
2) The players feel a sound that cannot be heard.
3) The players taste the air that tastes like... (random color)
4) The gentle breeze kicks up dust in strange magical patterns. To learn these patterns means that you get wild magic.
5) Almost invisible visions of spells previously cast. (Magical Echoes)
6) The trees seem to be whispering to you, but you cannot understand them.

 

[PwrMnky]

Barter Island

BARTER ISLAND
- An island where a particular wizard has invented gems that swirl around people's heads and give everyone telepathy. Short range. This increases bartering and communication amongst the island.
- Then a lich/pit fiend/BBEG actually uses all the gems as a conduit to turn everyone into undead.

>first couple of visits could have the characters really enjoying this island as a resource ... then one time they visit and BOOM! ... zombie city ...

 

[PwrMnky]

Drunken City

OH! Another one!

DRUNKEN CITY:
- the city seems to be Carnaval year round. Lots of costumes, lots of drinking ... almost to an annoying degree. Everymorning everyone is hung over, until they can continue drinkng again.
- there is a subverse drug that everyone is taking. Upon initial investigation the drugs seems to be as dangerous as cocaine. Damaging the body, very addictive.
- there is one family (A LA: dog the bounty hunter) that is trying to find the sources for this drug and end it.
- players will actually uncover that the drug use, the partying and the whole island is on the cuspe of an alternate dimnsion. People/fey traverse between the dimensions and they don't even realize it. It's the drug that actually allows this strange form of plane travel.
- and throw a couple of ethereal demon toads, that ambush people. They are feeding off of the magic of the two planes melting together. They are about four feet tall, pounce, spring attack feat and their bite (FORT DC: 16) will stun a player. They nest and larger ones are pinkish like a newborn baby, blind and hop around on two front feet, no back feet. They look like potatos with two stumpy front legs. (cast feeblemind, minor illusion, mass bull's strength, and gutsnake once per day as spell like ability)

 

[Presto2112]

Rhiathon

It is a mining town founded among the foothills of a vast northern mountain range. Its founding fathers were the original pioneering folks who discovered the first mines in these parts, harvesting thick veins of silver. Since then the settlement of a dozen wooden shacks has grown to a walled township. This is one of those places where a community of break-away hobgoblins have successfuly integrated with the local humans and dwarves over the last 5 decades. The current governor of Rhiathon, Jurat Walter Krakithikk, is the adopted human son of a hobgoblin pair who were unable to conceive their own.

The nearby expanding kingdom of Ulthan has tried both peaceful and not-so peaceful means to bring Rhiathon into its fold and jurisdiction so as to gain direct access to much needed revenue from the town's rich mining resource. The town's hobgoblin population, a large section of which serve in the town's militia, have been useful in resisting Ulthan's aggressive efforts to date. It certainly simplifies Jurat Walter's options or the lack thereof when it is well known that the kingdom of Ulthan celebrates laws that openly persecute non-humans found within its borders, partcularly those they categorize as savage beastmen, a term they use in referring to hobgoblins.

Adventurers bearing the arms of Ulthann have been seen close to and within the territorial borders of Rhiathon. The Jurat is concerned that this may have something to do with an old subterrannean temple complex that was discovered by accident by the miners of The Greyworm Mining Company last autumn. The site has been made off-limits, but word of it no doubt has spread via the traders that ply the main routes from and to Rhiathon.

DS.

Update:

I will be using Rhiathon as the base town for an upcoming adventure out of Dungeon magazine. I just have to flesh it out with some stats later, and it's ready.

Thanks again, DS!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

If I may suggest you check out this thread- I think you'll find some stuff you could use.

 

[KrazyHades]

Coruvan's Field

This is a small but surprisingly prosperous (for reasons explained later) farming community in the desert. Because of a local Faerie Ring, the land is covered in healthy green plants for a three mile radius. Outside of the radius, which has a sudden edge (rather than a gradual change) there is desert. In this community are farmers and, most notably, a large monastery built just outside the border of the Field (the name for the green circle).

The monastery, which is primarily made of hobgoblins, is famous for its hardened monks who spend weeks wandering the desert in search of visions. Some actually do find prophetic visions in the desert, as they sometimes come across holy areas of the desert. Such holy areas, which belong to the god <ENTER RELEVANT GOD HERE>, are only found in the most inhospitable and dangerous areas of the desert, and these areas shift as often as the sand-dunes themselves.

In the desert live feuding nomadic bands, all of which highly respect the monks. A monk could walk right through the hottest parts of a battle between two clans in a blood-feud, and he would remain completely untouched. To raise a weapon, fight, or take any violent action in the presence of one of the monks is forbidden, and if one does so, that person's own clan and family would exile him without mercy. The nomad clans sometimes stop in Coruvan's Field for a time, but do not remain, as it is not their home as the desert is. When they do come, they bring interesting and expensive trade goods.

Once every seven years ALL of the clans meet in Coruvan's Field for a three-month long period of peace and trade known as the Festival of Sand. There is entertainment, partying, and goodwill for the whole duration. Joy all around, as it were. None may fight; doing so carries the same penalties as fighting before a monk. This is also the only event where the monks are willing to trade THEIR goods, and they sell their own strange items. The clans bring their exotic and rare trade goods, and it is a trading event which draws many hundreds of merchants. The clansmen cut sharp deals, and here a merchant could make his fortune or lose it. The Festival of Sand brings in huge income to Coruvan's Field, and almost all of the inhabitants, despite being simple farmers, are well off, and some VERY rich.