Tucked in the back corner of the underground portion of the Temple of the Lords of the End is an office space. The last dual head clergy were two halfings, so the office has two halfing-sized desks with chairs. The chamber is packed with bookshelves, cabinets, decorative wall coverings and, like the main chamber has some damage from a Tunneling Nightmare.
There are also a couple secret doors.
1 – This secret door (DC 15) is to a small safe that contains gems and ingots. The interior is free from dust and it looks as if one ingot is new (DC 10, History or Culture(Sheljar).
2 – One of the bookcases has a book-handle secret door system. It can be found with a DC 20 check. Behind that case is access to the alcove to one of Sheljar’s former ruling families, one that dedicated itself to Oun and Obscon rather than Quar. That chamber no longer has any remains.
We’re nearly done with the Temple of the Lords of the End. These two gods have a five chamber space that will be covered over three total entries. At this point there have been no monsters, but several hints that the Tunneling Nightmares, supposedly gone for several years, are active once again.
Also, the remains that should be around are not.
Maybe the death cult and the Necromancer were working together.
I’m doing Lore 24, an attempt to write small lore elements daily in the year 2024. Each element will be something that’s come up in play or will come up in play within my homebrew World of the Everflow — there will be actionable threads for PCs to grab onto and advance the story.
After the intrepid explorers find the formerly sealed secret door they descend down into a small chamber using a ladder. That chamber is connected to a catacomb with 36 remaining alcoves for remains, four small doors to private burial chambers and a double door.
The walls weep. Now somewhat below the waterline of the bog-city of Sheljar there is a heavy amount of moisture, plus the southwest corner is open to the brackish waters of the area. Outside of the open pool are a large pile of bones. It is clear that the opening is natural, not manmade.
Intelligence checks attempting to understand what could make such a large opening could use Nature, History, Culture (Sheljar) to understand that damage was done by a Tunneling Nightmare (DC 15).
Intelligence checks attempting to understand the alcoves and small doors could use Religion, Culture (Sheljar) to understand that the small doors are for former leadership of Sheljar (DC 10).
Inspecting the bones using Survival or Perception would find that they are recent to the area, not covered in dust (DC 10) and there are now 4 skeletons attacking the group.
Complications
If 50% of the group takes enough damage to fall unconscious making death saves the roar of a Tunneling Nightmare echoes, partially muffled by the water.
I’m doing Lore 24, an attempt to write small lore elements daily in the year 2024. Each element will be something that’s come up in play or will come up in play within my homebrew World of the Everflow — there will be actionable threads for PCs to grab onto and advance the story.
Of course I voted in the LEGO Idea x Dungeons & Dragons event. Back in high school I used LEGO’s castle and pirate sets while playing D&D. When LEGO announced the contest the one I liked best brought back those memories. But it also brought back memories of stereotypical D&D. And it won.
That may be a house, but it’s probably an inn or tavern. “You meet in a tavern” is a D&D trope.
Next is a bit of wilderness adventure. There’s a stream and a tree. Because you have to travel to the castle.
Inside that castle is also a cave system, with a Beholder. Beholders are giant floating eyeballs with extra eyeballs that shoot magic spells at you. They are one of the classic monsters in the game.
Of course there’s also a traditional castle. That castle’s tower is wrapped up by a dragon. Finally we have the dragon of Dungeons & Dragons. The party is split, of course, because despite the axiom to not split the party they frequently do split. One is climbing the exterior of the tower while another walks along the halls of the castle.
The six minifigs make a great party. Again from left to right, they look like a half-orc rapier wielding fighter/rogue, a Black human wizard or sorcerer, a likely elven bard, maybe a fire genasi barbarian, a tiefling paladin, and a rogue or ranger.
That’s pretty good variety of role, of identity and of mini-figs.
I cannot wait to get this. It will be great on my desk for me to look at or on the shelf behind me so that people on video calls can see it.
After the quick, safe ride on the sky-cable, you arrive at the top of a small tower. On the isle with the City Center this temple was abandoned when all of Sheljar turned their backs upon Oun and Obscon. These twin gods of death, endings, and darkness were rejected when the dead started to walk the earth again.
The gondola stops atop the pillar shape of the temple, in a haphazard wooden frame, with large hole knocked out of the roof.
Map by Dyson Logos, released as part of his commercially available project.
This narrow temple is cramped for hobgoblins, mulgoblins, goliath and large animals. These tight turns in the cold stone pass quickly as most try to exit the dark temple to dark powers as fast as they can. Though the Necromancer had nothing to do with Oun and Obscon the stench of death is too strong.
On the ground floor a search can result in finding the sealed secret door with an Intelligence check (DC 18). Intelligence, Culture (Sheljar), Religion are proficiencies that may apply if the characters act in ways that would connect them.
That secret door is sealed tight with iron bands. A Strength check (DC 20) can break through. Athletics and certain tools will help open it. Magic could be used as well.
If there is a desire to see how long that secret door has been sealed those that succeeded on the various checks would know that the seal is 25 years old, just as the Necromancer was coming to power. Is there a connection? Why not open the door and find out?
I’m doing Lore 24, an attempt to write small lore elements daily in the year 2024. Each element will be something that’s come up in play or will come up in play within my homebrew World of the Everflow — there will be actionable threads for PCs to grab onto and advance the story.
When the goblins and the Lorebook Hunters decided to make Sheljar into a Free City, where all thinking peoples were respectedm there was a vast, several mile separation between the suburbs and caves that the goblins discovered and the former City Center with its library, temples, city hall and palace.
The First Sky-cable was constructed to connect these places without worry about bridges, or Tunneling Nightmares, or frightening island of zombies. Now it is the most travelled sky-cable. The gondola rides high, so high that its towers peak above the frequent fogs.
So high the weather is different.
Photo by Constantin on Pexels.com. Gondola image for example. It doesn’t look exactly like this.
As the players ride this sky-cable gondola they are in their first “hallway.” This path is dangerous. They are in a space where weather is different. There are creatures that may threaten them. This fastest route to the City Center may not be the shortcut they expected.
Hazards
Roll 2d4 about halfway through the journey in the sky.
2. Uninvited guest — There is someone aboard the gondola with the party. The illusioned elf works for the Proctors of Grace. It casts Detect Magic while Invisible. If it detect magic it attacks. Use the stat block for the Evoker Wizard if the party is in Tier 2. If they are only Tier 1 use the Evil Mage.
3. Frayed cable — The character with the highest Passive Investigation notices the cable is frayed. The group will need to discover a way to get the gondola to the next tower 100′ away or fix the cable. Tinker’s Tools, Vehicles (air), Vehicles (water) offer some solutions. The DC should be 15. If no one succeeds in fixing the cable and it does break there are rudimentary parachutes that reduce the falling damage to one half on a successful Dexterity save of 10. They are 60′ in the air.
4. High winds — The gondola shakes violently. Each character should make a Strength saving throw (DC 13) or take 2d6 HP of damage and fall prone. Those that save take half damage and suffer no other effects. This is frightening but should have little impact on their ability to travel.
5. Freezing rain — Though it was a moderate day beneath the fogs there is freezing rain up in the sky. Each character suffers 3d6 damage. A successful constitution saving throw (DC 10) results in half damage.
6. Isle of horrors — With a Wisdom Check of 10 the party makes out a small island in the bog-city that seems to be overtaken by skeletons with a leader on a skeletal boar. This island is not hosting a tower.
7. What’s that? — 0ff in the distance, at the statue there is a large, white winged creature. An Intelligence Check, DC 20, recognizes it as a white dragon. Ken would role with advantage. Skills that could apply are Culture (Ken), Arcana. A player could convince the DM of other skills being applicable. The dragon does not attack. It lurks, watching.
8. Sabotage — The group notices the tower they just passed being attacked by group (party size +1) of zombies. If half of the zombies are destroyed the others retreat. The characters start 90′ from the zombies. They are able to stop or reverse the gondola. If the zombies are able to do 65 hit points of damage to the tower (AC 12) the tower falls.
If they complete the trip they stop at the bell tower of a semi-abandoned temple in the City Center.
Our intrepid heroes have discovered the the Free City of Sheljar isn’t a place of safety. Sheljar may be a dreamy government of respect for all, it is also a place of undeath, dragons and technology too fragile to survive with not enough people in the city to maintain it.
I’ll admit these DCs and language probably don’t match the standard D&D style. Today’s Dungeon 23 exercise came up against a my go-to-bed soon deadline.
I’m doing Lore 24, an attempt to write small lore elements daily in the year 2024. Each element will be something that’s come up in play or will come up in play within my homebrew World of the Everflow — there will be actionable threads for PCs to grab onto and advance the story.
