The Outer Gatehouse:
The Gatehouse on the eastern side of the Ravine is entirely shattered down to its foundations, the once ornately carved stone broken into piles of weed-grown rubble. The cobbled path to the bridge is mostly clear, however. Where the path joins the bridge, a pair of broken pillars stand- the less damaged one still clearly bears a relief carving of a staring eye- in fact the emblem of Boccob.
The Great Bridge:
The seemingly impossible span of the Great Bridge crosses the gap of the Ravine, several hundred yards in length. It is broken east of its centre span for a length of 50 yards.
The gap has been repaired as best as possible, considering the circumstances, by the band of Dwarves who guard the Great Stair (see Tower of the Dwarves below), who fashioned a rope bridge and secured it stoutly to the bridge proper. This bridge is, in fact, very well made, and presents no danger to those crossing (though it could easily be sabotaged). The fall to the floor of the Ravine below is 200 feet.
The Old Gatehouse:
For obscure reasons comprehensible only to Zagyg, a Living Marble Statue (as Crystal, RC208), known as the Handmaiden, stands vigil here, doing service to those who know to ask for it. She appears as a beautiful, melancholy marble figure of a maiden with raised arms, and when idle returns to her quiet plinth in a corner.
A group of 12 goblins (RC180) moved in two weeks ago, and almost immediately stumbled upon the secret. One of them, as a joke, commanded the Handmaiden to catch it some rats for its dinner. To the surprise of the goblins, she did just as he was asked, descending the several stairs to the collapsed cellar and returning with some rats.
Since then, the goblins have had a fine time. They ordered the Handmaiden to clear away the rubble in the cellar, and came upon several cases of excellent brandy, stored here long ago. The goblins have been drinking fine brandy and eating rats at their leisure ever since- and for now are tolerated by the Dwarves, though some are considering clearing them out. The remaining brandy (10 bottles) is worth 250gp per bottle (it is VERY good). The goblins have 2d6ep each.
The Handmaiden will not leave the general vicinity of the Old Gatehouse. If damaged, she is mysteriously repaired at dawn of the next day.
There is quite a large amount of graffiti here:
*The Grey Cloaks camped here.
*Pox to the Grey Cloaks!
*Deal straight with the Dwarves.
*What a view!
*Morde died here CY480
*Matlan, Graylis and Jilleen never returned from below. Alas for lost friends.
*Mong of Djekul
*If only she were flesh!-
The Fox
*By the gods, ware the keep!
*Ha! Fools! No one crosses Tall Brihorn. Sleep well, former friends.
*Check the faces in the caves. Smart Orcs!
*The red priests hide another way in.
*The Purples are near the end...
*May Zagyg's privates wither!
*Meg Fairflanks is still in the hedges
The Courtyard:
Wandering Monsters:
(Check once every other turn 1 in 6 chance)
Daylight: Roll d30
1-3= 1d4+2 Goblins (RC180)
4-6= 1d4 flocks of Normal Ravens (CC19)
7-8= 1d3+3 Stirges (RC208)
9-10= 1d3 Normal Rock Rattlers (CC21)
11-12= 1d3 Normal Scorpions (CC54)
13-14= 2d6 Voormis (RCC38)
15-16= 1d4 Giant Centipedes (RC163)
17-19= 1d4 packs of Normal Rats (RC201)
20-21= 1d6 Giant Rats (RC201)
22= 1d8 Skeletons (RC204)
23= 1d4 Zombies (RC213)
24-25= 1d2 Dwarves (see Tower of the Dwarves)
26-27= 1d2 Huge Wood Spiders (CC56)
28= 1 Carrion Crawler (RC163)
29= 1 patrolling Gargoyle* (RC178)
30= 1 Living Marble Statue** (RC208)
Night: Roll 1d30
1-3= 1d8 Skeletons (RC204)
4-6= 1d4 Zombies (RC213)
7-8= 1d3+3 Stirges (RC208)
9-10= 1d2 Ghouls (RC178)
11-12= 1d3 Normal Scorpions (CC54)
13-14= 2d6 Voormis (RCC38)
15-16= 1d4 Giant Centipedes (RC163)
17-19= 1d4 packs of Normal Rats (RC201)
20-22= 1d6 Giant Rats (RC201)
23-24= 1d2 Dwarves (see Tower of the Dwarves)
25-26= 1 Carrion Crawler (RC163)
27= 1 Wraith* (RC 212)
28= 1 Lesser Haunt (CC86)
29= 1d4+2 Goblins (RC180)
30= 1 Living Marble Statue** (RC208)
*Will not pursue- bound to either the Manse of Zagyg (Gargoyle) or The Asylum (Wraith).
**As Crystal-(note, this will not be the same statue as the Handmaiden).
The expanse of the courtyard is vast, and a number of different locations should be apparent from most positions. At night, an eery green glow is noticeable from the Radiant Halls by the broken North Wall.
The Stable:
The doors of this ancient stable are fallen down and rotting on the ground. The very stone of the walls is decaying. Water troughs sit dry and dust filled. The stalls smell of dirt and old hay, but no hay is here now.
A: An adventurer has hung himself here, and still swings from the rafters. He looks to have been a young, raw-boned country fellow. He wears a scalemail shirt. A backpack is on the ground nearby, as is a block of wood, fallen on its side. He does not appear to have been dead for more than a few days.
The backpack contains:
Large sack
Lantern
2 Oil flasks
Tinderbox
12 iron spikes
Small hammer
Waterskin
Normal Rations (bad)
5gp in a cloth pouch
B: In a stall here, a great, jet black horse stands, eyeing any adventurers with wariness. It is several hands taller than any horse the adventurers have seen. If approached, it snorts warily, stamping, and shakes its head. Something about the horse seems wrong for any adventurer who is interested and makes a save vs spells. Any adventurer opening the stall will be met with a rearing terror, that attacks fiercely: Warhorse (RC185- 8hp per HD). The beast can be subdued (if brought below 10hp) or spoken to (by someone with the skill) to calm it. It should detect as evil, however.
If anyone is foolish enough to ride the horse, it will take them to the rope-bridge at a gallop and try to throw them into the chasm.
Statue of Zagyg:
The statue often appears as a scholarly fellow in fairly non-descript garb. It will change its appearance , however, at the whim of Zagyg. The statue has been known to animate and speak, answering a question or two, though only to worthy inquirers.
If treated with disrespect, the statue will Polymorph Other the perpetrators (save vs spells) into harmless animals. If attacked, it will animate as a maximum strength Rock Golem (CC25), and can still Polymorph Other once per round. If somehow destroyed, it will reform at dawn the next day.
Tower of the Dwarves:
This broad, squat, tower, along with the old NE Barracks, has been claimed by a group of tough, business-minded dwarves. Their leader, Stillgar the Captain, is 9th level and an expert with his Battle Axe, as is Dorogond, his 7th level second in command. Arthton, 6th level, is something of a scholar. The other seven dwarves (!) are all 3rd level. All hail from Karakast, to the east in the foothills of the Abbor-Alz , and all bear distinctive reddish beards.
The Tower itself, previously damaged and in a pretty poor state, has been both repaired and modified. Its floor has been removed, exposing the basement, and water has been channelled into the basement- all to create an obstacle to and from the Great Stairs. A heavy, 50ft long beam of wood can be put into place as a bridge, and the lintel at the stair-top can be retracted via a mechanism, dropping anyone on it 30ft into the 15ft deep water pit below.
It is the policy of Stillgar not to interfere with the other inhabitants of the castle, though certain of the junior warriors wish earnestly to clear out the goblins from the Old Gatehouse. Stillgar in fact withholds this simple pleasure from his troops to keep them on edge, tough and raring for a fight, in case real trouble ever come their way.
1- Secure Door: This door, like all of the others, is newly fashioned and well maintained. It is also securely barred from within, to keep out any wandering, mad Voormis. The dwarves avoid the door, but always keep a guard nearby.
2- Tool Room and Stores: This massive chamber serves as workshop, armoury and storehouse for the dwarves. Among other things, the great bridge beam is kept here.
3- Hall of the Masters: Stillgar, Dorogond and Arthton have this section of the old barracks restored as their own chambers.
A- Chamber of Stillgar
B- Chamber of Dorogond
C- Chamber of Arthton
4- Main Barracks: Here the other dwarves make their barracks.
5: Camp Kitchen: This chamber served as kitchen to the former inhabitants, and does so now for the dwarves. Occasional patrols are made out into the nearby hills, where wild goats, rabbits and the odd boar are captured for the dwarves larder.
5A: Mess Hall: A long, newly made trestle table, along with simple sturdy chairs, are here. The dwarves use this chamber as their mess hall.
6: Watch Chamber: A strong post of dwarves are always on guard here, and any patrols sally forth from here. The Grizzly Bear pet of the group (Grizzly Bear RC159), Brathos, is kept here too, and is occasionally allowed out into the courtyard to catch goblins or rats.
As you can see, my notes for the dwarves are a tad sketchy- in fact the dwarves are pinched from Greyhawk Ruins to a large extent (well, the number, the names etc).
Anyway, I am running this tonight. If the party decide to go and explore the Mouths of Madness it will of course be a breeze. If they decide, having dealt with the situation in the Old Gatehouse, to explore the Courtyard and stray too far, then it will all be rather 'by the seat of my pants'. I like it that way though, and at any rate I have the map as a fudging-it aid.
Great preparation! I find that by detailing to this extent my own recall of the place is enhanced when it's time to actually play. It's as if the act of writing it (rather than reading it) burns it into my mind. I'm jealous of your players!
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks Gene. Yes- it is like that. The funny thing about this whole project, and maybe the thing I love the most about Castle Greyhawk, is that it is such an amalgamation of different things- the work of different people, and their various ideas about what that mad wizard's ruin should be like. There are everybody's notes and drawings, the existing modules and related things, and then the chinese whispers about what was in the place. Maybe the whole point is making it your own. By virtue of the process of drawing maps and writing notes, and filling in gaps and wedging it all in together, the whole edifice of the thing becomes mine, or anyone else's, if they want to make the effort.
ReplyDeleteMy players had a good game tonight- I will write it up on the morrow.