Northeast Ruins
(submitted by Ryan Mackenzie)
This area once served as a hostel for those who’d chosen to embark on a pilgrimage, regardless of whether St. Gaxyg-at-Urheim was their final destination or merely a stop along the way.
These ruins include the remains of a simple bathing area, a garden and fountain, a storehouse, a kitchen, and the hostel itself.
Locations
R.24 This single-story stone building is largely intact. All four heavy stone walls remain, save for the door and archway which lies in splinters. The stone roof has collapsed inwards.
At one time it was used to store the wealth and weapons which pilgrims chose to abandon in favor of the protection offered solely by their faith. As a result it has been completely looted but it provides an excellent defensive position.
R.25 Here the rubble seems confined to the exterior walls. Along the base of the exterior are small, four-inch, circular openings evenly spaced apart. The interior contains large clay fragments.
Dusty, road weary, travelers could bathe themselves using the large barrels of rain water gathered here. Simple grooves in the floor would carry waste water onto the grounds outside, which explains the odd openings, frescoes once adorned the walls and the centre of the building was an open skylight. Thorough searchers taking a turn or more to examine the area have a 5% chance to find an intact clay jar; they are all empty.
R.26 A low stone wall, three feet high, forms a perimeter around this overgrown garden.
Freshly bathed pilgrims could meditate in this lush garden. At center of which lies a large circular fountain. Gazing into this fountain would reveal images of hope and drinking its waters would restore the vigor and vitality.
Alas, the taint of chaos does indeed touch everything. Thorough searchers will find the fountain is still intact but gazing into it now reveals images of despair and death.
The following visions may be granted to characters who gaze into the fountain:
… A figure is fleeing a burning room. It’s dark and you can’t make out any features. Smoke fills the room … and the door is jammed shut. The figure struggles at the door as the flames leap closer.
… A figure is sleeping upon a stone floor, when suddenly a separate figure enters from a door on his right, creeps along and thrusts his knife into the slumbering form.
… A group of people shuffle along a corridor. It’s dark, and they are trudging through knee-deep water when loose rocks begin to tumble down upon them.
… A pile of gold coins and gems the likes of which you never thought possible lies before you. You reach forward to grab hold of the riches and in an instant they vanish as the floor drops away beneath you.
… You see yourself standing on a balcony, behind you a heavy stone wall slides closed — blocking your exit.
The fountain retains its healing properties to this day! Looking into the fountain a second time reveals no vision, simply clear water. Drinking the water will reward travelers with one hit dice worth of hit-points. This is a one time effect only.
R.27 The shell of a large 2-story wood and stone structure has crumbled here. Nothing remains of the second story itself, save for rubble and rotting wooden beams.
The masonry holding together the remains of the hostel is crumbling away. Any attempt to climb the walls will fail and bring down loose fieldstones as well. Close inspection of the ruins will reveal a wooden floor. Heavy rains have finally soaked through the rotting timbers. There is a 1 in 6 chance that each searcher will fall through the floor when searching. The drop is 8 feet into 2 feet of water. The staircase upwards has completely rotted away. A yellow mold grows here (Atk 1d6 damage if touched; XP 60).
A Gray Monk’s Habit +1 lies at the base of the stairs. It is completely untouched by the march of time thanks to its enchantment. It is a very heavy robe and cannot be worn under or on top of anything else.
R.28 A large mound of boulders sits here, no element of the original structure remains saved for a few burnt timbers, gray-colored mice scurry in a out of the remains.
This was the kitchen before it burnt down. There are some who would say that mice are the most intelligent beings on the planet. In fact, if the players manage to communicate with the mice, (through magic or other means) they will find them to be quite helpful if given magical scrolls (the vellum makes for excellent nesting material). These mice have persisted here for decades thanks to the restorative powers of the fountain in area R.26. If the characters have not yet found the fountain the mice will tell them about it since they know it only works once. Otherwise they will reveal a choice rumor and maybe trade away a gem, worth 500gp, since the mice can’t eat it anyway.
R.29 Two walls remain of this structure. At its center is a scorched and blackened fire pit. A large pot rests to one side. Several logs and branches have been stacked against the far wall.
Bandits from the Lower Temple frequent this spot and seek shelter here on colder nights. They have not made a fire here in at least a week. Nothing else of interest save a few stumps which have served as stools.
R.31 The imposing perimeter wall is featureless save for the heavy vines which ascend the corner.
The heavy vines can be used to climb up the wall. However, the first attempt has a 1 in 6 chance of failure, the second a 2 in 6 chance of failure, and so on. A 6 is always successful. Failure pulls the vines from the wall and makes all further climbing attempts impossible.
R.32 The still imposing perimeter wall is punctuated only by the rubble from a 2-story building, which has piled up nearby.
The rubble makes for a dangerous climb attempt. The odds are the same as the vines in area 31 except that failure results in an ankle being buried under sliding rocks. 1d3 damage and the character is pinned and unable to remove the boulders himself. Others may remove the boulders with a successful strength test. One attempt per hour. Using a lever confers a bonus to the strength test as does assistance.
Downloads
- Download a copy of the Northeast Ruins Map (Keyed)
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