Hex 6

 6. Hargeth’s Temple 
(Southern Hex)
On a small rise in the forest here, in a clearing, is a huge ruin largely forgotten by even the locals. The people of Woodbridge know about these ruins, though they shun them as haunted, and the monks of St. Albaran’s Monastery know of the ruins, believing they have removed everything of value here. Once Hargeth attempted to settle this region, he established the Grand Temple to Great High God here in the southernmost part of this hex. While the faith was of the Northmen, the people of the Highlands began to embrace their hero-conqueror-king’s religion.  When the kingdom fell, the temple fell with it and over the centuries, it has fallen to ruin.

Everything is on a grand scale, as if built for ogre-sized beings, or maybe Hill Giants. It is whispered that Hargeth was half-giant, though his remains are long lost to the ages (or so it is believed) so there’s no way to challenge this rumor. The size of the Temple does, however, suggest there might be some truth to it.

Unless noted, no doorway has a door.

6.1. Grand Entry
This once impressive narthex has fallen to disrepair. Much of the frescoed plaster that once decorated the eastern wall has fallen down and is little more than dust. Enough plaster remains to discern the general sense of some of the frescoes: A giant being (the god?) hurls thunderbolts at tiny figures (humans? Humanoids? Details are lost to time).  The stones of the floor here are loose and tilted, keeping anyone walking through here a little off balance. Running requires a Dexterity of 14 or greater to accomplish without slowing to 2/3rds full running speed and those with a Dexterity of less than 14 fight at a 1 point penalty to Armor Class because of the uncertain footing.

Little remains of the former glory but the expanse of the chamber – 50’ high ceiling, grand pillars (8’ in diameter round pillars, 10’ square pillars) supporting the still perfectly fitted roof and balcony above.

6.2. Petitioner’s Walk
The stone floor of this long hall shows signs of continuous wear, a trail down the center from one end to the other. Holes in the wall indicate that torch brackets were once mounted to the wall and great archways lead to smaller side corridors which run parallel, to the north and south. Anyone who utters a curse here (blasphemy, swearing, whatever) will find themselves overlaid by the ghostly image of a priest of the Northmen’s Faith. Where ever the offending party goes, whatever he or she does, his or her countenance will be merged with the dour, bald-headed, scarred face of a Northman priest. Remove curse causes the apparition to disappear.

6.3. Hall of the Faithful
This massive room is clearly the sanctuary. A large, dark-stained altar is centered in the room.  The walls, floor and ceiling are carved in bas relief, images of the Northmen’s religion, violent deities enthralling humans and demi-humans. There is evidence that the carvings were once painted. Tumbled stones from a collapse of the north wall are neatly piled below the hole in the wall and the entire floor of this sanctuary seems to have been swept clean.

A great balcony, 25’ above the floor, dominates the Eastern end of the room, with stairs leading up on either side and stairs leading from the balcony up to the next level above (though these are broken and do not reach the second story any longer).  The curved balcony has a stone balustrade across the front, pockmarked and broken by time.

Beneath the balcony are unmoving shapes in the shadows – dozens of statues (39), people of all walks of life in all manner of positions. If the statues are examined, they are deformed, some in impossible positions, some with misshapen heads, torsos, arms and legs – as if the sculptor didn’t have a good grasp of human anatomy.

Hiding in the shadows among the statues, at the farthest point East under the balcony, is a serpentine Stone Mistress. The stone mistress will use her ability to animate stone to command the statues of the Sanctuary to defend her if attacked. She has no interest in combat, preferring to be left alone or, at worst, bargained with, shout she will defend herself if attacked. She can animate one statue per round, as long as she can see the statue (she may have animated 1d6 statues in the shadows under the balcony before this encounter began). If seriously threatened, she will try to maneuver herself to be able to animate the large statues in the alcoves marked 5 down the narrow corridors. If desperate, she may try to animate the bas relief carvings on the floor and ceiling.

The Stone Mistress has claimed this ancient ruin as her home and will be loathe to leave. She has little in the way of treasure, though she has a great deal of knowledge she could barter: she has many dealings with the Coven of Five, she knows that the goblins of the Chantry have recently experienced a coup-de-etat, though she doesn’t know the details, she has heard whispers that the King Under the Mountain and the Gnome King have allied with one another and that they are petitioning the Silver Queen for an alliance. She has had a run-in with the Five Brothers (Treants) in the forest, since then she has been unwilling to leave her sanctuary, preferring to send her animated statues to do her business instead.

Searching the stone altar carefully (as secret door) can reveal a secret latch in the side which, if thrown, releases a lock in a carving near the main entrance door (with an audible click).

The carving near the entrance swings inward revealing a lever (trapped – poison needle, though the poison has long since evaporated, the needle remains discolored and the PCs should be led to believe it is poison). The lever, if pulled, opens yet another secret door in the ceiling (the face of the chief god of the Northmen swings down with a creak).

There is no obvious access to the 80’ ceiling (fly or levitate being obvious solutions). The 40’ square chamber above is nearly filled with skeletal linorm (frost), which has been animated and will attack. The skeletal linorm guards three chests

Chest #1: 7 potions: Potion of Speed, Potion of Green Dragon Control, Potion of Sweet Water, Potion of Healing (4) and 4 scrolls: Spell Scroll (Mage: Hold Person), Spell Scroll (Mage: Strength), Scroll of Protection - Undead - Ghouls, Scroll of Protection - Lycanthropes - All Lycanthropes

Chest #2: Red Leather Armor +3; Sword: Singer (Sword +1, +3 vs. lycanthropes and shape changers Unusual Abilities: Int: 16, Alignment: Neutral Good, Communication: speech, Languages: 2 (Silver Dragon, Common), Extra Ability: read non-magic languages, Powers/Abilities: detect magic in a 1" radius, detect gems, kind, and number in a 1/2" radius, detect evil/good in a 1" radius)

Chest #3: 30212 cp, 28871 sp, 34444 ep, 21121 gp, Jewelry (30): 700 gp Bracelet, 400 gp Medal, 800 gp Tiara, 1100 gp Crown, 500 gp Small Box, 600 gp Statuette, 500 gp Diadem, 1300 gp Collar, 200 gp Belt, 80 gp Anklet, 6400 gp Locket, 600 gp Clasp, 400 gp Decanter, 700 gp Locket, 6000 gp Buckle, 900 gp Comb, 1800 gp Belt, 500 gp Buckle, 800 gp Arm Band, 4000 gp Bracelet, 1000 gp Medal, 6000 gp Sceptre, 6700 gp Statuette, 150 gp Locket, 50 gp Goblet, 1700 gp Pin, 1300 gp Decanter, 90 gp Idol, 500 gp Goblet, 1000 gp Sceptre.

6.4. Ashrorn’s Rise
This balcony is about 25 feet above the sanctuary floor below. If any being which has been cursed with the visage of a Northman High Priest (area 2) stands near the center of this balcony, a bright white light will shine down from the ceiling on that being, causing the visage to become the being’s actual appearance (save vs. spells to negate) permanently, or until dispelled with a remove curse spell (that is, it is no longer a ghostly overlay, it is now the being’s face). As long as the being is cursed with the Nothrman Priest’s appearance, he or she will gain the spell casting abilities of a cleric, level 1-4 (1d4) or, if already a cleric, additional spells per day equal to level 1-4 cleric (1d4).

6.5 Effigies of the North Gods
The four alcoves marked with a number 5 on the map each contain a giant (30’ tall) statue of the Northmen’s gods, though time and manipulation by the Stone Mistress have warped them into twisted parodies of their original appearance. The dirt in the corridors and the alcoves has been disturbed, perhaps revealing giant foot prints.

The second and third stories consist of (because of the effects of time) essentially a single huge chamber on each level with rubble scattered across the floors. Square holes in the floor indicate where wooden poles or beams once held up dividing walls. There isn't anything particularly interesting among the pigeon nests and droppings which dot the two levels (perhaps a few copper pieces or a tiny idol of the Northmen's gods).

Hex 33

33. Hargeth’s Folly

Along the road here is the remains of a great wall that Hargeth (see hex 32) attempted to erect from the mountains to the north, through the forest, south to the great river, creating a barrier to keep the chaos of the wildlands to the east at bay and establish a foothold for the civilized lands to the east, safely behind this 20 mile long wall. This was to be the great northern gate of the East Barrier Wall. Most of the wall was not constructed before Hargeth’s death, but the ruin of the monumental gate stands today as a testament to the king’s far-reaching dreams. The main road runs through the center of the gatehouse. Vines have overgrown parts of the wall and towers, but all are in relatively good repair. Careful observation of the gatehouse will reveal some signs of recent repair to the stonework.

Brand on the cow

A wayward cow has claimed this area as her home. The current occupant of the Gatehouse has thus far ignored her presence, hoping her true owner doesn’t think he has stolen her, but if she stays around for the two more weeks without anyone claiming her, he will build a small paddock for her and keep her. (The cow actually wandered over forty miles through the forest from Hope Cross – if the PCs have been to Hope Cross, there’s a chance that they have seen the mark on the cow and have some idea who the true owners are).

A hedge wizard has taken up residence in the gatehouse with the (possibly unfortunately coincidental*) name of Hargeth. This Hargeth doesn’t know any of the history of this area, and will probably be a cause of confusion due to his name. He is an older man (in his 60s) which might lead PCs to believe he IS somehow the Hargeth of the region. He has only recently (six months ago) taken over the gatehouse – mostly. He has spent considerable time and effort making the left tower habitable and secure wherein he has set up his workshop and living quarters. He has tried to enter the central room and the right tower, but a ghost haunts those areas and is too great a challenge for him to overcome. He is content to live in the left tower, but would be extremely grateful to a party who rid his home of the nuisance (rewarding with spells, potions, etc and becoming an ally in the region).

Left Tower: 

First Level Living Chamber. The outer door is locked and trapped (if the key is not used a 40’ radius gas cloud – equivalent to sleep spell – issues forth – save vs spells to negate effect). Inside the windowless first level is a plain room with a small wooden table and four chairs, a few empty shelves, a broom and a mop and bucket. One corner holds a small table piled high with various foodstuffs. Beneath the small corner table are three sacks (one of flour, one of sugar, one of meal) and a small box (of potatoes). A small fireplace provides light, heat and functions as the stove. A small ladder/steep staircase climbs the far wall to the second story.  

Second Level Working Chamber. This chamber contains several tables with various strange apparatus, vials, beakers and the like. A stuffed owl stares down from the ceiling beside a stuffed goblin head. A real raven named Ralis serves as Hargeth’s familiar, but is a mute bird who prefers to remain still and silent and surprise “attack” unexpectedly by swooping down and grabbing at something shiny. A locked and barred wooden door leads to the central room above the road.

Hargeth brews potions and makes charms (in Daen Ral RPG, this is the primary function of hedge wizards). Since every hedge wizard uses his or her own formula to create such items, so the items in this work room are only of general use and interest to other mages. Hargeth can brew the potions or fabricate the charms listed in the rulebooks at double the gpv with an 80% chance of success. Doubling the price (paying four times the gpv listed in the rule books) gives a 95% chance of success. Potions/charms take 1week per 100 gpv to fabricate, though Hargeth may work on up to four at any given time. The DM may want to limit which potions and charms are available at which times (perhaps the proper ingredients are not in season or need to be found).

Hargeth, Level 7 Hedge Wizard

Central Room: This room, bridging the gap between the two towers of the gatehouse, is suspended 20’ over the road. The 15’x30’ room has doors on each end and large, glassless windows on the long walls. There is a 45% chance the ghost of Aras Mynar is in this room and will attack any creature on sight. The room is completely barren and the wooden floor is rotting. Each round spent in the room, everyone must make a save vs. dragon breath or fall through the floor (for 2d6 damage) to the ground below. If engaged in melee, the save is made at -2 per round.

Right Tower: 

First Floor. The door to this windowless level is barred from the inside. A small fireplace is along one wall and a small ladder/steep staircase climbs the far wall to the second story. There is a 45% chance that the ghost of Aras Mynar is in this room and will attack any creature on sight. 

Second Floor. This room is piled high with broken crockery and splintered wooden utensils. In the midst of the rubble are the skeletal remains of a man, wearing shreds of clothing, a ring, a dagger and a sword. All are ordinary items, not worth a significant amount, though the ring (a simple silver ring) is worth 30 sp. This is the corpse of Aras Mynar who was murdered here a long time ago. There is a 10% chance that the ghost of Aras Mynar is in this room and he will attack any creature on sight. 

If anyone gives the corpse a proper burial (with some form of blessing), the ghost will cease attacking, fade, and be at rest.

GHOST: AC 0 (8); MV 90’; HD 10; hp 10-80; THAC0 10; #AT 1; D Age 10-40 years; SA Age 10 years & panic, magic jar, ethereal vs. wpn & spells; Siz M; Int High; AL LE; XP 4050+14/hp.

* Hargeth can be played as a kind of bumbling, absent-minded alchemist who can provide adventuring parties with some rumors and the occassional potion or charm, or perhaps he has renamed himself Hargeth to hide his previous insidious identity, or perhaps he is the reincarnation of the so-called Hero King Hargeth, the Bold/the Fool, who is trying to reclaim his kingdom via the very means he used to originally establish his kingdom, legends not withstanding...

TO FINISH: Image, map (though may not be necessary, the image is pretty descriptive of the location...

Hex 32

32. Hargeth’s Keep

A small hill rises out of the forest here, cleared but topped in ruins. Though the ruins are ancient, the forest has not reclaimed the hill.

Five hundred years ago, a warrior king named Hargeth (called “the Bold” by historians outside of the Highlands, called “the Fool” by most who inhabit this region). Hargeth was an invading king fromthe north who established a keep near the Rushing River here in his attempt to carve out his dominion in the untamed wilds. He destroyed a number of clans of giants and established numerous small communities in this region.  Though a conqueror, Hargeth's battle prowess impressed the local clans and he was raised to the status of High King. As High King, Hargeth put his people to work building numerous monuments to his own hubris. After twenty years of constant struggle, the goblins of the mountains and the other humanoids of the neighboring regions rallied under a viscous Fire Giant King and swept through the region, overrunning the keep and decimating all the villages and towns in the region.  Hargeth himself fought the Fire Giant King in single combat and slew the giant, but was himself overwhelmed by the Giant King’s minions.  Hargeth currently haunts the ruins as a Spectre (not the Spectre of the Dangerous Encounters section, Hargeth never leaves the ruins). Now the Lord’s Tower and a smaller guard tower are the only structures still standing on this lonely, wind-blasted hill.

32.1.   Ruined Gatehouse

All that remains of the gatehouse is the foundations, in piles of rubble, and a portion of the portcullis is buried in the ground here. Among the fallen stones are 13 skeletons that remain hidden and inanimate unless Hargeth is threatened, in which case the Spectre calls them from their tumbledown tomb to rise to his defense.  The skeletons have no weapons or armor.

32.2.   Guard Tower

This 25’ diameter tower leans a bit to the north. Arrow slits run up the sides of the tower, at even intervals along the length of the spiral staircase that rises the height of the tower (six floors). The first floor is covered in rubble, mostly the ruin of the upper floors. The stairs circling the inside of the tower are stone, but in rough shape. Each story climbed has a 20% chance per person on the steps of a collapse. If a collapse happens, the person in front of and behind has a 60% chance of experiencing a collapse (and this holds true for each subsequent collapse – 60% chance for the next person on the steps). The floors of the tower have nearly completely rotted and fallen away (thus the rubble on the first floor). Most of the roof has likewise fallen in, but hidden in the rafters, still mostly protected by the remains of the roof, is a leather satchel. The satchel contains a book, a dagger, three sealed sheets of parchments and a gold pendant. If the jumble of stone and splintered wood on the first floor is cleared and carefully searched (a very time consuming process), 143 usable arrowheads, 34 spearheads, 2 daggers and 4 battleaxe heads can be found.

The book is The Journal of Karian Daris, the Dagger is Bloodthorn and the pendant is Hargeth’s family seal, cast in gold, worth 100gp with a secret compartment containing a small, lead coin engraved with a spell (remove curse at 20th level). The three sealed sheets of parchment are Hargeth the Bold’s last will and testament bequeathing his kingdom to his heirs, the title deed to his realm (technically a barony bequeathed to him by King Ashtaran II) and a personal letter to a close friend revealing some hidden truth about Hargeth the Bold. The DM is free to use these parchments as plot hooks for future and the exact nature of them is left to the DM’s discretion/imagination.

32.3.   Lord’s Tower

This 45’ diameter tower rises the height of six stories, though the first story was two in height, so it had only five “floors”. It is in shambles inside. The first story contains the greathall that extends out to the west 50’ from the base of the tower and is fully 2 stories in height. This chamber is mostly intact, the slate roof sagging precariously under its own weight as the ancient beams rot and twist. Significant combat in this chamber could easily bring the whole roof down (10d6 damage, crushed and needing to be dug out or continuous crushing damage will occur – 1d6 per round until freed). Seated on a ghostly throne here is the Spectre of king Hargeht, brooding over the demise of his kingdom. He does not automatically attack. Roll for reaction. If engaged in melee, he will call up the skeletons from the ruined gatehouse (see area 1). The tower is gutted, all the floors have rotted away and crashed down. The inner staircases all having been wood, there is no easy access to the upper parts of the tower. The roof has completely deteriorated as well. About half of the highest (fifth) floor remains (the only flooring which has not collapsed and rotted away). The fifth partial floor contains the remains of a huge four poster bed, a chest and what may have once been a chair. A rug once covered the floor, though little remains of it today. Everything is rotted and ruined, but the chest on the fifth floor contains two necklaces: one gold and diamond (worth 1.500 gp) and one a string of pearls (worth 1,000 gp). If the chest is moved at all (other than opening it, which causes the lid to crumble), the chest will collapse on itself revealing a false bottom which contains a leather bag holding 123 sp.

TO FINISH: Image, map?