Dungeon at Small Creek Part XXIII

Darkstone is shrouded in mystery.  He appeared in the small village, named Cave, about fifty years ago, bedraggled, beaten and close to death.  The only thing which saved him was the fact he carried a small fortune in gems and weapons with him.  The healer at the time didn't take all his things, (just a few choice gems), and healed him up.  He limps a bit on his left leg, but his swordsmanship is unsurpassed.  Most believe he is a Blademaster on the run, (and rightfully so), and don't like to test his abilities. 

It took him time to show his leadership abilities. For nearly a year he just worked at retrieving medicinal herbs for Shay, the healer, and watching the workings of the small village.  At the time it was disorganized.  Who ever was the biggest and boldest ruled and took what they wanted of everyone else's.  One day Darkstone went up to the last self made leader and challenged him to a duel.  At the time, no one had seen Darkstone fight, but many liked him for he helped them out, pointed them in the right direction for certain things or gave them sound advice.  The leader in charge was a bully and a thief and when Darkstone ran him through in the first stroke of the duel, those of Cave were ready to follow him.

Darkstone has arranged the patrols, the raids, and the mushroom farming.  He also arranged trade with those denizens who live farther into the caves.  He is protective of his small village and doesn't want to see anyone harmed.

Darkstone appears human, but he looks all of about twenty, so many believe he is a half-elf, if not a full elf, who, for some reason, does not have pointy ears.  He stands a little shorter then a normal human, male, and has a thick head of chestnut hair.  He dresses like a noble, but is not afraid to get himself dirty helping around his village.

Dungeon at Small Creek Part XXII

This small village in the middle of a cave system has an interesting history.  Originally, the village's cavern was used by rogue elves to come to the surface and hunt and gather for a few weeks then return to their haunts underground.  When the village of Small Creek came in, the camp fell into disuse because the rogue elves didn't want to deal with the humans.  When the Wizard came and made his stronghold, the rogue elves approached him and began trade.  But when the Wizard fell to House Merryweather, all sorts started using the camp again, though using other surface to cavern tunnels then the one used by the Wizard.  Now all sorts live and work here, mining in nearby caverns and tunnels, farming mushrooms for trade along with the ore.  The community is fairly well run and cohesive, though these people are still a bunch of rogues who just happen to have a common goal.  They are bound together by the leader of this small village named Darkstone.

Tomorrow: Darkstone

Dungeon at Small Creek Part XXI

This small town/village is fairly large for underground, (as is the cavern).  There are three large buildings and about two dozen smaller buildings.  The smaller building looks as if they are houses, maybe two rooms with a loft.  (It's hard to tell from the ledge).  One of the large buildings looks to be a shop, for people who seem to be leaving with goods when they hadn't any going in.  This building is close to one of the exits on the opposite side of the cavern from the ledge.  Another of the three large buildings is in the center of the town and perhaps is a meeting hall, for few seem to be going in or out of it at the moment.  And the last larger building looks to be a tavern, and is situated near the "meeting hall".

The ledge the party is on does lead down to the city, which is well lit with the magical crystals.  The town is bustling, as are the small mushroom fields on the edges of the cavern.

The longer the party sits and stares at the town the more likely they will be noticed.  (10% chance each "round", that they will be noticed.)

Dungeon at Small Creek Part XX

After taking out the Drow/rogue elves, the party can move on down the tunnel, which continues to slope downward.  There is still no natural lighting.  After about twenty or thirty minutes the tunnel does get subtly lighter until it's almost like sitting in a room with lamp light.  As they round a corner they will see a large cavern below them as they come out of the tunnel and are on a ledge.  The ledge continues down into the cavern, running downward to the right of where they come out of the tunnel.

The sight below is interesting.  There are dozens of buildings below, a small pond in the middle, the sounds of many echoing up from below.  There many tunnels out of the cavern, with terraced mushroom farms on the sides of the cavern.  There doesn't seem to be any patrols, but all the people that are seen below appeared to be obviously armed.  There is a mix of races below, with none really dominate, of humans, elves and dwarves.  Lighting seems to be produced my crystals in the ceiling of the very tall cavern.  The party can assume they are magical.

Tomorrow: A rough map of the cavern.

Dungeon at Small Creek Part XIX

The tunnel that continues on winds downward for quite some time, with small rock falls, dripping water and moss, but no natural light.  After a small bit of time traversing the tunnel, (since the stables), the party will hear small noises, (if they make a perception check of 25), such as foot scuffling, pebbles tumbling, a cough, something along those lines.   Up ahead is a small patrol of drow/rogue elves.  Make the level appropriate to the party level and add as many in this patrol as you feel necessary.

Small things to remember:
1) No natural light, so who ever has the light source may be a great target.
2) The hallway, at best, is 10 feet across with the ceiling being only 10 to 12 feet high.   This will effect combat.
3)  At best, two people can be up front.

Tomorrow, the small village under the ground.

Dungeon at Small Creek Part XVIII

The south eastern tunnel winds back and forth for quite sometime.  The width varies, but for the most part its between five and ten feet wide.  There are no traps.  Small caverns appear here and there, but none are bigger then a person height deep.  Eventually the tunnel splits, one into a large cavern and one just continues on.

The cavern is about as large as an inn and stables.  There is stone work around the opening and inside.  Noise of shuffling can be heard inside.  There is a light source inside, but it is a ways from the opening.

Inside there are riding lizards being taken care of by undead.  These undead are smarter then the regular zombie, more like a ghoul, but not needing to eat brains.  They will attack anyone who enters and doesn't give them the correct key phrase.  Level ghouls for the party.

There is writing carved into the stones around the doorway.  This was supposed to be a stables, eventually, for the wizard, (who claims to be the ruler of the world).  The stalls are set up more for horses then riding lizards, but clearly the wizard meant to have a large stable full of mounts.

Dungeon at Small Creek Part XVII

After the spiders are taken care of, the party can move down the tunnel for another hundred feet or so before it branches in a north branch and a southeast branch.  Today we'll talk about the north branch.  This winds north for a good fifty feet and opens up into a cavern.  It looks as if, at one time, there was a small pond in the middle of the cavern, but has long since dried up.  There are stalactites and stalagmites through out the room, making it hard to see across the cavern from edge to edge.  The roof is about twenty feet in the air, and with regular light sources a person can not see all across the cavern.

A DC of 25 will allow a person to notice light at the far side of the cavern.  (+5 if they are not standing in their own light circle.)  On the far side of the cavern is an outpost of Drow, (or the equivalent in your campaign), who need to make perception checks to make sure they are not surprised by the party.  In my world I don't have Drow, so these would be rogue elves who do not adhere to rules of society, but I know a lot of people prefer Drow as bad guys.  Make the Drow party a challenge for your party.  I would give them levels and make sure their numbers are a good challenge.

There is the standard treasure, there is a map of the tunnels with cryptic marks on the map, (they mark where the "Drow" camps are), and a note that states they are to wait for reinforcements to attack the nearby House and capture one of the royal family.  There is also camp supplies that can be plundered.

Dungeon at Small Creek Part XVI

The tunnel beyond is hand hewn for a good six hundred feet before returning to a natural tunnel of around ten feet wide, though it varies in width.  Where the worked stone ends there are picks, shovels and mortar buckets left in what looks like mid-use.  The wooden handles are dry and cracking, the mortar is solid, the wooden bucket falling apart around it.  There is no natural light and no light stones so torches or magic spells will have to be used to see anything.  Not too far into the natural tunnel spider webs start to become thick and eventually giant spiders appear in the tunnel.

Dungeon at Small Creek Part XV

The door to the east side of the ballroom leads into a small hallway, with three doors.  One of the doors leads to the east, one to the north and one to the south.  The door to the north leads into a bath room, with a huge bath tub with brass feet, but cracked in several places.  There is a small bit of rubble in the north east corner of the room, but the stone room looks mostly intact.  There are rotten towels on a broken, wooden set of shelves on the south wall near the door, and there is a small fire place on the east wall.  It looks as if charcoal was used in the fire place and a small chimney reaches for the sky beyond the dungeon.

The door to the south leads to a small office.  The place is wrecked, the south wall seems to be smashed in.  The furniture is broken a part, not fallen apart from years of neglect.

There is nothing of value in these two rooms.

The door way on the east end of the small hallway takes a bit to open.  (Part of the wooden frame is in the door's way because the stone above it has broken away.)  After some time the door will open and beyond lays a natural tunnel.

Dungeon at Small Creek Part XIV

The east wall rooms are completely carved out of the stone of the mountain side.  Neither have doors and inside are two obvious library rooms.  The bookcases, made of fine oak, are in pristine condition as our the books that line them.  A desk sits in the north room, which is also in pristine condition, along with chairs and a table.  In fact, even the ink upon on the desk is as fresh as if the vial was just set upon the desk.  This pair of rooms has a stasis spell upon them.  Everything is exactly how the wizard left his stronghold when he was fleeing the House Knights.

The surprise of this room are the skeletal knights which are summoned when someone walks through the door without the "key: tuned to this room.  Since the "key" to this room left with the wizard. There is another key for other locks in the house in the cloak wardrobe in a chest if the party looks. The skeletal knights should be appropriate level for the party, so you may have to tweak the three that are summoned.

The skeletons have no treasure, but there are a lot of books in these rooms that can be hauled off. There are three spellbooks scattered around the rooms on the shelves.  DC 30 to find each one.  Spells in these books are up to the GM, though at least 50% should be necromancy.

Dungeon at Small Creek Part XIII

The second room on the south wall is sad.  Not only is it in sad shape, but the scene within is something to stop the heart.  The room is full of rotten blankets, tapestries and drapes. Rotten pillows litter the room and three light stones still illuminate the dreadful scene.  Amongst the ruin are thirteen humanoid skeletons, all chained by a long, thick chain to the wall.  The skeletons all appear to be women, but it is hard to tell for sure.  As the door is opened the party will see in the center of the room a translucent figure of a beautiful woman.  She will turn to the party and if the first person in is male she will attack.  If the first person in is a female, the translucent figure will ask why she is there.

Three possible things can occur.  1) If the first person in is male, and the party is sufficient level, a banshee attacks.  2) If the first person is male, and the party is low level, a ghost attacks.  3) If the first person in is female the ghost/banshee will ask to be set free so she and her sisters can finally be free of the hell they are trapped in.  She will ask the party to unshackle all the skeletons and then disappear from view.

There is no treasure in this room. (If the ghost/banshee has "treasure" make sure to place it else where in the dungeon.)

Tomorrow: the east wall rooms.

Dungeon at Small Creek Part XII

The rooms on the south wall are large and palatial. Each are the same width as the other rooms but run back twice as far.  They are in perfect condition, compared to the other rooms in the "dungeon", and look as if this was where the wizard tried to sleep at night.  Both rooms are locked and trapped.  The DC on unlocking the doors is 25. The DC for finding the shock trap is 30 and 30 to disarm.  There is a key that will by pass the traps in the rooms on the east wall in a small chest hidden in a wardrobe, but the party would have had to find this first.

The first room is filled with a broken bed frame, (the mattress and blankets are, for the most part, deteriorated and bug eaten), huge brass tub, wardrobes, sculptures and a golem.  One of the sculptures is actually a golem that will activate if the door is unlocked without the key.  Make the golem appropriate for the level of the characters in your party.

There are lots of moth eaten clothes in the wardrobe, some jewels on such clothes salvageable and only worth a little bit.  In the mess of the bed frame is a small chest with some old coins worth roughly 500 gp.

Tomorrow, the second room.