EDIT: Area 8 has been fucked for months, sadly. I forgot to mention that there was a 2 in 6 chance of the High Forgetter being present in the chamber. Oh Well, it' corrected now (for what it's worth).
Poetry for me, is like breathing for other folk.
Here's a dungeon that's kind of weird and kind of useable, responding to Patrick's post here. It uses a Dyson Logos map, so thanks for that.
Get the PDF below.
If that's no good to you, well, that's a good enough excuse for me to finally throw something up for the first time in a couple of years. I hope you get some use out of it...
The PDF is in two column format, so I think you'll find that a lot easier to use. Anyway:
THE VULNERARY HOUSE
THE VULNERARY HOUSE
1. The Auditorium Of Last Farewells
l A hall of marble, incense, languid, censers of blazing coals, an offering urn as tall as a man (6,214 SP. 460 GP, 4000 CP) 2d10 Veiled Ones, 1d8 Masked Eunuch Hulks.
l A grotto, older than these walls, the sound of rushing water from within. Black Token forgotten in the shadows.
l Who else? 1-a noblewoman begs her son to come with her. His gaze is unfocused.2-a pregnant wife kneels at the feet of an old man who tousles her hair, gentle, yet absent 3-A boy hands an enthusiastically fashioned, yet crudely painted toy boat to a distant seeming man. The man weighs it momentarily, before pressing it back in the boy’s hands . 4-A woman, expressionless, head shaven, kisses a crying infant. She gifts the wailing swaddling to an old woman who nods and leaves, cooing to the child.
l Sometimes, at dusk, bull-rush garbed figures emerge from the grotto on shaking legs and are lead to 6.
l The Veiled Ones mark you with ash, the eunuchs take your weapons, you are lead to 2.
l Black Token bearers will be blindfolded and lead to 7.
l At night a Displacer Beast prowls. It cannot remember why it is here either.
2. Armoire of Discarded Semblance
l As if in a dream, a Veiled One removes your garments. Lacking Ashen Mark, she plunges her poison dagger between your relaxed shoulder blades.
l Naked now, a veiled one leads you to 3.
l Hundreds of cloaks, one in ermine and fox-hair, strung with unblinking rubies (1000 GP. Habits; stoles; furs; battered chain; a child’s cape; a jester’s motley; a silk blouse,hardened, bloodied.
l Someone has carved ‘say nothing’, behind the last cloak.
l Shelves of sandals, shoes and boots. A black widow within one. Patent leather woman’s shoe with Silver and Opal buckle (150GP)
l 1 in 6 A eunuch gathering clothes for the fire or the market.
3. Praetorium Of Ecstasies
l Marble walls, bas relief, interlocking triskelions, floor polished to high sheen - your feet glide.
l Six Veiled Ones beat ivory and ebony tabla (150GP), dholak (60GP), khol (40GP), thavil (100 GP), gold bell (70 GP) and tambourine (10 GP). Hypnotic. Save vs Spell or Charm Person. You will dance now.
l When you are laughing, exhausted, Veiled One takes your hand and leads you to 4.
4.An Assiduous Assessment
l 2 in 6 The High Forgetter, beneath a white cowl, his mirror mask returns your own gaze. 2d3 Eunuchs, either way. 1 Eunuch has key to 5. Granite cell, a mat of intricately woven reeds (200GP) upon which you are invited to repose, pungent incense, three varnished planks ,a pit, 50’deep, wherein writhe 4d6 discarded Blank Cannibals, knowing only hate and hunger. Diamond down in muck (965 GP)
l Shown the Ashen Mark, three questions will he pose. 1.What have you found? 2. What have you lost? 3. What do you seek to find? You will answer ‘nothing’ to all three or eunuchs will feed the cannibals tonight.
l With the right words, eunuch will lay the bridge, unlock the door and march you to 5.
5. Court Of Firstly Flagellation
l Blood cakes the stone flagged floor, white painted walls finger streaked with flaking black; crusting brown and daubs of oozing crimson.
l Worktop in corner displays pliers, drills, tweezers. Bronze urn contains gold teeth (180 GP), Serpent Earrings in platinum (200 GP), Gold rings of dubious provenance (20, 80 and 260 GP)
l 2 in 6 Eunuch lashes a quivering pillar of meat. 2 in 6 dragging carcass to 4.
l 2 in 6 the High Forgetter is here, urging you to ‘let go’
l Letting go, you are helped to 6.
6.The Sinner’s Pier
l Steps shiny, worn smooth. Chamber geometry reaches for philosophical equality.
l Three naked female statues, headless each, bear the sword of mind (See Appendix). Animate to attack those without the ashen mark. Are appeased by heads, which they cradle.
l Luxurious Velvet Curtain (400GP) hides bas relief of seeming endless vortex. Save vs Paralysis or be lost within it’s coils.
l Two stone piers. 1d4 Eunuchs. 1d8 Veiled Ones. Sacred oils (100GP )applied for the journey. 2 in 6 chance of interrupting ceremony.
l With due care and attention,Veiled Ones softly; deliberately, lay a middle aged man upon black waters. He slides beneath, pulled without urgency into the darkness.
l To bathe within the water is to forget all, to be like a babe. To drink is to lose only memories. 5% chance that either process merely causes permanent psychosis.
7.The Coinless Auction
l White marble, burning braziers, nuanced shadows.
l 1d4 Blank children, 1d6 Blank adults and 1d8 Blank elders stand listless, clad only in bull-rushes. 2d4 Veiled Ones. 2d6 Eunuchs.
l 2 in 6 High Forgetter offering quiet advice and an ear to listen.
l 1d3 Black Token bearers: 1-bulbous nosed merchant in mustard, tears flow, nobody satisfies. 2 man and woman examine child, woman smiles up at man with hopeful pleading eyes. He is lost in thought. 3-Hard faced man whispering insults into the ear of a Blank. 4-grey lady squeezing Blank old man’s hands, smiling, holding back tears. 5-Bald, scarred gammon roughly inspects behind female Blank’s ears. His eyes contain no human feeling. 6-Purple hued giant with a Bhudda smile tests the biceps of male Blanks. 7-Bent,hooded,swiftly stakes a claim to whatever children are present 8-cowled duke needs an heir...now.
l 2 in 6 viscous argument. High Forgetter summoned to calm.
l Any given person has a pouch of 1d10x20 GP 1 in 6 chance of jewellery worth 1d6x100GP
l Become a problem and eunuchs will throw you to the wives in 9.
8.The High Forgetters Repose
l Trapdoor and ladder.
l Feather bed, wolf-skin blanket (50GP).
l Votive altar, 1d4 Black Tokens. Icon of Lethe (400GP)
l Book shelf (Canticle Of The Void - nihilistic hymn book, 20 GP. The Grimoire Of Cedric The Implier -level 6 spell book. A sketch book, vistas of coastlines, white space; message in front “To Pym. I won’t forget if you don’t. Sarah”. Portrait of beautiful red haired woman wearing gold sun necklace in back, defaced. Key to 9.
l Cloak hangers, silken vestments (100GP)
l Silver wash basin (80GP)
l Foot Chest. Incense (200GP),Sapphire with tiny Displacer Beast stalking within it’s micro-latice (see appendix). Sealskin puch (30 GP) containing 240 PP. Thick gold and diamond engagement ring, inscription ‘I remembered’2000GP. Bottle of dark water, labelled ‘Drink Tomorrow’.
l 2 in 6 High Forgetter communing with Lethe, sobbing noiselessly Black Tokens clattering from trembling fingers.Unheard.
9.Almost Wives, Almost Children
l Door locked. Sliding plate.
l Marble room, bas relief of twenty stage vain courtship.
l 33 polished skulls.
l Ten Huge velvet cushions (50GP), silver trays of meat and fruit (60GP), discarded assorted bangles, bracelets, ankle rings (620GP). Golden sun necklace on dead Sarah (1500GP)
l Nine red haired wives that answer to the name Sarah and kill and eat anybody that falls through the pit (though they remain in a state of invincible ignorance). One is secretly psychotic and strangled the only pregnant Sarah (Buried beneath cushions). She is ready to take control of the Vulnerary. The other Sarah’s fear and obey her. Her potential for evil is without limit. She seeks a ‘husband’ (and the grimoire in the Repose).
l 2 in 6 chance High Forgetter is singing hymns through the plate.
Ø 10. Bull Rushes
l Beach of shale, white bull-rushes, sound of distant flute upstream.
l 2d6 Veiled Ones use life saving hooks to drag in Blanks that float past.
l Upon the shale they garb them in bull-rushes.
l Blank now, obediently they follow. Mostly.
APPENDIX
Veiled Ones, 1 HD, AC 9, Poison Hair Pin d3 + Save vs posion or d6 dmage/d4 rounds. Non-threatening, thus surpise 3-6. ML8
Masked Eunuch Hulk, 2 HD, AC 7, Huge Khopesh d8+2, knock down on max damage, Immune to charm. ML 9
Blank Cannibal/Psycho, 1HD, AC9, Gnashing Frenzy claw 1d2 /1d2/1d4. ML 12 Fighting a bunch of them in the dark is horrible, save vs paralysis or stunned for a round.
‘Sarah’, 1HD, AC8, Dagger 1d4, ML8
Red Sarah, 3 HD (14 HP), AC 8, Scratch d2. ML 10 Psionic empath, save vs spells or she cannot be attacked due to excessive empathising. Great learning capacity, can learn arcane spells of any level, takes 1 week/spell level.
The High Forgetter, 5HD (20HP), AC 7. Stilleto d4 and poison Cause Light Wounds x2 Command, Hold Person, Silence 15’ Radius, Feign Death. ML 8 Served by the Displacer Beast in the sapphire, if warned, will be accompanied by the beast. Also able to intone a kind of ASMR frequency. Save vs spells or become pliable and listless. You too would commit suicide if second save failed.
Sapphire Displacer Beast, HD4, 40 HP, AC 6, Tentacles 2d4/2d4, -2 to hit, +2 saving throws, ML 9, the beast would fall upon the High Forgetter if it could get it’s shit together. Sadly, it finds his voice just a little bit too sexy.
Whistling Cave Ghast, HD 5, HP 35, AC 4, Claws & Bite d4/ d4/d8, paralysis, rotting stench save vs posion or -2 to attack, immune to protection from evil, x2 damage from cold iron. ML 9 Occasionally it swims down the Black River to grab warm flesh. This one uses guerilla tactics, hides 4 in 6 and may be transfixed by music.
Headless Statue, HD 4, AC 4, 1d10 Sword Of Mind, causes confusion on a failed save vs magic, ML11 Sword is becomes inert after destruction. Relentless, will chase all over the Vulnerary.
Anybody in possession of the sapphire may release the beast by uttering the word ‘Blueglass’. It may be re-imprisoned by repeating the word. No control of the beast is possible, though it may be bargained with. After 4 hours, the beast is drawn back into the Sapphire (worth 2200 GP).
Encounter Table (1 in 6 every 2 turns)
1. The High Forgetter rushing to meet and greet a supplicant, trailed by 1d6 Veiled Ones and 1d6 Eunuchs.
2. 1d4 Eunuchs, mute, masked.
3. 1d6 Veiled Ones, they question first.
4. Wandering Blank. Generate NPC. That’s who they were.
5. 2 Veiled Ones leading a blind folded Black Token carrier. Likely to be wealthy.
6. Party of thieves lead by charismatic sociopath, dressed as Veiled Ones.
7. Wandering psycho Blank, 2d4 eunuchs will arive to capture in d3 rounds.
8. Whistling cave Ghast has emerged from the River!
