Newly Discovered Dungeons of the Flanaess, Volume III
Date: Sat, October 01, 2005
Topic: Campaign Articles


Ye gods...what on Oerth could possibly motivate some folks to go plunging into living trees, searching for magical swords, entering the memories of their dead allies, and raiding the holds of formorian giants?

They're adventurers, Rufus. It's what they do. - Rufus and Burne, Guardians of Hommlet.

The Castle of the Broken Crown: This vast keep in Ahlissa used to belong to one of the nobles who supported House Rax during the Turmoil Between Crowns in the old Great Kingdom of Aerdy. Its inhabitants were tortured and murdered by the forces of Ivid I as he seized the Malachite Throne. It was not looted, due to the curse the master of the place put on his home shortly before his death. Vast treasures are known to lie there still, but so too are many horrible monsters who haunt the place, especially since the Greyhawk Wars.

The Castle of the Bleeding Eye: This sprawling complex in the Howling Hills is overrun with formorian giants, who use it both as a base from which to raid Iuz and/or the Horned Society, and also as a burial ground for their dead leaders. The Castle is actually almost two dozen individual keeps, each with their own small tribes of formorians, who all hate and raid one another, seeking to destroy the other giants and steal their riches. These keeps are usually no larger than a typical hill giant steading or fire giant hall, easily raided by a group of powerful adventurers, although the formorians are fierce and very deadly fighters.

The Citadel of Corusk: This massive cold-iron citadel in the Corusk Mountains is said to be the prison of the barbarian god Vatun. Supposedly, it was constructed atop the sleeping god's prison and filled with deadly monsters and traps to deter intruders from entering to the altar at its heart.

This altar has five marble slabs set in a ring around it, each of which has a slot cut into its center. According to legend, when the Five Blades of Corusk are placed into the appropriate slabs, Vatun will be freed from his prison to wreak a bloody revenge upon the Oeridian winter god Telchur and lead the barbarian Sueloise to form a grand new empire in his name. Those Suel barbarians who enter the Citadel are usually seeking to enter one of the Blades of Corusk into the marble slabs. Those who are not barbarian Sueloise are usually searching for the vast riches of Vatun, which also lie in huge treasure-vaults guarded by horrible creatures. No Suel barbarian will ever do such a thing or allow others to do so, however.

The World Tree: This ancient tree is said to be one of the roots of Beory, the Oerth Mother who is in a sense the very world itself. The World Tree is said to be a way to attain knowledge that can be found nowhere else. Those who enter it are said to be put under a series of dangerous tests by the tree to determine if they are worthy of its wisdom, before being able to receive the benefit of asking the World Tree one question. These tests consist of three puzzles (to test intelligence), three mortal combats (to test might and power), three physical challenges (to test strength and dexterity), and three tests of wit (to test charisma and wisdom).

The answer the person receives may be a riddle, a direct statement, a poem, or some other form of answer, but it will always be told truthfully and honestly by the tree. The answers given by the tree are faultless, and it can share knowledge given to it by others. Planetars, moon dogs, demons, and other extraplanar entities have been known to offer advice and succor from beyond the Prime Material Plane to those who pass the tree's tests and ask it a question.

It should be noted that, although many have tried to take the tree's tests to receive its knowledge, few of them succeed. If petitioners fail at any one of the twelve tests the tree arranges for them, they will die instantly. It is not known exactly where the tree is located, but most rumors place it in the southern Celadon Forest.

The Valley of Memory: Sadly, it is often possible for adventurers and other mortal beings to have their souls and vital essences completely destroyed by a variety of monsters, such as astral searchers, magnesium spirits, and demiliches, making resurrection by normal means impossible. However, it does not necessarily mean that such people are gone forever...

The Valley of Memory, located in the Lortmil Mountains north of the Duchy of Ulek, is an enchanted valley that is said to be able to form life from the memories of those who go there. People who seek the return of a lost comrade, destroyed by some means, may enter this valley. It is said that they will then enter into an illusory re-creation of the person's memories, and be able to interact with the scenes with all their spells and powers. This is done usually to test those who come to the valley, challenging them to set right wrongs from the victim's past, to ease troubles from the victim's memories, or to show the victim their friendship and desire to call him or her back to life.

The Valley of Memory requires much socialization and interaction with the pasts of the victim, and cannot be won through simply by casting fireballs or swinging huge swords. Many puzzles and conversations must be overcome if those who enter the Valley are to succeed in their goals. However, the prize can be just too great to resist: restoring someone to life from the memories of their friends, or rescuing a soul who was sacrificed to a demon or evil god from endless misery and strife.







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