I was wondering if anyone could suggest a published adventure to fit into the story of "Brinewall" in Varisia. It seems like the kind of element a writer would have used before in an adventure.
and once the northernmost Chelish holding in Varisia, this fortress
was perfectly situated to defend against and facilitate trade with
the harsh warriors from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Despite
the constant threat of Nolander barbarians, the dragon-helmed
militia manning the fort’s eponymous curtain wall proved more
than capable of rebuffing attacks. Twenty years ago, however, all
communication with the fortress stopped. Investigations revealed
an empty citadel, devoid of all evidence of attack or disaster.
Although most blame the Nolanders, the complete absence of
bodies and pristine shape of the empty ships bobbing in the harbor
speak toward a more sinister calamity.
Seems like a good location for a Pathfinder module to be set.
I know the whole thing reeks of supernatural abduction, or maybe everyone caught mummy rot. The problem is there is no mention of how large to settlement was just the suggestion of empty streets devoid of even the singing of birds. It's not mentioned in the timeline I assume it was founded before 4605 when Cheliax was expecting Aroden for dinner so still upbeat. That would have made it around 80 years from the founding to the end. After all it had a curtain wall which would take a long time to build.
The more I think about Brinewall the more it intrigues me. I am picturing a population smaller than Riddleport set on the inlet to the Steam River. It's curtain wall protecting it from the land and the river and sea on it's open side. Fishing the waters and spreading farms outside it's defensive walls. The dangers of raiding Linnorm King tribes and rabid Norland bezerkers keeping the dragon helmed militia on edge. The Korvosan transplants clear and farm along the banks of the river growing grain and farming pigs and cattle. Sleeping off a festival of drinking and frivolity they are taken by surprise not from the land but from the deep. Fast and possibly use magic and force they kill the townspeople and take the bodies to the depths of the Bay beyond it's port. The attackers were pushed to fight for their survival against the land dwellers poisoning their waters with their wastes. Now the streets are overgrown and the building starting to crumble under the weight of many snowfalls. It's once brightly colored boats sunk or run aground by storms. The Linnorms and Norlanders believe it's haunted and avoid the area completely.
Now what would be a good type of creature for the waterborne attackers? Anyone out there with any ideas? Seems most aquatic types don't fight on land well so I am having a hard time finding one. The party will be over level 12 by the time they get to this area so it can be something pretty tough. Come on give me a hand here.
EDIT: One thing I was considering was a vengeful Mist Dragon from the Tome of Horrors. If you couple that with the idea that Brinewall is shrouded in fog most of the time it would make one nasty enemy that could wipe out a few thousand people.
Make a new monster. The sigular mystery of Brinewall would be well served by the introduction of an original creature, something that lets the player know they're delving into a new mythology. Freak them out. Nothing Cthuloid (yawn), nothing dragon-like and no fairie folk.
Undead tend to be a bit overdone. Heck, a faerie would be better than an undead. Or dragon, or cthulhu critter.
So a new threat. If it is a "monster" we have some categories. I like the idea of the ruins shrouded in a fog most of the time, regardless of the season. The place looking abandoned and acting as a ghost town. Maybe whatever caused the removal of the population has left or only arrives every hundred years. Steam Mephits could sneak around in the ruins but couldn't kill thousands without a lot of destruction. Maybe an ooze subtype that is a fog ooze but it would literally be mindless destruction, same with swarms. Maybe the elemental template of fire placed on another monster would be good making it into a stream creature. Hopefully I'll figure this out soon.
Would sahuagin be too cliche? If you want to follow the idea of sea creatures, they could be a nice fit.
Otherwise I was thinking of derro or duergar. They sneak into the fortress via secret passages inside the fortress. Utilizing sleep spells and other immobilizing magics, they steal Brinewall's inhabitants for slaves and odd magical experiments. This route leaves the fortress pretty much intact in undisturbed.
In fact it may be fun to play this for PCs assigned to re-establish the fortress. Perhaps some sahuagin have moved into the area, but they are a red herring until the heroes can discover the truth.
Contributor
|
It's probably overdone, but whenever I see these kinds of things happening in little harbor towns, I immediately think of Dagon--Lovecraft-style. There are one or two towns in the Sodden Lands that I'm 99% sure are inhabited by those who sold their souls to Dagon and continue to live in their old homes but with new twisted, inhuman lives.
For Brinewall, perhaps these folk have simply taken on aquatic or semi-aquatic forms and spend most of their lives in the sea. When investigators come calling, they just aren't there. But woebetide those who make the mistake of staying around town for too long...
|
So a new threat. If it is a "monster" we have some categories. I like the idea of the ruins shrouded in a fog most of the time, regardless of the season. The place looking abandoned and acting as a ghost town. Maybe whatever caused the removal of the population has left or only arrives every hundred years. Steam Mephits could sneak around in the ruins but couldn't kill thousands without a lot of destruction. Maybe an ooze subtype that is a fog ooze but it would literally be mindless destruction, same with swarms. Maybe the elemental template of fire placed on another monster would be good making it into a stream creature. Hopefully I'll figure this out soon.
You should watch the movie that just came out recently called "The Mist" and get some ideas, that was creepy.
I was thinking of serpentfolk induced mind control -- dragging all the inhabitants down into the Dark to serve as slaves for an awakening serpentfolk city.
CJ
Another non villainous idea I had was since it is near a geologically active area (steaming river and all). The river or lake upstream belched forth a mighty cloud of carbon dioxide or other poisonous gas that moved down the valley and wiped out the whole place. Then the bodies are eaten by vultures or other flying carrion eaters. That would leave little behind besides a few bones.
I like the transform the population idea but the place was inhabited for eighty years before it was emptied.
|
|
Some ideas:
A new type of fish that reproduces by being consumed. You eat it, you become it. It's virtually unknown to man, but a rare catch was brought to Brinewall just in time for a festival. A few days later, the were-fish villigers were slinking into the river.
The Brinewall is actually a gateway, a marble mirror that leads to a disturbing simulcrum of the village. Time has tarnished and pocked the wall so it looks like normal stone, but it gleams - and activates - in the bright sun. Luckily this almost never happens in foggy, overcast Brinewall, but the local clergy thought it would be nice to provide a rare clear day for the festival. Zap! People trapped in mirror town.
Local wizard was preparing a water breathing spell for the annual pearl diving games. Spell went horribly awry, and the townspeople had mere minutes to dive into the river before they drowned in the air.
Entire town cursed with a weird water-vampirism. The local priest drowned his innocent lover in a bowl of holy water which he later used to bless the congregation, and now they're all water breathing, sewer dwelling monsters.
Some ideas:
A new type of fish that reproduces by being consumed. You eat it, you become it. It's virtually unknown to man, but a rare catch was brought to Brinewall just in time for a festival. A few days later, the were-fish villigers were slinking into the river.
The Brinewall is actually a gateway, a marble mirror that leads to a disturbing simulcrum of the village. Time has tarnished and pocked the wall so it looks like normal stone, but it gleams - and activates - in the bright sun. Luckily this almost never happens in foggy, overcast Brinewall, but the local clergy thought it would be nice to provide a rare clear day for the festival. Zap! People trapped in mirror town.
Local wizard was preparing a water breathing spell for the annual pearl diving games. Spell went horribly awry, and the townspeople had mere minutes to dive into the river before they drowned in the air.
These are kinda cool. Maybe I'll combine them with the gas release upstream and have them transform into steam mephits, hydrodaemons, kelpies, nereids, or maybe a steamling (fire and water) elemental creature. Imagining the geysers being a gateway to the para-plane of fire and water. If the players start killing them they are accidently killing the townspeople.