Citizens of Ashbourne, Part 4

9. Empty

This structure is currently empty.  The previous tenants did not pay their taxes and were no longer productive in the mine so Maximus evicted them from Ashbourne.  Before they left, the wife (none in the village will say who lived here because they believe speaking their name will curse them) made a sacrifice within the building, that if anyone else try to live in this home they will be forever cursed.  The villagers believe in the curse because she was of Thilol ancestry.  People known for their primitive and powerful magic.  The building is in disrepair.  The doors and windows are boarded up.  Should someone take a look inside they will see the magic circle still on the floor with a goat rotting in the center.  Maximus has forbid anyone to enter, those that do will be fined or put into the stockade.

Valuables: Nothing of value is in the home.  Only a few burn candles and a decaying carcass of a goat.

Plot Hooks:  The locals claim to have heard noises from the house at night, but the boards are still intact.  Maximus took off a few boards to look inside and found no evidence of anyone staying there.  On the third night a horrible scream awakens everyone.  It came from the empty house.  They pried open the board from one of the windows.  Laying outside the circle of candle is a charred corpse.  No one is sure who he is or why he or she was there.  The corpse is Alexander, a mage from the House of the Strange Majestic.  He was investigating the magic behind a Thilol curse.  No one will enter the house.  Within a day or two other members of the house will arrive and demand the retrieval of their brother.  Maximus will not open the house because he is afraid of the curse.  The villagers are at a standoff.  The house mages are not patient and will use their powers to tear apart Ashbourne if they need to get Alexander.

 10. Exxok (miner)

Exxok is a small man, but very strong.  He lives here with his mother, Lorinia.  He doesn't speak much, but doesn't shy away from gatherings. Exxok loves to mine.  Loves to discover new things.  To him the earth is a mystery with an endless supplies of treasures waiting to be found.  Exxok could easily pick up and go if their was excitement to be found in the ground elsewhere.  Lorinia his mother is kind and enjoys company.  Should any females be in the party she attempts to arrange a meeting with her son.

Valuables:  The home is nice and comfortable.  He has nothing of value other than a silver snuff box (10sp) that he carries in his pocket.  It's usually empty unless he finds something interesting.  It's often a curious rock he'll store inside.  Lorinia has a small hand mirror with a handle carved from aged wood.  It is decorated with etchings of sleeping animals.  The materials the mirror is made of is not worth anything, but it possess a trace of magical power.  It needs to be infused with more magic for its true properties to be revealed.  It is a Mirror of Ellic (see New Magic Item). 

Plot Hooks: Exxok went into the forest the evening before, but hasn't returned.  There is evidence in the nearby trees of a struggle.  And the fact that he left behind his pick and shovel is not a good sign.  Exxok was caught and taken back to a broken tower to be pressed into Margesh Blackblood's crew.  If the players can get to him within a week he won't be 'one of them'.  After one week he will have been indoctrinated into their crew and fight anyone who would take him away.

While on one of Exxok's forest digging excursions he finds a large chain link.  In the following couple of days he finds the large chain.  He tells the others and he gets a few of them to help.  Exxok get obsessed with finding out what it is and stops going to the mine to work.  Before Maximus wrings his neck he sees Exxok has dug up a 30' square area.  The chain is connected to the center. 

11. Rud (miner)

Rud is the former torchbearer of Maximus.  He is well liked in Ashbourne.  He works in the mine and drinks a lot afterwards.  He's a happy drunk who jokes around.  Even though he drinks, he never misses work.  His motto is, "if I work I can play".  He is good at carpentry work and helps out others if repairs are needed.  Once he's drunk, he's likely to pee on anything.  He has the habit of urinating on the houses of others.  Peed on one of Warren's (1.) horses and now they are enemies because of the incident.  (inspired by Luvien, a Rob Conley character obsessed with pissing on the entire world)

Valuables: Rud's place is a mess.  It smells bad and has stuff everywhere.  Within the mess there are three toolboxes.  One of the toolboxes contains ten rubies (100sp each).  It was a gift given to him by Maximus.  He could sell the rubies and improve his living situation, but the rubies have more sentimental value to him.  

Plot Hooks:  There is a man in the stockades.  He will not divulge who he is or where he came from.  Rud claims he saw the man trying to break into the storage (4.).  The man laughs when he is threatened with legal action.  The man is Worton, a low level thug who is a member of the Silent Knives thieves guild.  He and three of his friends thought it would be an easy score to grab the cuprite.  His friends will attempt to break Worton out of the stockades that night.

Variation of the above plot hook.  Rud sees a man breaking into the storage.  He goes over to investigate, a scuffle ensues, Rud kills the man (Worton) with a dagger strike to the heart.  Worton's friends plan to get revenge that night.

New Magic Item

Mirror of Ellic

This item once belonged to the sorceress queen, Ellic.  She was known for her ruthless tactics and her blood magic.  The mirror was given to her by one of her advisers whose name has long been lost.  Looking into the mirror subdues the savage, softens a hate filled heart and calms the enraged.  The adviser wanted her to be a good queen.  He was impaled on the stake for his efforts.  Ellic gave it to one of her dress maidens and since has been handed down through the years.  The mirror only has a trace of the magic it once had.  If imbued with magic, such as viz its powers will return.  It takes a full round of looking directly into the mirror for it to have a calming affect.

Citizens of Ashbourne, Part 3

7. Pounter & Herod (miners)
Pounter is a tall, hunched man.  Herod, his son, is nearly an exact copy of his father, except there is no gray in his brown hair and no hunch.  Both men work in the mine.  Pounter is an experienced miner, he walks hunched over because of all the days in the mine where his height was a disadvantage.  Pounter likes working in Ashbourne, the mine is small in scope, but larger in height.  He has a constant cough from his years in the coal mine.  He recently started coughing up blood, but has hidden that fact from everyone, especially his boy.  Pounter lost his wife and second child ten years ago.  An outlaw knight rode into the village to take some for slaves and kill the others.  His wife and child were among the latter.  Pounter carries this grief with him, but it only surfaces when he's drank too much.

Valuables:  Between the two of them, they have 32sp scattered around the house.  Herod has a small stash of gemstone he believes are valuable and something he can use when he gets married.  He's collected about 100sp worth.  He even does some gold panning in the creek sometimes.

Plot Hooks: Pounter is too sick to go to work, his cough has gotten worse.  Herod discovers his father is coughing up blood, but doesn't want to say anything.  He sought out Ingrid's help, but she is gone.  He asks the party if they can do anything.  He offers his stash of gemstone as payment.  Pounter's sickness required magic, even Ingrid's concoctions wouldn't work.  If his disease is not cured, Pounter's health worsens and within two weeks he will die.

Pounter staggers out of the mine, his face white with fear.  He stammers his words making it difficult to understand.  Then another miner runs out of the mine with a huge smile on his face.  "A gem, as big as my fist," he shouts.  Pounter shakes his head, "It's a grim stone (see Local Legends)."  Those around him become quiet.  Maximus orders everyone out of the mine.  Without the mine, Ashbourne cannot continue to exist.  Maximus needs help, he needs experienced help to extract the grim gem.  If the party agrees to this he will make them citizens of Ashbourne and they are permitted to build a home and Maximus awards them 20 acres to do with as they please. 

8. Guttar's Store
Outside this building is a lot of stuff.  Wheelbarrows, pick-axes, shovels, buckets, piles of wood, and a big cloth flag with the miner's guild symbol of a pick-axe and a shovel crossed.  The metal items are in various stages of rust.  Half the building is dedicated to mining equipment. along with digging instruments there are lanterns, flasks of oil, heavy clothing, gloves and boots.  Guttar run's the store with Helima, a awkward looking girl who covers he face with her dark hair.  Guttar is friendly, too friendly.  He follows around anyone who enters his shop and tried to get them to buy stuff.  He's polite, but he pesters people to buy more than what they came in for.  If he is rebuffed he'll return to his stool and pout.  Helima has a dark side to her.  She takes pleasure when others get hurt.

The other side of the building is where Guttar and his family live.  He is married to Ulma, a large woman with a bad temper.  While she is pleasant to others, she insults and belittles Guttar constantly.  Ulma is one of the few citizens of Ashbourne that can read and write.  She takes jobs on the side when writing is involved.

Valuables: There is 250sp worth of equipment in the store at one time.  He keep a small metal lockbox out in the open on a shelf.  It contains 45sp.  In their home the money is kept under the bed, on Ulma's side.  It is a simple lock box containing 145sp.  There isn't much of value in the house.  It is unkempt and cluttered with more mining equipment.

Plot Hooks: One of Pavlo's (12.) young children was found dead near the mine.  He was hit in the head with a stone.  A few of the other miners remember Guttar being near the mine.  Because of this people are pointing the finger at Guttar.  Ulma is keeping quiet.  With Guttar out of the way she can take over the shop and and marry a real man.  That's why she killed Pavlo's brat.  Ulma wants to be with Guran (15.).  Guran is popular among the miners and is swaying their opinion against Guttar.

Local Legends

Grim Stones
Grim Stones are physical manifestations of bad luck.  They are red/black in color and it takes years to manifest.  Some say they grow in areas where malicious acts of violence and depravity are prevalent, but Grim Stones have been discovered in the wilderness and in isolated areas of the world.  Despite how they are formed are where they are found, those individuals or communities that was exposed to the Grim Stone is possessed by misfortune and tragedy.  Grim Stones once exposed do decay and with each misfortune it gets smaller.  Some mages collect Grim Stones, they keep them in the magically contained display cases.  They often want to harness the powerful magics for their own purposes.

Citizens of Ashbourne, Part 2

Here's Part 2 of my Ashborne series.  If I do these daily it should take me seven or eight days.  Today we meet Maximus, the leader of the village.  Ashbourne is a independent village that only loosely pays homage to the nobility because Maximus paid a great deal to keep them away.  So Ashbourne is isolated.  I imagine the nearest town is three days away.

You'll find a new creature, spell (I'm lousy at gauging the power of spells, everyone seems to squeal  'too powerful, too powerful'), a magic item and local legend.  The legend section is probably my new favorite.

Once Ashbourne is complete I plan to add 5E stats and a Swords & Wizardry Complete version and release it as a freebie on RPGNow.  The art work won't be included because I've Google ganked it. 

4. Storage
The iron ore that is collected from the mine is loaded into two heavy wagons (each can carry 2 tons of iron ore).  There are four heavy wagons total.  Two are usually in transit, delivering or returning from dropping off the ore.  There is a large basket in each cart, inside is a 3 to 10 pounds of shards and chips of cuprite, a reddish colored gem.  It is used for lower-end decoration of jewelry, sometimes used in paints or set in clothing to give it a expensive look.  The miners get bonus pay from the cuprite that is mined.  Maximus sells it and then divides the pay to all the miners.  He uses it as an incentive program to keep the miners motivated.  At market, the cuprite sells for 2 to 5sp a pound.  The iron ore sells for 75sp per ton.  Prices have decreased recently and Maximus is not happy.

The storage building has a heavy duty lock on it at night.  During the daytime, it is left open so the miners can deposit their ore.  There is no guard assigned to the storage building, but all the folks keep a close eye on it and will confront anyone poking around.

Value:  Prices are listed above.  The wagons are worth a good bit, 250sp each.  They are heavy duty wood, reinforced with steel frame and wheels.

Plot Hooks:  One of the cuprite baskets has gone missing.  The miners are pissed.  They will demand to check the players belongings.  If the storage building is checked, the players will find a weak spot in the floor.  It is a small tunnel that weaves under the hillside.  A batch of rat goblins (see New Creatures) are angry.  They believe that this is their hill and the humans are stealing.  They will not directly confront the humans, but they cause destruction and strife then slink away without being noticed.  The cuprite can be found scattered at the bottom of Muskrat Creek.

The local nobility has decided to no longer pay enough to make it worth while for Maximus to deliver the ore.  He asks the party to explore a different option, Lord Krunt, a half-orc warrior, whose fortress protects the mountain pass.  Lord Krunt disdains the nobility of the kingdom.  Maximus is hoping to strike a deal to sell of some of the ore to Krunt.  Krunt is known to put those who wish to speak to him through a few tests to make sure they are worthy to talk to him.

5. Maximus (leader, 6th lvl Fighter)
Maximus bought this section of land and the 2000 acres that surround it, including the mineral and water rights.  He is considered to be a lord of this land and he is responsible of keeping it clear of ruffians, bandits, monsters and other abominations that may cause strife to the surrounding population.  Maximus pays a tax at the end of each season to remain autonomous.

Maximus a big man, his arms are cut with thick muscles.  He keeps his beard and hair cropped short.  He is even tempered who looks for a solution without resorting to intimidation or threats.  If there is a dispute within the village he decides what the solution after considering all aspects of the situation.  If a dispute requires more insight, he calls upon a random group of citizens to discuss the problem before Maximus ultimately decides on a course of action.

Maximus lives alone.  Although he has women visitors occasionally.  These women stay for a week or two before leaving.  A different woman will stay the next month and so on.  He has two or three women that return regularly.  

His house is cluttered with trophies from his career as a caravan guard turned adventurer.  In the back, he keep his prize horses.  He has Dark, his black warhorse and a riding horse, Rush.

Valuables: There are several trinkets within Maximus's home that he wouldn't notice if they were taken.  Someone could take 1d4 trinkets valued at 5 to 10sp.  He has various weapons hanging on the wall, they are not in any significant order or position of value.  Maximus's main treasure is hidden by magic.  Within the northern wall is a magical portal that allows him access to a 10' x 10' room.  The magic is keyed to him.  Within the room are a total of 4302gp, 12,590sp and 10,000sp worth of gems and jewelry.  This is where he also keeps his magic sword, Grave Fall (see New Magical Items), a dark blade broad sword. 

Plot Hooks: Maximus conscripts the party, there was an ogre spotted just over the hill.  He needs to kill the it before it gets to eating people and smashing buildings.  However, the panicked, screaming individual that reported it as an ogre did not report accurately.  It is three ogres and two ogrelets.  The lead ogre carries the backpack of a a fallen mage, it contains two 1st level scrolls, a potion of levitation and a Wand of Reveal.  

A group of mercenaries enters Ashbourne.  Their leader Gillies, is a smooth talker and speaks to Maximus so he and his ruffians can stay.  They set up camp and help out the folks in the village.  Within two days the mercenaries become destructive.  Normally, Maximus would get angry and get the repairs done immediately.  But he laughs it off and confers with Gillies about decisions.  Maximus has been charmed.  Gillies has a wizard in his employ, Chargot, has Maximus under an Greater Charm Person spell (see New Spells).  He renews the spell in the morning.  Gillies is simply a creature of opportunity.  A dangerous one.  He and his small group are very talented.  They have no problem with killing, torture or taking what they want.

6. Deacon (shepherd, 2nd lvl Fighter)
Deacon has 220 sheep in his herd.  He is gone for a month or more at a time when he takes his sheep into the Golden Grassland.  His wife, Shonora, and three young children live here to take care of the sick sheep and responsible for cleaning the sheared wool.  Deacon likes to be alone and rarely speaks, even to his only family.  He is a tough man who isn't bothered by extreme temperatures.  He carries a spear with him at all times.  It is a simple wooden spear capped with a steel tip.  The wood looks ancient.

Deacon is what he appears, a strong, quiet man.  He walks away from foolishness.  If provoked into a fight he fights to kill.  He doesn't make a noise during a battle and no emotional reaction if he kills someone.  He'll dig a dig a grave to depose of the body, the meat attracts wolves.  The spear has been in his family for three generations.  His father told him it was given to his father as a gift for bravery.  Deacon has forgotten the details.  The spear's wood is as strong as steel, but has no magical powers.

Valuables:  On the mantle is a coffer with the families savings inside, 200sp.  The house is sparsely furnished, but the furniture is of very good quality (200sp).  Hanging on the wall is a skin of an albino wolf that Deacon killed two years ago.  At market someone could get 50sp.

Plot Hooks:  Deacon returns to the village, his spear broken, blood covered.  "The wolves, they come."  Is all he says before washing himself in the creek and seeking a new spear.  That night Ashbourne is surrounded by ten normal wolves and a dire wolf.  Deacon managed to kill the dire wolf's mate, but at the cost of losing his entire herd.

A two-headed black sheep (see Local Legends) is born.  Deacon kills it quickly and the ewe that gave is birth.  The next day a section of the mine collapses, two miners are injured.  One of his children is critically injured when a pot of boiling water falls across her legs.  He then tells Maximus about the black sheep and what must be done.  Since he is the one who killed the lamb, Deacon cannot be the one to ask the the Whispering Monolith what to do.  Since the monolith seems to take an interest in newcomers Maximus asks one of the party members to ask.  He cannot guarantee their safety, but adds, no one has been killed in three years (see the Whispering Monolith for more information).  It requires that one no of the Ashbourne capture the Skull of Sanctity from the Spider Witch, Aria.  You can use the adventure in The Manor #6,Witches of the Dark Moon, and add the skull into the treasure.  Return with the skull and place it within Ashbourne to fend off the disruptive forces.

New Monsters

Rat Goblins

by Nathan Bachelder

These creatures are distantly related to other goblins.  A less evolved goblin if there is such a thing.  It is less confrontational than normal goblins.  A rat goblin prefers stealth, sabotage and poison to combat.  They are experts in finding weaknesses in wooden structures and often rig them to collapse.  Their poisoning skills are directed towards animals since the poison they use has such an unpleasant odor it is easily detectable.

They live in small packs (3d4) and are very territorial.  If they feel someone has intruded into their space they are relentless with making it unlivable for the invaders.  If half their number is killed they move from the area.

New Magic Item

Grave Fall
Grave Fall is a weapon from the last age.  Maximus found it in the tomb of the rat lord.  Forgotten treasure, he found it discarded in a heap of shit and copper coins.  It hides its magical powers, only a Detect Magic spell is cast by a 5th level caster or higher will know it is magical.  Grave Fall is sentient and has little interest in combat unless it's with undead.  It acts as a normal broad sword in combat except when against undead.  Against undead, when it strikes an undead creature it does its normal damage plus critical damage, if an actual critical hit is struck, double the damage.

New Spell

Greater Charm Spell (4th level)
Greater Charm works identical as Charm Person except the duration is for 1 day and the victim will not automatically know it was you who cast the spell.  It cannot be cast on more than one person at a time even if cast at a higher level.

Local Legends

Black Sheep

The birth of a black sheep is considered an ill-omen.  And half are born with a mutation.  The legend says the family is cursed and those around them will suffer.  The degree of the mutation is the degree of the severity.  The birth of a normal black sheep causes bad luck, quickening of rotting food or sickness to the family or livestock.  The duration varies.

However, if a mutated black sheep is born it can bring disaster upon the family, such as financial ruin, the home burning down and death. 

Black sheep are living warnings from the petty gods.  There doesn't have to be a reason for it.  Sometimes it is just a reminder that they are gods and they can do this.  It requires powerful counter magic to keep the negative energy from saturating the area.  

Citizens of Ashbourne, Part 1

I plan on writing a short series of posts about Ashbourne, a small hamlet established by a pair of wealth adventurers.  All these posts will be first drafts.  I just write and not worry about edits or content.  When I free write I usually come up with ideas that give the piece flavor.  At least I hope that is the result. 

Each entry has an overview that covers what the person or people are like and usually some of their habits and profession.  Along with this I add valuables and plot hooks.  So when the players arrive in Ashbourne I can use a plot hook from this house or another to make it feel alive.  That events are moving whether the players are present or not.

And lastly, I sometimes add unique touches to the area or people to give them a distinct feel. 

1. Warren & Gorman (horse trainer)
Warren moved to Ashbourne to get away from the normal political bullshit that cluttered a working man's life.  Ashbourne, settled by adventurers, promised those who came could live their life free of such nonsense.  The only requirements are to work hard and be respectful to the others.  Warren has trained horses for thirty-two years.  Now he trains them for his own profit and not for others.  He goes to market once every six months to sell off the latest group.  And now living next  to the Golden Grasslands, he has two expert wranglers that capture the wild horses.

Gorman is Warren's little brother.  Gorman talks to himself, sings a lot, but is always polite except when the 'demons' are attacking him.  During these times he remains silent.  He doesn't work with the horses.  They scare him.  He hangs around by the road and waves at people and smokes a pipe continuously.

Valuables: Warren has a small coffer in a locked room that holds 100sp for everyday business expenses.  Hidden in the pantry, within a small cask are 364sp.  He has 200sp worth of saddles, feed, ect. to run his business.

Plot Hooks: Gorman's demons are very real.  They crawl out of the ground and follow certain people.  Those people usually end up getting sick or some misfortune happens.  Gorman knows if the demons discover he knows he can see them, they'll kill him.  Warren is being followed by a demon, blue-black in color, a death demon.  He's terrified to say anything, but wants to save his brother.

Warren has been accused to stealing a nobleman's horse.  The penalty for this is hanging.  Warren claims he is innocent.  The leader of the village, Maximus, is standing by Warren, but needs a group to infiltrate Sir Urick's manor and find evidence that would exonerate Warren.  Maximus can only delay the trial by two days.

2. Ingrid (herbalist, 3rd lvl fighter)
Ingrid is a tall statuesque woman with long auburn hair.  She lives alone in he shop.  The others show her great respect due to her expansive knowledge of herbs and she has proven to be very hand with an axe.  She is friendly, but keeps her private life private.  She travels into town once a month for supplies.  She hires one or two random people to go with her.  Many of the single (and married) men seek her attention.  She has never shown interest in any of their advances and knocked out a drunken Rud (11.) because he became too amorous. In her shop you can buy a variety of non-magical ointments, salves and unguents. 

Valuables: Ingrid has amassed a small fortune that she keeps hidden beneath a floorboard.  She has 13 small pouches with 100sp in each.  In a unlocked box in her private living area she has 54sp.  Most of the other in Ashbourne pay in coin, but if they are unable she will barter labor or for food.  She collects jade figurines, she has eight of them, all valued between 10sp to 40sp each.

Plot Hooks: Ingrid is visited by another woman, Taylee.  Her usual calm and distant demeanor is now unsettled and she is visibly shaken.  She will slip a note to one of the players (maybe one that has been kind to her).  The note reads: doppelganger. 

Ingrid is always looking for ingredients.  She hears the party is traveling to a place that grows Unter Wildwells.  These are large flowers that grow in dark wet places.  She will pay well (20sp) for every flower the party returns with.  She will provide them the containers they will need to go into.

During her trip to town, Ingrid is taken by a group of bandits known as the Crack Maws.  Ronald (18.) was able to escape.  He reports she put up a fight and the bandits leader kept shouting "We need to take her alive".

3. Nicola (miner)
This small, stone cottage is well-kept.  Hanging outside the front door is a small plaque with a crossed pick-axe and shovel, symbol of the Miner's Guild.  He lives here with his wife, Rochel.  Both are young and energetic.  Nicola works in the iron ore mine.  He's one of the newbies.  Both are well-liked.  Although some want to puke when they get all kissy kissy.

Valuables: Not to speak of.  They have some loose coins.  Rochel received a small chest with a set of blankets, dishes and a painting to start her new life.  While all these objects mean a great deal to her their market value is negligible. 

Plot Hook: Rochel is sick.  Ingrid has given provided what care she can with her medicines, but the fever is not letting up.  It all started when she saw a shadow man (see Local Legend) in the field.  She believes she is cursed to die now.  She must give a gift to the shadow man or she will die, but she doesn't know where he lives.  The party will ask to find the shadow man's home and give him her painting.

 Local Legends
Shadow Men
Shadow men are dark fey.  Legend is that if someone sees a shadow man they will die unless the shadow man is given a gift.  This tale is passed down through the generations to scare children, but there is a truth to it.  Spotting a dark fey means the person was already sick, that death spirits have already taken notice.  This is why one person may spot the shadow man while the rest see nothing.  The shadow men do not deliver the fatal blow, but they do have a relationship with the death entities.  If a gift is given, the shadow man will protect that person from the death spirit, but cannot do anything about the debilitating effects of the disease or accident.