tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79758116191603395122024-03-13T03:03:50.214-07:00The Restenford ProjectA bloggertation on the field of LendorologyTimrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-3827330854317276822022-06-15T11:58:00.004-07:002023-12-31T13:32:18.858-08:00Denizens of Restenford: Fairwind<p>Ah, yes, the Baroness Fairwind, beleaguered spouse of the tepid Baron Grellus; what do we know about her? From the "castle" roster: she is 42 years old, 5'8" tall and 110 lbs wide--which is not very wide at all--(that's like 1.7 liters and 8 stone for you metric folks out there) and has long brown hair and brown eyes. Though she's a 3rd level cleric--4.8th level in the metric system--and her spells du jour are Detect Evil, Detect Magic, and Chant. We don't get her full stats so we don't know how Strong, Intelligent, Wise, etc., she is. Actually, she has 2 first level spells "memorized"--standard for a 3rd level cleric--so we can assume that her Wis is no higher than 12; otherwise she'd have at least 1 bonus spell. She has a <i>ring of protection</i> and a <i>wand of magic missiles; c</i>an clerics use a <i>wand of magic missiles</i>? [Consults <i>DMG</i>... any class can use 'em; how come I never knew that?]<br /></p><p>She's a lawful good cleric living in a chaotic town and rumor has it that the populace find her to be a bit haughty. She occasionally goes into town accompanied by her daughter Andrella, a couple of bodyguards, and/or the Baron. She and Andrella tend the gardens at the castle
so she has a hobby, which is nice. She also spends at least some of her time down in the dungeons of the
castle; we'll get to that in a minute. </p><p>Her only mention in the rumor table is that she is lawful good; do people really talk about alignments as if they're ethnicities or congenital diseases? I guess it makes sense in a world where alignment languages are a thing.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPEEZ7TCauTxC4Cz1z7odY7EMz03AMJuto00Yps9KSkZScirKVl3sYg-sbY1Rjfp1QDV-Q6OZhgXnSIa5vAHAJZ8oI2Lk_2RkUDmtwohHK9XzPZ5CxZOG0brn-ZcaIgX5cLPkGh7sgnkAJHLC2OlY3rKAp4Cb9soRIRFf-FohNesqNPVarx0NmP58yUw=s3343" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3343" data-original-width="2500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPEEZ7TCauTxC4Cz1z7odY7EMz03AMJuto00Yps9KSkZScirKVl3sYg-sbY1Rjfp1QDV-Q6OZhgXnSIa5vAHAJZ8oI2Lk_2RkUDmtwohHK9XzPZ5CxZOG0brn-ZcaIgX5cLPkGh7sgnkAJHLC2OlY3rKAp4Cb9soRIRFf-FohNesqNPVarx0NmP58yUw=s320" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yalta, Spiritual Advisor<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>From the village write up (#31 Priest's Home) we learn that this is the home of her "spiritual advisor." His name is Yalta, a priest (C3) with a charisma of 17. Even though he's a minor figure who is not mentioned outside the write-up for his house he gets full stats but the Baroness doesn't?? What the hell is up with that? For those keeping score at home: the noblewoman has a highly charismatic spiritual advisor with a Russian name. This raises some questions for the book club: </p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Why is there no mention of Yalta's resistance to poison? </li><li>Has Lakofka taken a circuitous route to inform us that the young baronette Andrella is a hemophiliac? </li><li>Does this not confirm what we've all assumed by now: Baron Grellus is not only a <i>figurative</i> cuckold but a <i>literal </i>one as
well?</li></ol><p>What other info is there on the baroness? She is the only person besides Grellus who ventures down to the dungeon level of the "castle." We know that the secret door in the East corridor that provides access to the dungeon proper--where the Baron stashes the treasury--is trapped, but once you've figured it out, you can automatically bypass the trap henceforth. According to the text: </p><p><span dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16.6px; left: 118.067px; top: 158.95px; transform: scaleX(1.03181);"></span></p><blockquote><span dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16.6px; left: 118.067px; top: 158.95px; transform: scaleX(1.03181);">"The </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16.6px; left: 118.067px; top: 178.149px; transform: scaleX(1.05604);">Baron has passed the opening test, though Fairwind </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16.6px; left: 118.067px; top: 197.349px; transform: scaleX(1.00201);">has not."</span></blockquote><span dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16.6px; left: 118.067px; top: 197.349px; transform: scaleX(1.00201);"></span> <p></p><p>Baron Grellus clearly has not shared this knowledge with the Baroness which more than indicates that there is not a spirit of nuptial cooperation in their relationship. And yet, Fairwind keeps making the effort; likely behind the baron's back. To what purpose? To get at the treasury that the baron refuses to spend?<br /></p><p>In conclusion, Fairwind is a slender, middle aged woman married to a wealthy nobleman--not bad so far. Unfortunately, he is an incompetent and stingy baron who has lost the respect of his subjects and his wife, who has turned to adultery. She spends her free time tending the gardens with her daughter and seeking "spiritual advice" from a seductive priest who lives in town for apparently no other reason than to be near to her. She also sneaks down to the basement at night in an effort to bypass the trapped door to the dungeon proper where she hopes to locate the treasure. Perhaps once it's found she will use it to overthrow her husband. Or more likely she hopes to use it to escape from this backwater burg, to run off with Yalta and live a better life somewhere--anywhere--else.<br /></p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p><br /></p>Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-738158464855065922022-03-13T13:50:00.026-07:002023-09-13T15:11:05.029-07:00Pelltar's Property Protection Paranoia<p>Ages ago, we had a look at <a href="https://restenford.blogspot.com/2011/09/pelltar-sorceror-something-is-rotten-in.html">Pelltar the Sorceror</a>, most prominent citizen of Restenford. Today we're going to ponder his many properties and the overly protective measures he has put in place to secure them.</p><p><strike>Grellus's</strike> Pelltar's tower: <br /></p><p>First off we have the tower at the castle, to which he has a "deed" guaranteeing him access even in the event that the Baron should die--foreshadowing for the follow up module <i>L2 Assassin's Knot</i>. Because I just received my real estate license from the University of Wikipedia moments ago I profess no expertise on the matter, but I believe a deed essentially means that ownership of the tower has been conveyed to Pelltar. I've already discussed the significance of Pelltar's occupation of the phallus of Restenford, so let's get straight to the security measures:<br /></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>All doors are <i>wizard lock</i>ed but also locked with conventional locks that are so complex as to inflict a -35% penalty on your thief's lock picking endeavors.</li><li>If anyone but a tall bearded man enters either the ground level door or the one at the walkway, a magic mouth yells an alert. We know that Baron Grellus is bearded, and is a strapping 6'2" tall, so he can probably pass the mouth unannounced. Pelltar is not given a physical description, but can we assume that he sports a beard and stands somewhere in excess of 6' as well?<br /></li><li>Pelltar has animated 4 skeletons to attack anyone who enters the tower who is not accompanied by him. </li><ul><li>Whose bones are the skeletons made from? Is Pelltar a grave robber? Worse: is he a necrophiliac?<br /></li></ul><li>The doors are also <i>fire trap</i>ped. More on that later.<br /></li><li>The trapdoor to Pelltar's lab is iron-bound, barred, and wizard locked. <br /></li><ul><li>If the trap door is left open for more than 10 seconds--enough time for one person to enter safely--a hefty slab of iron will drop on the poor slob who tries to enter next, inflicting 3-30 pts of dmg.</li></ul><li>His Crystal ball is covered in Dust of Sneezing and Choking: anyone touching it must save or choke to death while sneezing uncontrollably.</li></ul><p>Pelltar's Home:</p><p>Nothing much here, just Pelltar--when he's not at the castle--and his three assistants Abracus, Fliban, and Gristla scribbling in their spell books. Yawn. <br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>all doors are <i>wizard lock</i>ed and employ complex locks. It doesn't say that these locks are 35% more difficult to pick--like the ones in the tower--but such can probably be assumed.<br /></li><li>inner hall doors have <i>Explosive Runes</i> scrawled on both the inside and outside. <br /></li><li>his apprentice MUs all wear magic rings that allow them to pass through the <i>Wizard locks</i>. </li><li>Presumably they also wear magic spectacles that prevent them from inadvertently reading the <i>Explosive Rune</i>s <br /></li></ul><p>Pelltar's Warehouse: </p><p>The sorceror has secured in this building approximately 7,800 GPs worth of goods including leather upholstered furniture, tapestries, fancy clothing, cutlery, and other assorted fineries. The highlight of the collection is definitely 800 gp worth of hard whiskey (presumably it's American or Irish whisk<b>ey</b> and not Scotch or Canadian whisk<b>y</b> [or one of those pretentious American liquors that chooses to drop the "e"]). Less impressive: 250 gps worth of Iron Rations; that's 50 weeks at <i>PHB </i>prices. There are also three suits of plate mail that are valued at 300 gp. each, 25% below the going PHB rate. Presumably, unlike almost everything else in here, they are of low quality. </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Pelltar has hired a security guard to protect his warehouse: Welcar, the same tough but grizzled fighter who infamously faked his own death to give cause to the <a href="https://restenford.blogspot.com/2013/03/mob-justice-in-restenford.html">Lynching of the half orcs </a>on the edge of town. </li><li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiaj-NQEFoCvxuwhp_qTd4WukqitMmL7k8r42d96Ct7MnGGNeaRQGPBOMdNWgS2MQoOmoIRg0rjRGVbjUHrUuq9CDavQPA3JILhVcN8gOgm_lTc9gHkXr-69zXhzlvoah0O7xAfXsbUcjAw2BfC-XbBTsDZOQMyQUZojopzi9atftFNMefgpUMJKzNNA=s349" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="349" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiaj-NQEFoCvxuwhp_qTd4WukqitMmL7k8r42d96Ct7MnGGNeaRQGPBOMdNWgS2MQoOmoIRg0rjRGVbjUHrUuq9CDavQPA3JILhVcN8gOgm_lTc9gHkXr-69zXhzlvoah0O7xAfXsbUcjAw2BfC-XbBTsDZOQMyQUZojopzi9atftFNMefgpUMJKzNNA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the immortal words of Montgomery Burns...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Welcar is assisted on his patrol by a pair of guard dogs who wear magic collars that offer protection from <i>sleep </i>and <i>charm </i>spells. </li><li>lest you try to poison said pooches, they will not eat any food offered them unless it comes from Pelltar or Welcar.</li><li>Welcar also patrols the other two warehouses nearby. One holds grain and
preserved foods; presumably the produce of the surrounding
farmland. The other houses the fishing fleet. Baron Grellus "lets the
fishermen use it for free" which, as we all know, means that they
stopped paying rent on the place years ago and the Baron lacks the huevos to kick them
out. </li><li>The door to the warehouse is triple locked and <u>each lock</u> is <i>Wizard Lock</i>ed, <i>Explosive Rune</i>d, <u>and </u><i>Fire Trap</i>ped. One should note the following per the descriptions of these spells: <i><br /></i></li></ul><ol style="text-align: left;"><ol><li><i>Wizard lock</i> is cast on a door or portal, not on a lock, so one door can be protected by <i>Wizard Lock</i> but once;</li><li>Casting <i>Fire trap</i> on a door which is also <i>wizard lock</i>ed or <i>hold portal</i>ed will result in the previous spell being negated. Lest you try to be clever, both spells would be negated if you reversed the casting order, and <i> </i></li><li><i>Explosive Runes </i>are cast on a "book, map, scroll, or similar instrument bearing written information," a category which, I would argue, does not include locks (or doors; see Pelltar's house, above). </li><ul><li>Further, <i>Explosive Runes </i>detonate when the text in which they are hidden is read, not when the item they are cast on is tampered with. If Pelltar did cast <i>Explosive Runes</i> on, say, the logo of the lockmaker, every time his security guard casually read "MasterLock" or "Schlage" while on patrol, the lock would explode. </li><li>3rd level cleric spell <i>Glyph of Warding</i>
is described as "a powerful inscription magically drawn to prevent
unauthorized or hostile creatures from passing, entering, or opening"
(PHB pg. 47); that sounds like what Lakofka intended, no?</li><li>Seeing as explosive runes dole out 6d4+6 pts of dmg to the reader with no saving throw, how many watchmen did Pelltar go through before he made illiteracy a job requirement?</li><li>Are the skeletons guarding his tower the animated remains of these former watchmen?</li><li>Were the burned half orcs found at the edge of town merely replacement hires (for the temporarily dead Welcar) who failed their illiteracy test?</li></ul></ol></ol><p><br /></p>Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-67122742707592365892021-10-21T17:44:00.003-07:002022-03-14T09:27:25.571-07:00Where's the ford?: Etymology of RestenfordIf you're the etymologically inclined type and you see a town named Restenford, you might be tempted to assume that the "-ford" suffix denotes the presence of a ford across a river named Resten at this location; see <i>Oxford</i>--a town located where the river Ox could be forded. Of course, you would be horribly incorrect because the name of the river is Res<i>tin</i>, not Res<i>ten.</i> <i>[Insert gut-busting laughter here]</i><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpwfc2P2aFRpJhoeaQk9QdvaKMGEUlG9RY0qo_McKaMRq-wNlNxEkJJrKzZommOsGOCHIumlugk268CMSb2u9vNurZ1NvX_js8a-cOOjbQmXdc6eisr5-GH2X9QUddyFKc8wEB9vY_q5GvyGs6DePggGnH5BB4QDuUmCuPP7hdnvIt0d9kOnBS_it6VA=s508" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="508" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpwfc2P2aFRpJhoeaQk9QdvaKMGEUlG9RY0qo_McKaMRq-wNlNxEkJJrKzZommOsGOCHIumlugk268CMSb2u9vNurZ1NvX_js8a-cOOjbQmXdc6eisr5-GH2X9QUddyFKc8wEB9vY_q5GvyGs6DePggGnH5BB4QDuUmCuPP7hdnvIt0d9kOnBS_it6VA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">View of the Restin River from Xerbal Mtn.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Ok, while that statement is true, that is not the thesis of this post. No, the real issue is that there is no ford over the river Restin anywhere near Resty. Indeed, though there is no ford across the Restin, there are two bridges which might mean that Resten<i>bridge</i> might be a name more suited to the Barony; see Cambridge: a town with a bridge over the River Cam. One could even argue that <i>Restinmouth </i>would be better still. <br />
<br />
<br />But, at last, I've realized something that just might justify why a town with two bridges and no ford would be called Restenford instead of Restinbridge without being a Restenfraud <i>[more gut-busting].</i> What if the Restin River is one of them rivers that changes its flow with the tides--like the Hudson in our world. These rivers are called things like tidal estuaries or sunken rivers, but the word most commonly associated with them is "fjord." So if we can agree that the Restin River is actually a fjord--at least at its lower reaches--then all we need to do is drop the "j" from fjord and you have "ford," no river crossing required. <div><br /></div><div>This gains extra traction when you realize that the population of Lendore Island worships Suel deities and therefore it's not such a stretch to say that they might have a Suel linguistic heritage as well. Who else speaks Suel? Them barbarians that inhabit the fjord-ridden Thillronian Peninsula, that's who!<br /><br /></div></div>Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-39402991841650394582020-05-16T12:05:00.000-07:002020-05-16T16:04:57.124-07:00More maps from F Seran<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qQwHKBVPxEYRSK3S_TCu00grV7S8vba9yd2aFQ6xwp4gtkh0WxpZD9ycFo9F-Hk-YjfAt8jWBNggyooc6Wcv9HWcO3V4okbIuBcmdV09r8MRHD2Kt7GJyDjuqx6EsiPL-I1zh8nIxXU8/s1600/bone+hill.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="858" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qQwHKBVPxEYRSK3S_TCu00grV7S8vba9yd2aFQ6xwp4gtkh0WxpZD9ycFo9F-Hk-YjfAt8jWBNggyooc6Wcv9HWcO3V4okbIuBcmdV09r8MRHD2Kt7GJyDjuqx6EsiPL-I1zh8nIxXU8/s200/bone+hill.png" width="200" /></a><br />
F Seran, <a href="https://restenford.blogspot.com/2020/02/new-map-of-restenford.html">artiste de Lendore</a>, has kindly provided a link to his <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/search?q=fred%20nervien">DeviantArt page</a> where he goes by Fred-le-Nervien. Of particular interest to Lendophiles will be the maps of the Greater Restenford vicinity, Garrotteville, and Lac Farmin. It should be noted that the maps are annotated in the native dialect of the Lendores. These would work wonderfully as player handouts.<br />
<br />
Not all of the art is cartographic in nature. There are some cool architectural drawings, military stuff--much of it WWI themed--and some good old fashioned fantasy art as well. <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/fred-le-nervien">Check it out</a> already!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-33133744014196148782020-02-06T11:20:00.001-08:002020-02-13T12:54:17.409-08:00New Map of Restenford<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3c/cd/cf/3ccdcf97d94e9e97cd9b8fdd10d4f5a8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="800" height="231" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3c/cd/cf/3ccdcf97d94e9e97cd9b8fdd10d4f5a8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
A one <a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3c/cd/cf/3ccdcf97d94e9e97cd9b8fdd10d4f5a8.jpg">f. Seran</a> has drawn up--by hand--this very nice illustrated map of Restenford. As with all the best maps, it is in French. Extra nice touches include:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrANSvwW2qJ-MgUKwMhFchtMrGKJ4Pr0YxLkcsCSunqeQ16nI-4hv9TUP0dq5AXVcdV3H9tD8grgLWG3gE1N4GDsazXOGTYt_s3_QTWcaNNunL0f3N-y879_VJ6-B3emD-2gaGINoMiLOx/s1600/Resty+Ship.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="175" data-original-width="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrANSvwW2qJ-MgUKwMhFchtMrGKJ4Pr0YxLkcsCSunqeQ16nI-4hv9TUP0dq5AXVcdV3H9tD8grgLWG3gE1N4GDsazXOGTYt_s3_QTWcaNNunL0f3N-y879_VJ6-B3emD-2gaGINoMiLOx/s1600/Resty+Ship.JPG" /></a>
<li>a dude getting in some rowing (sculling?) out on the Restin River</li>
<li>not one but two sets of gallows (<i>potences?</i>); one at each gatehouse.</li>
<li>some jagged rocks to the shoreline south of the Restin mouth. Or maybe they're icebergs?</li>
<li>an awesome ship out in the bay waiting for the tide to change so that it can sail into port. Or maybe that's the crew rowing to shore in the nearby skiff.</li>
<li>the "burnt out guard station" <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</li>
</ul>
Anyway, I think this is a wonderful illustrated map and so should you. Thank you f. Seran for your contribution to the field of Lendorology.Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-35946886690955495212018-03-09T17:46:00.001-08:002018-03-10T20:48:49.661-08:00New Maps of Restenford<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErSmqrhGPR7nEt4uiNwF0jNMXWHiIJytxqF_-30Moq8zxyoYrP-H-VtRRhhBzMMiFIiB6fTAZ4K0Mt8JIJcWgDSFEh2KzD9bh1VIkqiD4mnC-go3AvSfA-7713jOoOUzxbU0WXt_IjvzQ/s1600/Old_map_of_Monmouth%252C_Wales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1024" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErSmqrhGPR7nEt4uiNwF0jNMXWHiIJytxqF_-30Moq8zxyoYrP-H-VtRRhhBzMMiFIiB6fTAZ4K0Mt8JIJcWgDSFEh2KzD9bh1VIkqiD4mnC-go3AvSfA-7713jOoOUzxbU0WXt_IjvzQ/s200/Old_map_of_Monmouth%252C_Wales.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1. Map of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monmouth_County,_New_Jersey">Monmouth, NJ</a> by John Speed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Years ago, I posted a selection of <a href="http://restenford.blogspot.com/2013/04/maps-of-restenford.html">maps of Restenford</a> that I'd<br />
scrounged from various internet sources. Recently, a budding young cartographer named R.R. Calbick sent me a map of R'ford that he rendered up, modeled after the work of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Speed">John Speed</a> who, back in the day, made those cool old-timey maps with the buildings rendered into 'em that we all know and love. See figure 1.<br />
<br />
Anyway, Mr. Calbick rendered up Restenford for us in a similar style over three separate maps including the original Restenford, a somewhat streamlined Restenford that has suffered the destruction of several buildings, and, in the third map, we see that someone in Restenford finally dips into the treasury to beef up security with improved guard stations, a wall surrounding the north side of the village and, finally, an adequate lighthouse so that the poor gnome can finally ply his trade with his head held high. <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6Tf44J5kK9m0cMicTqxl9oDChWC15LFep2jLoikprqUAX0tSvOwI11DQsIZ65UadIeQzMcfd5AWrId6ufQ9VOV4X434ZcTSdK_PZDvW_4fmtVqfRDYk9IxiuDWcJnoMBYqszCSlWmwsu/s1600/Restenford_575CY_JSpeed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6Tf44J5kK9m0cMicTqxl9oDChWC15LFep2jLoikprqUAX0tSvOwI11DQsIZ65UadIeQzMcfd5AWrId6ufQ9VOV4X434ZcTSdK_PZDvW_4fmtVqfRDYk9IxiuDWcJnoMBYqszCSlWmwsu/s640/Restenford_575CY_JSpeed.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2. Antebellum Restenford, by R.R. Calbick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyciTZ1XvmMQKW_XhmvYW78WHBNG6YLMlx2To4b7F7d6GW5rl9RkEy6jlddgVn6uK5mBAihRO5HZWTcrZAthOQpSFFcXnwhThdH7ftSTKUDt7bilD6RGIIp-GG5VA6XJ2SLWZug4BsqltI/s1600/Restenford_576CY_JSpeed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyciTZ1XvmMQKW_XhmvYW78WHBNG6YLMlx2To4b7F7d6GW5rl9RkEy6jlddgVn6uK5mBAihRO5HZWTcrZAthOQpSFFcXnwhThdH7ftSTKUDt7bilD6RGIIp-GG5VA6XJ2SLWZug4BsqltI/s640/Restenford_576CY_JSpeed.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3. Post Antebellum Restenford, by R.R. Calbick. Note the expanded graveyard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EnwgsM-S4FgTot-GSepPDykX14Z7BIQB4rr31RUtMXnTjb-OuAkKI2oGmcP6x1oP_SeDU-MSvQzS6A0avNhAVBFsa3BRgB-swJvPYzEX1DE-Y7aiibg5rjIK7B9kKxMtX4wR9vODGWwL/s1600/walled+resty.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1071" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EnwgsM-S4FgTot-GSepPDykX14Z7BIQB4rr31RUtMXnTjb-OuAkKI2oGmcP6x1oP_SeDU-MSvQzS6A0avNhAVBFsa3BRgB-swJvPYzEX1DE-Y7aiibg5rjIK7B9kKxMtX4wR9vODGWwL/s640/walled+resty.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4. Apres post antebellum Restenford by R.R. Calbick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A point of further interest: these maps were sent to me by a one Lenard Lakofka. Yes, that's right, the inspiration for this here blog has finally tracked me down and, rather than slapping me with a cease and desist order or going full-Welcar on me and releasing the hounds, he hooked me up with Mr. Calbick and his awesome maps! Furthermore, he's also provided some other cool resources as well, which I'll get to in a later post. For now enjoy the visual treat of Restenford cartography.<br />
<br />
<br />Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-7590849075338895582017-01-19T14:38:00.001-08:002023-09-13T16:50:50.460-07:00Notes from the Nystul campaignIn pursuit of further knowledge of the Restenford realm, I was wandering around over at the Dragonsfoot Archives the other day and found this<a href="https://ia902300.us.archive.org/25/items/footprints05/FootprintsNo05.pdf"> old issue</a> of Footprints magazine from 2005 lying around in one of the stalls in the lavatory. What's intriguing about this issue to you and me is that it's got an article written up by the original Lord of Lendore, Mr. Lakofka himself. The article is a description of the "Nystul Campaign," during which he took several members of the Nystul family on a guided tour of Lendore Isle back in the late 70s-mid 80s. The bulk of the text is dedicated to house rules and meta-y stuff written with that tone of braggadocio you often hear when old timers talk about how things were back in the day. But around page 16 he starts to get into some of the historical details of the campaign. Here are the highlights: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9gGdEc8w96lTA2b5pqUvJsl3EIjzEznR3IAS5-5qDPSF2raIuAf-7Ku0nwaPLxzJjBgDO17TZbw5KoiMvVnd8Mir7zetUCPrKOeQiPSYAghZe_X2oCLw6pjl-IcuVbPsvMuT6DnWEuvF/s1600/footprints.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9gGdEc8w96lTA2b5pqUvJsl3EIjzEznR3IAS5-5qDPSF2raIuAf-7Ku0nwaPLxzJjBgDO17TZbw5KoiMvVnd8Mir7zetUCPrKOeQiPSYAghZe_X2oCLw6pjl-IcuVbPsvMuT6DnWEuvF/s320/footprints.JPG" width="248" /></a></div>
<ol>
<li>After clearing out the castle at Bone Hill, the Nystuls refurbished
it, renamed it Voxbonder Abby, and dedicated it to the god Phaulkon.</li>
<li>The Duke of Kroten was indeed evil, as one might have surmised by
the existence of his malevolent spy occupying the bait shop in
Restenford.</li>
<li>The Nystuls deposed said duke and his henchmen at some point in the campaign.</li>
<li>To the north of the city of Kroten was an evil town called Grellton which was named after the deity Grell.</li>
<li>Grell had his name changed to "Llerg" when the Suel deities went public because there was already a monster called Grell in the <i>Fiend Folio</i>. </li>
<li>Presumably this Grell character is also the namesake of the dearly
departed Grellus, Baron of Restenford.</li>
<li>It's too bad that TSR didn't change Grellus's name to Llergus. </li>
<li>Grellton was renamed as Dwarfhaven after the Nystuls were done with it. </li>
<li>No mention is made in this history of Garrottenford or the assassination of Baron Grellus. </li>
<li>That's too bad because I would like to know what the Nystuls would have called Garrottenville after they were done with it. </li>
<li>In a room under Voxbonder Abby There was a "teleporter" that transported you to Asmogorgon, a fortress occupied by devils, demons, and at least one stone golem.</li>
<li>Lakofka promised to provide a history of Asmogorgon at a later date; it's not clear if that history ever came to be. </li>
<li>It's
not clear if the teleporter existed there when the place was part of
the original Bone Hill Campaign or if it came into being only after the
transformation to Voxbonder. </li>
<li>There was a similar teleporter
under temples or castles in each of the following locales: Kroten, Lo
Reltarma (capital of Lendore Isles), the aforementioned
Grellton/Dwarfhjaven, and a place called Manville--which is named for
Manticores, so careful there. </li>
<li>Though in dire need of a change, there is no indication that Manville was renamed by either the Nystul crew or TSR.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
<br />Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-77205315561329356212016-12-07T15:32:00.001-08:002016-12-08T14:29:55.066-08:00Garrottenford Map<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wcxu5NaITLOfCvdM5VW0DpNBBqkeTSFf_IWEThi6HKc78M2CL5sidh_yJJflvz1POR4jiD04dcsj8A3BFHYEeekXwDPzXt4o5ML8I5551Q91JGmxCe1pYak3m7qYJA65ujmWiyTbD-Gb/s1600/Garrottenford+Map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wcxu5NaITLOfCvdM5VW0DpNBBqkeTSFf_IWEThi6HKc78M2CL5sidh_yJJflvz1POR4jiD04dcsj8A3BFHYEeekXwDPzXt4o5ML8I5551Q91JGmxCe1pYak3m7qYJA65ujmWiyTbD-Gb/s1600/Garrottenford+Map.JPG" /></a>Reader Ethan has compiled the two vicinity maps from L1 and L2 into one single map; something I've wanted to do forever but, thankfully, now I don't have to. Go <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/FbGJyhcWxHXahwRx7">here </a>to check it out. Nice work Ethan!Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-42555259294940402422016-11-07T23:16:00.002-08:002023-09-13T15:33:07.767-07:00Restenford and the Assassins KnotIt's taken me almost 6 years to get to the topic that inspired this bloggertation in the first place: the link between <i>L1 Secret of Bone Hill</i> and it's follow up <i>L2 Assassin's Knot</i>. Or, more specifically, how did the Lakofka's vision for L2 change between the writing of L1 and the final form of <i>Assassin's Knot.</i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NBH27EzeHpDr9CTesmLS2_Wh3hs35IsNc_8Z9jFpyyNjRZpHVCREJ8HTc7RbvlyX399KdY4A6pmYfLriyGBZt6DkTPh4S1XWLYj5AXnZfX3YNHtA3ZQ1PNBJCszf30QvrY7iR1ogDQ7a/s1600/knot+of+assassins.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NBH27EzeHpDr9CTesmLS2_Wh3hs35IsNc_8Z9jFpyyNjRZpHVCREJ8HTc7RbvlyX399KdY4A6pmYfLriyGBZt6DkTPh4S1XWLYj5AXnZfX3YNHtA3ZQ1PNBJCszf30QvrY7iR1ogDQ7a/s320/knot+of+assassins.jpg" width="249" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garrotten: We're a suspicious lot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><p>
For those of you not in the know, L2 starts off the day after Baron Grellus of Restenford has been murdered. Pelltar calls upon the PCs to investigate the matter because he's too high profile of a character to do the snooping himself. Plus he claims not to be interested in politics, even though we all know that <a href="http://restenford.blogspot.com/2011/09/pelltar-sorceror-something-is-rotten-in.html">he's been pulling the strings of Restenford</a> for years now. </p><p>
He may be too high profile to conduct the full investigation, but that doesn't stop him from inspecting the crime scene. And, fortunately, he's discovered three clues, each of which implicates, he believes, a separate person who was seen in Restenford on the night of the crime. Each of these suspects is a resident of the egregiously named town of Garrotten, a day's travel to the south. A search of the inns, drunk tanks, and brothels of Resty that morning turned up none of these gentlemen; clearly they've fled back to G-town one step ahead of the law. The case is ironclad, right?<br />
<br />
Once the PCs travel down the coast to idyllic Garrotten which, as the name not
so much <i>implies </i>as <span style="color: lime;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>screams in gigantic, bright green neon letters</i></span></b></span>, is home to a highly secretive assassins guild, they will quickly learn that each of the suspects is a prominent, respected member of the community, Abraham the Innkeeper, Balmorrow the Theater Director, and Harpur the High Preist of Osprem. Each claims to have spent the entire day alone in their quarters and thus has no alibi, even though each lives in a communal residence in a small town where even a trip to the outhouse would fail to go unnoticed--it should be noted that the Garrottenford map is possibly the only published D&D material ever to include latrines. Surely at least a servant would have brought them their meals? Nonetheless, none of them has even the slightest motive to want the Baron dead, nor does any of them have the means to sneak into a castle and murder a dude who, despite being an <a href="http://restenford.blogspot.com/2011/10/baron-grellus-denizens-of-restenford.html">incompetent ruler</a>, is still a pretty tough fighter.<br />
<br />
For those who don't know, here's the lowdown on the murder plot as written in <i>L2 Assassin's Knot</i>:
the deranged abbot Qualton, suffering from psychosis induced by a
psionic attack--how many D&D modules ever incorporated Psionics into
the
narrative?-- thinks that if he kills off the baron and marries his
daughter, he'll get to be the replacement baron and move into Grellus's regal abode. So he makes contact with the assassins down in Garrotten.
But since the Lord Mayor of Garrotten, who is
actually a lady named Arness, is in bed with the assassin's
guild--possibly
literally?--she decides to use Qualton's plot to her own advantage.
Ultimately, depending on the success of the PC's investigatory efforts,
the assassins will kill off the Baron's wife and daughter and finally
Qualton as well, leaving the Baron's seat empty for Arness to usurp. <br />
<br />
But by implicating three innocent and highly respected members of the community, the assassin has brought the focus of the investigation squarely onto G-town which is problematic for a few reasons: <br />
</p><ol>
<li>The assassin responsible for Grellus's murder is the head of the notorious guild of hitmen that gave Garrotten its name. Have you ever heard the expression <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quz0oa1UZhI">don't shit where you eat</a>? By extension, you should also not shit somewhere else and then intentionally leave a shit-stained trail of shit-scented footprints back to your dining room table. Especially when...</li>
<li>The baron's murderer is not only a professional assassin and CEO of the Garrotten A-guild, but also has a day job working as an advisor to Arrness, Lord Mayor of the town. Arrness is hoping to capitalize on the plot by filling the power vacuum created by the Baron's death--though let's be honest, he was never holding much power anyway. How pleased can she be that now, just as she is ready to set her putsch in motion, she has to deal with a team of investigators at her doorstep? Especially when...</li>
<li>If the guild was looking for a scapegoat, they had the perfect patsy in the form of Qualton the Abbot, who, besides being thoroughly unstable--which they certainly must have learned when they vetted him as a client--is <i>actually guilty of the crime</i> since he hired the assassin in the first place! Frame him for his own misdeeds and let his psychosis shine through during the trial and your work is done for you; no one bothers casting a glance Garrotten-ward, despite its name.</li>
</ol>
But what really intrigues me is that evidence in the write-up in L1 indicates that the sequel was supposed to be set in Restenford itself, not in far flung G-town. A few clues exist that might give us an idea of Lakofka's original intent for the follow up module:<br />
<ul>
</ul>
<ol>
<li>Qualton, Abbot of Phaulkon, having lost his marbles because of a
psionic attack, is intent on marrying the Baron's daughter in order to
take over the Barony. His write-up in L1 specifically says to keep his lunacy under raps until L2. Clearly the PCs were intended to interact with this dude during the investigation.</li>
<li>In addition to his other real estate in town, Pelltar has a lease on the tower in the Baron's castle. There is specific language in the terms of the lease that allow
him access to the tower even in the event of the Baron's death.
Obviously this was meant to allow the action of L2 to seep into the
castle. As an aside, what kind of landlord signs a lease with that kind of
language in it? <i>[EDIT: It's a deed, not a lease; Pelltar </i><b>owns </b><i>the damn tower]</i><br /></li>
<li>The dude in the bait shop is actually a spy for the Duke of Kroten. This has absolutely no bearing on anything in either L1 or L2 but I've always wondered if it was originally supposed to have some significance. Was he, in addition to spying for the Duke, the point man for the Guild? The guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who can get stuff done for a fee? If so, would the Duke have known about the assassination effort even before it happened, therefore making him complicit? </li>
</ol><p>
In L1 it seems obvious that it was Lakofka's original vision for the sequel that the PCs would be skulking about in Restenford looking for a killer, not racing off to Garrotten right away. The indication that Pelltar would have access to the tower at the Baron's "castle" even in the event of the Baron's death is only significant if the plan was to have someone taking hold of the Baron's throne right away; someone who does not want Pelltar seeking justice for the baron's murder. This implies that maybe Pelltar has to surreptitiously hire the PCs to investigate the crime. Which would make sense if Qualton <i>did </i>manage to take over the Barony; obviously it would be in his best interest to obstruct the investigation at every turn.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the bait dealer was intended to be a red herring to distract
them from the case. Or else the Duke of Kroten had some beef with
Grellus, and his spy was gathering intell. Or maybe he doubles as the
point of contact for the assassin's guild. And perhaps there was never
meant to be an assassins guild--maybe it was supposed to be Kroten who
took out Grellus. </p><p>Or perhaps Fairwind, the Baroness, was in on the hit, having been humiliated by the milquetoast Grellus's continued incompetence. That actually makes more sense from a quick transition of power stance since Abbot Qualton's insane plot was never going to see him on the throne. But judging by her "haughty" ways and lawful neutral alignment, it seems more likely that she just wants to put as much distance as possible between herself and this backwater burg full of rabble rather than sully her footwear on the streets of Resty ever again.</p><p>
My suspicion is that TSR decided that they didn't want to spread the adventure out over two separate publications which would have required aspiring DMs who bought L2 to then go out and acquire L1 in order to be able to run the thing. Admittedly, I woulda' been pretty freakin' annoyed if I'd had to do that back when I ran L2 in the 80s. Remember, in the pre-internet days you could only buy what your local supplier put on the shelves, so if they didn't have L1, you couldn't just go track it down on <a href="https://www.abebooks.com/Secret-Bone-Hill-Dungeon-Module-Advanced/17968342256/bd">AbeBooks</a> or wherever. So, in order to make L2 a self-contained module, they moved the action down the coast and left Restenford in the dust. And while I find this a bummer in that I think <i>Assassin's Knot</i> would have been a more interesting adventure if the Restenford angle were explored more deeply, I am somewhat mollified in that we get a second, fleshed-out town setting on Lendore Island.<br />
</p><ul>
</ul>
Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-73097708445356131872013-12-05T11:50:00.002-08:002022-03-15T08:55:22.500-07:00Rumors of Restenford: Flaming Hooves<br />
In fantasy, as in reality, unsubstantiated rumors are often excellent sources of inspiration, and L1 takes full advantage of this with its rather extensive rumor table that provides information about the setting but also loads of red herrings and as-yet-undeveloped adventure hook. Here is perhaps my favorite inspiring rumor on the list:<br />
<blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYS07kpMXvrXVwbf1z_p1djnrFEVEAjoolCp78TSNfWVWN7nLy31JXHPO2U3M8PXxeZMao5ywdL8wngAHkd32KPpKZjvCvX8-JsNmVyhuMEHp29aaPRSUlweqs1lMDyFNwISIO19guyARi1lbDBAQhnxSYG3tzOA9bmrcVwpvLbU3Z5wTRcPgRIXmM7w=s632" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="632" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYS07kpMXvrXVwbf1z_p1djnrFEVEAjoolCp78TSNfWVWN7nLy31JXHPO2U3M8PXxeZMao5ywdL8wngAHkd32KPpKZjvCvX8-JsNmVyhuMEHp29aaPRSUlweqs1lMDyFNwISIO19guyARi1lbDBAQhnxSYG3tzOA9bmrcVwpvLbU3Z5wTRcPgRIXmM7w=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watch your toes, Lady.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
"One night I was coming through Kelman Pass when I saw <i>a woman on horseback ride by and cross into the Dead Forest. Her horse's hooves were on fire.</i>"</blockquote>
This rumor is interesting for being, well, pretty dang intriguing: who is the woman on horseback? <br />What's she doing in the pass at midnight? Where'd she get that badass horse?<br />
<br />Furthermore, the illustration on the copyright/title page of the module depicts a barefoot young woman--who is perhaps missing a few toes from her left foot--riding a flame-hoofed horse and wearing a
fur lined metal skullcap. This is clearly an illustration of the aforementioned "rumor." Pretty cool, right?<br />
<br />
Couple this with the fact that the rumor is in <i>italics</i>, so we know that it's a crock. This is extra significant since this might be the one image from the body of the module that the players are most likely to actually see. If they also hear the rumor about this babe, they are
that much more likely to believe it to be true under the logic that they wouldn't print a picture of a fake rumor. It's a fantastic set up for a red
herring, but with no pay of whatsoever.<br />
<br />
Further-furthermore, rather than starting off with "Old Man Codger once saw ..." or "Legend has it ..." this rumor is told in the first person; this is an<i> </i>eyewitness account. That is to say, whoever tells you this is not merely passing on hearsay but is <i>intentionally lying to you</i>. If you're talking to a 9-year-old kid, or an anonymous drunkard in the tavern then, fine, they're just trying to impress you or amuse themselves, no harm done. But if you abide by the Lakofkian contradictory stipulation that only<b> Characters of Level</b> are in possession of knowledge from the <b>Rumor Table</b> [in the same paragraph, there is a sentence stating that <i>anyone </i>can be in possession of this knowledge], then it may very well be Pelltar or the Baron laying this load of crap at your feet. In which case, rather than offering insight into the adventure setting, the rumor is telling you something about the person you're talking to. If Almax the Druid is feeding you this rumor then maybe he has a sense of humor--he's willing to pull one over on an unsuspecting adventurer. Or maybe he doesn't care for the adventurers and is deviously sending the party off on a goose chase in the woods. And since the person telling you this is determined randomly, the <b>Rumor Table</b> suddenly becomes a sort of <b>Random NPC Personality Generator</b>. <br />
<br />
This could be further evidence of the genius of Lakofka, but given the prominently placed illustration of Hottie the 3-toed Cossack, I like to believe that this rumor was
initially meant to be true but the associated encounter was cut from the module for space considerations. In an ideal world, TSR would have released <i>L3 Nightmare of Kelman Pass </i>some
time in 1982. And also in that ideal world<i> L2 Assassins Knot</i> would have been based in Restenford instead of
that ridiculously-named town to the south, but that's the matter of
another post.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-441067430204676362013-04-12T12:00:00.002-07:002022-06-30T16:56:51.276-07:00Maps of RestenfordToday's post is a bit of a departure from the norm here. Typically, the bibliography of any of my posts is limited to a single tome: Lakofka's L1 Secret of Bone Hill. Today, I'm doing a study of comparative mapology, and for that I'm looking to the internet. What follow are a bunch of maps of Restenford from varying sources over the ages. <br />
<br />
We start with the original map of the V. of R.:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpwF1DsTf4TrwJa9Ns_oNv2xhlRgA7xVjClJVkZUiZ9iaeB7oBQ7cb5-tGg-t0b1Lz5X6-rPj1ornHfdQ5d4dv77JAlyejQHSE4MtrNlT6m-PlJ_g2PvGA4nPwm2BCfl6cINSqIg2W1bC/s1600/restenford4jr.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpwF1DsTf4TrwJa9Ns_oNv2xhlRgA7xVjClJVkZUiZ9iaeB7oBQ7cb5-tGg-t0b1Lz5X6-rPj1ornHfdQ5d4dv77JAlyejQHSE4MtrNlT6m-PlJ_g2PvGA4nPwm2BCfl6cINSqIg2W1bC/s320/restenford4jr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map 1: from the published module</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's your basic, no frills map. A spider's web of dark streets, caught in which are several numbered squares and some barbecue-flavored potato chips that the legend tells us are actually trees. Also noteworthy: a river and two bridges but, curiously, no ford--despite the name of the town. A few contours are included; just enough to show that the druid's compound, the abbey of Phaulkon, and the Baron's wretched compound are slightly less likely than the rest of the town to be swept away in the next tsunami. Also, the south bank of the Restin is defended by a palisade while the north bank is not; presumably danger comes from the south.<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Greyhawk meets Harn: Map of Restenford:</span></span></span> </h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://old.denw.ru/FCW/Greyhawk_meets_Harn_Map_of_Restenford.html" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6OMyy0qynIvdKqWjoYQa8dYr456P2HslYAxjr4U3TsD7szmg9mYuhfz8w7f2ZD2OgFG0lum4XDvdTqQBZyw0ej42Asnb0ukuNo2GBwAseJ3Er8nNzDzrKL9HsTbrEcfQ9IYOQOq3DKjK/s400/Restenford0-old.denw.ru.gif" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://old.denw.ru/FCW/Greyhawk_meets_Harn_Map_of_Restenford.html">Map 2: courtesy of old.denw.ru</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This map offers a nicely rendered--if a bit plain--landscape surrounding the empty boxes that represent the edifices of Restenford. A fairly straight interpretation of the town and its environs, it does add fields and trees and some riparian touches that make for a pleasing map. Also, it's de-numbered and un-hexed, so it works perfectly as a player's map. The website has a hash of English and--presumably--Russian text that is a bit intimidating to a monoglot like me.<br />
<br />
Now an offering from this sweet French site: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9pj8WV_h7FCvbgKxtAeq4qO64RxJmkzw-_PMte1G-_pTv2F5JLPQQhazsXqbYMw1XYvmB-aeHEE9a6oqoMMSrUeaz46HpkU-z93yWgJ3hhl7mVA8g7sDxm8igBHxiDZrNMjFoeY5uiPY/s1600/Restenford-plan-72dpi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1412" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9pj8WV_h7FCvbgKxtAeq4qO64RxJmkzw-_PMte1G-_pTv2F5JLPQQhazsXqbYMw1XYvmB-aeHEE9a6oqoMMSrUeaz46HpkU-z93yWgJ3hhl7mVA8g7sDxm8igBHxiDZrNMjFoeY5uiPY/s400/Restenford-plan-72dpi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Again, it's a fairly literal translation of the original, but with color and those rendered roofs so that those squares look like houses. Magnifique!<br />
<a href="http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/11/from-attic-better-l1-secret-of-bone.html"></a>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/11/from-attic-better-l1-secret-of-bone.html" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAm34NxLLpvYZvZSl51AgRrrVEDFO6LMZOuRS14RKwZFWwsHMGcr9w6J4-6e00Osvm8zi0JnUvofG7imGd_nA2yvC_ntUiF6SIBIWYfe2rQ4mxbkmeOkbkboidTI4gaV_wpxr7726kg0k/s400/Restenford.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/11/from-attic-better-l1-secret-of-bone.html">Map 3: Are you serious?</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"I thought the map of Restenford was crap. So I fixed it." --R. S. Conley, <a href="http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/11/from-attic-better-l1-secret-of-bone.html">Batintheattic.blogspot.com</a><br />
<br />
I'll give Mr. Conley credit; it takes guts to call someone else's work "crap" and then offer up as improvement a rendering that, well, is eye-catching for the wrong reasons. The cartographer's uncritical eye for his own work is refreshing in its own way.<br />
<br />
Shoddy crayonmanship aside, Conley's map is actually fairly well thought out; this is where his "fix" gains some credibility. The map displays good use of contours to convey a decent sense of the topography--but watch out for the cross slope on the road--and, if you zoom in, the river is actually nicely rendered; one can almost imagine spending the afternoon fishing from its banks or throwing rocks into the current. Also, the inclusion of a couple of wells and a millpond (#15) adds a nice touch of pragmatism--though one wonders why there is a second mill (also #15) that is nowhere near water. A windmill perhaps? Also, if those hatchmarks around the castle and other defensive installations are intended to illustrate some sort of earthworks, the
contours fail to support this notion. Maybe they're stakes.<br />
<br />
Make no mistake, this is not Restenford; it's a map of a separate town called <i>Bernost</i>, though Mr. Conley informs us that you can use the Restenford key from L1. Despite a similar trajectory, the river runs in the opposite direction of the Restin, there are no piers jutting out into the flow, and the burned out guard station (#32) has moved outside the city walls. Strangely, though Bernost seems to be well removed from the coast, the gnome's light house (#36) still sends out its guiding beacon to lost mariners.<br />
<br />
And our last map of the day is actually a birds-eye view from <i>Dungeon Magazine</i> #71, November 1998.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5Dki0fEZ4zjVriBAxCuxMxQ-AhU1WWFq7akZcXYk-3FwtP0PQdeYhsNk0IndkbjdfauCEmHNYEAhol6vZFizsVgptUKjVR4N5wux98FZgX7h2xEse9IlgCj8yHh-N3bNxl11ZicRSMBp/s1600/restenford.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5Dki0fEZ4zjVriBAxCuxMxQ-AhU1WWFq7akZcXYk-3FwtP0PQdeYhsNk0IndkbjdfauCEmHNYEAhol6vZFizsVgptUKjVR4N5wux98FZgX7h2xEse9IlgCj8yHh-N3bNxl11ZicRSMBp/s320/restenford.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It was part of an adventure called "Priestly Secrets" that involves some goings-on at the old Abbey of Phaulkon several years after the action of <i>L2 Assassin's Knot</i>. It's a slightly simplified version of Restenford with some extraneous buildings removed, which is fine by me. It does a great job of showing space and scale and the topography of the region and takes liberties to make the town look more human than the ham-handed building layouts of the original module would have you believe. Also, that portion of the village on the north bank is now enclosed by a palisade and the Baron's castle has been improved a bit--the new Baron seems to have a better handle on administering the physical plant than his (or her) predecessor had. Plus, there's that odd seawall thing off the shore; what's that all about? A tsunami early warning structure? The gnome's new lighthouse? I don't recall any mention of this structure in the adventure, but it's such a quirky feature that it seems appropriate, in the grand Lakofkian tradition, that it is left unexplained.Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-33150928383420586702013-03-12T00:16:00.002-07:002023-08-30T09:50:18.211-07:00Mob Justice in RestenfordFrom the Rumor Table:<br />
<blockquote>
"The
warehouse guard dropped dead a few days ago during a scuffle in the inn
with two half orcs, but I saw him that very night and the half-orcs
were found burned to death at the edge of town."</blockquote>
<br />
It's not italicized, so we know that this gruesome tale of lynching in Lendore is a true story.<br />
<br />
Consider the phrasing: the
half orcs didn't <i>kill </i>the warehouse guard; he "dropped dead during a scuffle" as if the ol' ticker gave out mid-brawl. And
then he shows up later that night apparently no longer dead, but the
half orcs have already been put to the torch. Can it be any more obvious that the brawl was staged to present the thinnest veneer of justification for a racially motivated lynching?<br />
<br />
And again with the phrasing: the half orcs were "found" burned to death; as if their immolation occurred without the general knowledge of the villagers. Even though their corpses were right at the edge of a very small town; the kind of place where half-orc-burnings are not likely to go unnoticed--if not downright celebrated. Despite the tone of mystery this rumor seems to impart, the villagers were more than likely complicit in the offing of the half orcs. And yet <i>because </i>of the tone of mystery, the villagers--or at least some of them--are likely ashamed of it, or at least aware that others might disapprove, and so have tried to distance themselves from the event.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, this rumor is also interesting in that its purpose is solely to provide flavor for the town. There is no adventure related to the half orc lynching, unless one chooses to link the half orcs to the band of thieves* camped out on Bald Hill. It would seem that the story is meant to let us know that there is a deep vein of intolerance in this sleepy, little chaotic-neutral village by the sea. <br />
<br />
<br />
The only perpetrator of the event that we know of is the warehouse guard, so let's get a better look at him. From his description at location 26:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The "old man" who poses as a mere caretaker is really a grizzled but tough fighter named Welcar" </blockquote>
It's interesting that the guard merely "poses" as a caretaker.
What is he in reality if not a caretaker? Presumably, M. Lakofka meant
that Welcar's combat aptitude made him something more than a mere
caretaker--he's a 4th level fighter--though it hardly seems an unusual career choice for a retired fighter to take up a gig as a security guard.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2_H0rHB50Va4CVgIZlIlaFdG2cx_1gXSFu7ClCfJaT90n3ZmOA-xQqdRPJpYiyCLdw0pFLBaxJY5dGwlI4BdeoLn1ODvxlHN6sfUr1vSU5MKHUkCSrSv_Cq5OrU7y3HOBYyP0XT6TVAU/s1600/welcar.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2_H0rHB50Va4CVgIZlIlaFdG2cx_1gXSFu7ClCfJaT90n3ZmOA-xQqdRPJpYiyCLdw0pFLBaxJY5dGwlI4BdeoLn1ODvxlHN6sfUr1vSU5MKHUkCSrSv_Cq5OrU7y3HOBYyP0XT6TVAU/s320/welcar.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Wellcar releasing the hounds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Welcar also has two guard dogs that he takes to work, each having a collar which "nullifies sleep spells for mammals." These collars are described as being given by his employer, who just happens to be the ever-lovin' Peltar; further evidence of the sorcerer's trust issues/paranoia. <br />
<br />
But more to the point; does Welcar's involvement in the conspiracy to eliminate the half orcs imply Peltar's complicity with the action? Look at it this way: this is a tiny town, Peltar is going to find out that his security guard played a significant hand in the lynching of some half orcs, yet the security guard acts with impunity. Peltar is nominally the second in command in town--though, in actuality, his authority is supreme. If he felt that the security guard acted out of line, his position would require that he take action against his guard either directly or by advising his sock puppet Grellus to do so. Yet he does nothing. Though it's not unusual for a person in a position of power to shield their cronies/trusted subordinates from justice.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, they're half-orcs. Had they been true orcs, the militia would have been in full muster by the time the dudes got within a stone's throw of the town wall. That half-orcs were allowed to <i>enter </i>Restenford, much less patronize an inn, might actually speak to the openness of the community.<br />
<br />
But still, faking your death to execute someone under false pretenses? That's pretty devious. The message: Watch your step, outsider, or you're next. <br />
<br />
* Oddly, this gang is repeatedly referred to as a "band of thieves" when, in fact, they are orcs. Furthermore, the activities they engage in--ambushing unwary travellers--fall more within the realm of banditry than thievery. In D&D, where terms like thief and bandit and brigand are all very much codified, it's a strange choice of words. Lakofkaesque, even.<br />
<br />Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-46669056466872590682012-05-07T14:56:00.000-07:002012-05-07T14:56:06.161-07:00Knights of Bone HillFrom page 7 of L1:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The hill itself is rocky, and boulders large enough to conceal a mounted knight occur frequently."</blockquote>
Any DM who runs L1 and fails to have at least one mounted knight lurking behind one of these boulders loses 25 points.Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-61431485644574727222011-12-22T10:30:00.001-08:002023-10-02T13:08:34.265-07:00Baron Grellus: Denizens of Restenford Part II<br />
Getting back to the analysis of the personae of Restenford which began with <a href="http://restenford.blogspot.com/2011/09/pelltar-sorceror-something-is-rotten-in.html">Pelltar the Sorcerer</a>, today I'd like to discuss the ill-fated Grellus, Baron of Restenford. We know from the sequel that he is not long for this world--he will meet his end at the hands of an assassin in <i>L2 Assassins Knot--</i>but what do we know about Grellus the man?<br />
<br />
While Pelltar's dossier is not particularly in depth in terms of providing a description of his character, it's downright verbose compared with that of Grellus. The Baron's official write-up divulges only the following information: he is a chaotic good seventh level fighter, he's 44 years old, 6'2", 210 pounds, and has a beard and blue eyes, and his stats (<b>S:18/53, I:13, W:13, D:15, C:16, Ch:12</b>) and magic armaments including a <b>Sword +1 "Flametongue"</b> and a <b>ring of shocking grasp</b>.<b> </b>Nothing is said about his past, the history of his barony, or even his relationship with his family, counselors, or subjects. At least with Pelltar we know that his 4 apprentices are fiercely loyal to him. Of the Baron's household, only the captain of the guard is described as "a loyal retainer" though to whom he is loyal no indication is made.<br />
<br />
Though we do learn that the Baron is married to the baroness Fairwind, with whom he has a teenaged daughter named Andrella, nothing is made explicit about their relationships. We know from the Rumor Table that Andrella is rather anxious to become the next Baron of Restenford which speaks more to her ambition than the nature of the Baron himself, but it tends to imply that she sees him as more of an obstacle to her own goals than as a revered parent. We already discussed that there is probably a fair amount of tension between the Baron and Pelltar over the latter's occupation of the castle's tower, resulting in a bit of an inferiority complex in the Baron, and that Almax the Druid may also have something on the Baron in terms of political clout in the community--much as a longstanding parish priest might hold greater sway over the hearts and minds of a small community than its elected leader. Now we learn that even his daughter might be lacking in respect for the dude. It seems hard to avoid the conclusion that the Baron is not a highly regarded leader.<br />
<br />
What has he done to earn such a low opinion? Is he a capricious leader? Since he seems to hold such little sway over his subjects, he hardly seems in a position to exercise the sort of tyrannical powers that might make him unpopular. Has he been an absentee liege lord, spending his time off fighting wars? If he were an effective military leader it seems highly unlikely that he would stand for Pelltar's occupation of the tower or the undead presence in the Guard Station. Obviously the people--including Grellus--hold Pelltar's sorcery in greater esteem than Grellus's sword. <br />
<br />
Perhaps the all-knowing <b>Rumor Table</b> can help us further understand what makes Baron Grellus such a weak ruler. As always <i>italicized </i>statements are false, according to the Author.<br />
<ul>
</ul>
<ol>
<li>he is <i>land poor and nearly penniless</i>, </li>
<li>he has an <i>unguarded </i>fortune hidden under the castle</li>
<li>he has a statue that turns into a man, </li>
<li>the Baron is chaotic <i>evil</i> </li>
<li>there are evil people in town despite what he has to say on the matter. </li>
</ol>
<ul>
</ul>
Rumor 1 regarding his impoverished financial state reveals that perhaps he doesn't spend much money on the upkeep of his realm. Since the statement about his poverty is italicized, we can conclude that the baron does have money and likely draws a fair revenue from the lands of his Barony. But he's not spending it on things that might impress the peasantry like, say, replacing the palisade with a more defensible stone wall, building a grander castle, rebuilding the guard station that burned down ages ago, or even funding an effort to eliminate the undead and giant rats that spew out of the burnt out ruins. Since he's not doing any of that, yet we know he's got the cash hidden under his castle--where it's guarded by his friend Djinn Balooshi--we can assume he's lacking in the administrative skills and political instincts necessary to wield his treasury as an instrument of governance. He fails to see that the power of money is not just in the hoarding of it but in investing it. <br />
<br />
Furthermore, the second rumor--which indicates that his fortune is "unguarded"--implies that the general population feels that <i>stealing </i>his fortune might be an option to consider. Well, if the baron's not doing anything with it, why not? Again, respect for his authority must be dangerously low if the populace is openly discussing the possibility of robbing their own liege lord. Is it their chaotic alignment talking? Sort of makes Pelltar's over-the-top security measures seem more justified.<br />
<br />
The statue-man rumor is a reference to the <b>Stone Guardians</b> in the lower level of the Baron's castle. Stone Guardians are a new species of golem and their presence in the rumor list is a warning that, when you <i>do</i> try to steal the Baron's treasure you should be wary of any statues. But again, we're talking about raiding the Baron's castle here; the man can't get any love.<br />
<br />
In rumor 5, Grellus's purported belief that there are no evil people in town reveals that the citizenry feels that the Baron is out of touch with the goings-on of Restenford and that he cannot be trusted to keep them safe from evil. Add to this the perception that the Baron himself might be evil in rumor 4 and this might explain why Pelltar and the Druid are held in higher regard than the Baron. In reality, there are only 1.5 evil people in town--Zardahl the Trickster, bait dealer/spy for the Duke of Kroten, and the schizophrenic Abbot Qualton--but only when he is in his deranged state--so who, really, is out of touch? But again, the perception is that the Baron is either unwilling or unable to fight evil within the town. <br />
<br />
Another useful source of information on castle denizens is the <b>Garrison Location Chart</b>. Let's see what it reveals about the baron:<br />
<br />
He is likely to be found in the following locations (italicized comments are my own):<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Pelltar's tower</b>--3%/ 1% at night; as mentioned,<i> he's likely either seeking counsel from Pelltar--or trying to eliminate him.</i></li>
<li><b>Throne room</b>--<i>along with, quite literally, everyone else in the castle. </i></li>
<li><b>Fairwind's quarters</b>--40% day/90% night; <i>well, they </i>are <i>man and wife.</i></li>
<li><b>His own quarters</b>--95% day/98% night; <i>who doesn't like their alone time?</i></li>
<li><b>Lower Level</b>--25% day/6% night, <i>chatting with Djinn Balooshi?
Counting his treasure? In the dungeons for some S&M play with
Fairwind--who is, according to the Chart, the only other person in the castle who ever goes down to the lower level.</i></li>
<li><b>Servant's Room</b> (20c) 1-2--nighttime only. <i>Or perhaps when Fairwind is not in the mood the Baron seeks the comfort of a plump, young scullion? Nobility being no less resistant to carnal desire than anyone else, this is hardly unusual; but would Lakofka make the affair so explicit?</i> <i> I fear this may be a typo. </i></li>
</ul>
Down in the lower level, he has stashed a <b>Ring of Djinni Summoning</b> which summons his "good friend" Djinn Balooshi whom he summons only to renew the permanent illusion in the treasure room. <i> [Given the vintage of this module--1981--it seems highly likely that the phonetic similarity of the djinn's name to that of a certain popular though soon-to-be-deceased comedian of the era is not coincidental. --Ed.] </i> Therefore, Djinn Balooshi is the only other person who knows the location of the Baron's treasure--not even the Baroness knows where it is. So we know that the Baron has some serious issues with money: he is afraid to spend it, and insists on handling every coin of his taxes personally. The only person he does seem to trust is a resident of the elemental plane of air. And can you get a much thinner pretense for calling on someone's company than renewing a <i>permanent </i>illusion? The Baron is clearly a lonely man.<br />
<br />
More than likely he was once a knight of some significance who served the Duke (or a higher authority) well and was rewarded with/condemned to a barony on the fringe of society. But it seems his skills in administering a barony do not live up to his prowess on the battlefield; his realm is a chaotic land filled with dangerous criminals and monsters, his subjects are disloyal and openly discuss treason, yet he seems to take no action to address any of these matters. His subjects rightfully seek authority in others; we have reason to suspect that the sorcerer and druid are held in higher regard than the ineffectual Baron. Also, his inaction in regard to the numerous rumors of violence in the area indicate that perhaps even his once-vaunted military achievements are beyond his current capacity; he has lost his nerve. Despite his impressive frame, he is an impotent shell of a man. Knowing that he lacks the respect of his subjects and even of his daughter--who, though only a teenager, is widely rumored to have ambitions for his throne even whilst still he sits upon it--he holds desperately to the one truly powerful thing in his possession: the treasury. <br />
<ul>
</ul>
Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-34108681503946207562011-12-12T13:01:00.001-08:002022-06-30T11:52:34.507-07:00Mysteries of Bone HillSome light has been made about the absence of an actual of secret on Bone Hill, despite the title of the module. Indeed, there is no one up there actively trying to conceal anything worth note--such as is the case with the smugglers in the <i>U1 Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh</i>--but there are certainly some rather strange goings on that, if not secrets, at least qualify as mysteries. Let's have a look at what's going on up on that remote precipice.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtzgJfkbkDrItcrs-N6S5EZFYSaeaot1wQOMKkVGoxC-5A7doR5zmp3BY4d3mUOXfzSVhUxfF8TdHADTQpWdDn9NxT8st70rRx90YuWTnyN2wjx7Gjpu7ZqfwC18id8HCQdsBYGBHnLHz/s1600/castle+BH.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtzgJfkbkDrItcrs-N6S5EZFYSaeaot1wQOMKkVGoxC-5A7doR5zmp3BY4d3mUOXfzSVhUxfF8TdHADTQpWdDn9NxT8st70rRx90YuWTnyN2wjx7Gjpu7ZqfwC18id8HCQdsBYGBHnLHz/s1600/castle+BH.JPG" /></a>Unlike the description of the town of Restenford and its inhabitants, the castle at Bone Hill is actually provided a fair amount of history. Not in the traditional manner of a keyed block of text mind you, but, rather, the information is doled out piecemeal in the room to room descriptions. It's a much more intriguing method of exposition in my opinion, and really this is the genius of this module. From a variety of sources, we can piece together this chronology of the Bone Hill edifice:<br />
<ol>
<li>Men and elves defeat evil humanoids in the area and build a castle to protect the lands against future pests. The throne room of said castle is adorned with a fresco illustrating these events.</li>
<li>Generations later, the lord of the castle falls prey to his own powerlust and unleashes the degradations of tyranny on the goodlings in the vicinity. In league with an unknown necromancer, he sets himself up as a wraith to rule over his castle after his mortal form has expired.</li>
<li>With the rise of the wraithlord, the castle is abandoned by the living and, over many centuries of neglect, falls into a cursed ruin.</li>
<li>A powerful and benevolent wizard attempts to cleanse the ruins of their evil presence, but is defeated and his soul is imprisoned in his own corporeal remains for the next several centuries.</li>
<li>Long after any of these story lines have fallen from local memory, a band of bugbears led by an evil magic user takes up residence in the castle.</li>
<li>Your adventuring party wanders onto the scene.</li>
</ol>
<br />
Tidy enough, right? Except it ignores the archaeological evidence regarding the Battle of Bone Hill. Forensic investigation of the castle grounds reveals that there has been a battle between elves, men and bugbears (and at least one hill giant) in the recent past. Evidence suggests that the elves and men were defending the castle against the humanoids and that the humanoids were well organized, using catapults and a siege tower to aid their conquest. Also, judging by the radius of scorched earth in 2 areas around the castle, at least one 8th level magic user was on hand to cast fireballs into the action. <i>[Edit: You're probably scratching your head about this one. For some
reason, at the time that I wrote this piece, I had gotten it in my head
that the diameter of fireball is 10'/level of spell caster. As you already know, it's a 40' radius sphere regardless of
caster level.]</i> <strike>As Telvar--the resident overlord of the bugbears--is only a magician (6th level MU), and </strike>seeing as one of the fireballs was clearly used to destroy the siege tower before it reached the castle walls, it is apparent that the <strike>8th level</strike> MU was probably defending the castle, not attacking it. But it is still conceivable that Telvar's tyrannical presence might have provided the disciplinary impetus that cajoled the usually slovenly bugbears into such a sustained, disciplined assault. If so, then it can be assumed that the attack probably happened within the lifespan of a human. <br />
<br />
As the skeletal remains of several of the combatants are still intact on the castle grounds and have not been dragged off by wild dogs or settled into the earth, we know that the battle could not have taken place too long ago. Likewise, the blast area of the fireball is still identifiable as such--it hasn't been washed away by the erosive forces of wind or precipitation or covered up with new vegetation--and the siege equipment likewise has not deteriorated beyond recognition. Based on the prevalence of deciduous trees in the area <a href="http://restenford.blogspot.com/2011/02/ecology-of-dweomer-forest-and-church-of.html">(see Dweomer Forest)</a> it is reasonable to assume that the climate of Lendore is fairly wet with warm--if not hot--and humid summers to aid in the decomposition of uncured wood that would have been used to build these siege engines. So even if Telvar was <i>not </i>a party to this battle, it must have happened within the last few years; long, long, long after the place had fallen into ruin. <br />
<br />
Therefore it can be assumed that at some point after the place fell into ruin it must have been re-occupied by elves and men who then, rather recently, fell to an invasion of Bugbears. Here's where the great mystery of Bone Hill arises. If indeed the place was recently inhabited by a coalition of elves and men, why didn't they clear out the undead that haunt the dungeons? Why didn't they free the tortured wizard? And wouldn't someone in Restenford be aware of such activity going on in the domain? Sure, the yokels on the street might be ignorant of a castle of elves on a hill 30 miles away, but surely Pelltar or the Baron would have caught wind of such events. Wouldn't the elves and men have sent an envoy to Restenford requesting aid against the siege of bugbears?<br />
<br />
One more quirk in the chronology involves the small family of <i>Spectators</i>--a new species of Beholder-like critters created for this
module--that inhabit a room in the dungeon. We know from their write up that a spectator is "a guardian of places and treasures" and that, when appointed, they will guard a locale or item for a period of time "up to 101 years." Summoning a Spectator requires at least 3 eyes of a real beholder and a <i>Monster Summoning V </i>spell, a 7th level spell, so we're talking about a 14th or higher level MU. Telvar is clearly not up to the task, so who is the mage who wandered down to the dungeons and summoned not one but two spectators--who, incidentally, have had a child during their tour of duty--to protect a <b>Libram of Gainful Conjuration</b>; an item useful only to <i>neutral </i>Magic users? Now tell me that is not a freakin' mystery.Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-36736306652718191012011-09-08T14:35:00.000-07:002011-12-15T11:55:49.255-08:00Pelltar the Sorceror: Denizens of Restenford Part IOne of my favorite aspects of L1<i> The Secret of Bone Hill</i> is how information is often disgorged without the taint of judgment or explanatory backstory to bog it down. This is not always the case, but it's certainly so with Pelltar, Sorceror of Restenford. His write-up (p. 24) divulges this about him: he's a lawful neutral 9th level magic-user--hence the sorcerer title--and is described as "very imperious and highly independent." Also, he has 3 indentured magic users who are, we are told, loyal to him. Pretty basic stuff. But this information starts to gain meaning when we take into consideration the context. Pelltar, for instance, is lawful neutral in a town inhabited primarily by chaotic neutrals. Even his purported boss--the Baron--is chaotic good. How, then, does he cope with all these diametrically opposed rapscallions? Does he sacrifice his principals to fit in? Knowing that he is "very imperious and highly independent" would indicate otherwise. Does he shut himself in, a veritable Omega Man holding at bay the teeming masses of madness outside his walls? The exorbitant measures he takes to protect his properties, of which there are several, might indicate that this is more in line. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTi7p0cLQ_bMeMcrGc0lipEAMufbo4yuZP8TCyAURGfz6R8M9ssnzR_z-aIvryJqC5aG9pgSNs4gZOBRT89Z9buZCmfRN_TiySB3BPVJ9OVTIwteeF81NtIvqgmQKI6vWDdNqExthZx6-/s1600/18.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTi7p0cLQ_bMeMcrGc0lipEAMufbo4yuZP8TCyAURGfz6R8M9ssnzR_z-aIvryJqC5aG9pgSNs4gZOBRT89Z9buZCmfRN_TiySB3BPVJ9OVTIwteeF81NtIvqgmQKI6vWDdNqExthZx6-/s1600/18.gif" /></a>Pelltar not only owns a house, which he shares with his 3 underlings, he also owns one of the three warehouses in town and "has a deed to the tower" at the Baron's castle and "an agreement of entry even if the Baron were to die," a little foreshadowing for Lakofka's sequel module L2 <i>Assassin's Knot</i>. An agreement of entry indeed; the tower is so heavily locked, trapped, and guarded (by skeletons of Pelltar's creation--what kind of man animates the dead for his own purposes?) that Pelltar is the only person who can access it. I can't imagine a scenario in which the Baron is not rankled a bit by this arrangement; the highest point and most defensible structure in his castle is off limits to his own garrison! The tower--where Pelltar is able to quite literally look down on his supposed liege-lord--is a potent symbol indeed of who truly wields the phallus of Restenford. <br />
<br />
There is little mention in this module of the actual relationship between Pelltar and Baron Grellus, we must insinuate everything from a few tidbits. For instance we know that their is a chair for "the Sorcerer" on the second tier of the throne room, just below that of the Baron and his wife. I think it safe to assume that the sorcerer in question is Pelltar and that he acts in an official capacity as an adviser to the Baron. Also, the "Garrison Location Chart" indicates that the Baron and Pelltar are the only 2 persons who are likely to occupy the tower; there is a 3% chance during the day and 1% chance at night that the Baron can be found in the tower; presumably seeking Pelltar's council.<br />
<br />
Another reference to the sorcerer and the baron can be found under the Druid's Home description on pg. 26:<br />
<blockquote>
"Almax <i>[the druid]</i> is second only to Pelltar in authority, after the Baron."</blockquote>
The odd phrasing--wouldn't it be more economical to say that the druid is <i>third </i>in authority if one meant to say so?--might insinuate that the Baron has less authority over his subjects than his title would indicate, ranking perhaps after not only the sorcerer but also the druid. <br />
<br />
An additional source of information is the ever-cryptic rumor list (italicized rumors are false):<br />
<blockquote>
<br />
"The sorceror has a number of magic users working for him"<br />
"The magic user who calls himself a sorceror is only an <i>enchanter</i>" </blockquote>
We already know about his underlings; this rumor is likely included as a lead to help PC parties to find adventuring help. This module along with T1 <i>Village of Hommlet</i> commit a fair amount of text to supplying NPCs who might be willing to join an adventuring party, which speaks to the way the game was likely played by the creators. But the second rumor--a petty attempt to diminish Pelltar's status by asserting that he is a mere 7th level magic user--indicates a certain amount of ill-will towards the sorcerer. Was the rumor started by someone in the Baron's household? One of the sorcerer's so-called loyal employees? Whether this sentiment is prevalent throughout the community or the opinion of only a few, it seems evident that someone feels that the man needs to be taken down a notch or two.Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-72882277532857699612011-08-19T11:55:00.000-07:002011-08-19T14:56:54.565-07:00Crystals and Curses: What's Faldelac up to Today?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOE8dArQetSCxoskpomHksPpJAbolulk_OGuu1XQCwyoFTSw_IIGIZ9KYpDym6v6JPODZo7w-ZHvxaZ6Er13UFt7rvo8tiAqbLIVw-ZJ68DKyzC8aB8OCxVZXVt0OsasT7HbBYs80WT1XJ/s1600/crystal+ball.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOE8dArQetSCxoskpomHksPpJAbolulk_OGuu1XQCwyoFTSw_IIGIZ9KYpDym6v6JPODZo7w-ZHvxaZ6Er13UFt7rvo8tiAqbLIVw-ZJ68DKyzC8aB8OCxVZXVt0OsasT7HbBYs80WT1XJ/s200/crystal+ball.PNG" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I see you Faldelac!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Faldelac, aforementioned <a href="http://restenford.blogspot.com/2011/06/clergy-of-big-gamble.html">High Priest </a>at the<a href="http://restenford.blogspot.com/2011/02/hospitality-at-church-of-big-gamble.html"> Church of the Big Charade</a>, has the great (mis)pleasure of possessing an <b>Amulet of Inescapable Location</b>. I'd never heard of this particular magical item before but there it is on page 137 of the DMG: it's a cursed item that makes the wearer significantly easier to track via crystal balls and other scrying type magic. On top of this, it poses as an implement that is supposed to prevent exactly these sorts of activities. Now, in 100% of the D&D I've ever played such a potent artifact of diabolic magic would have been... completely and utterly insignificant. Seriously, it would have been on par with a cursed silver piece that was really only worth 1/21 of a gold piece. Given that Faldelac is such a remote character in this module, I would have dismissed the amulet's presence as nothing more than a bizarre curiosity in this module--except that another Prominent Denizen of Lendore actually <i>has </i>a crystal ball: everyone's favorite sorcerer Pelltar is in possession of a <b>Crystal Ball of Clairaudience</b>. All of a sudden the ol' cursed amulet becomes a loaded <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov%27s_gun">Chekhov's gun</a>. <br />
<br />
So what is the connection between Pelltar and Faldelac? Maybe poor, lonely Pelltar is keeping track of Faldie's actions to satisfy his voyeuristic urges. And perhaps, then, Faldelac's occasional trips into Restenford are in attempt to get Pelltar out of his boudoir. Or are they requests to get Pelltar to remove the cursed item? A response to orders given by Pelltar via crystal ball? Do crystal balls even work that way? No, sadly, they don't. A <b>Crystal Ball of Telepathy</b> might achieve that end, but Pelltar's crystal ball allows him only to see and hear what's going on. The only meddling it allows is the casting of certain detection-type spells. But still, if Pelltar has reason to keep an eye (and ear) on Faldelac, whatever backstory exists between them might help to explain why Faldelac and his secret cult of hotties live in an impregnable fake casino hidden deep in the woods. <br />
<br />
This raises another point; is Faldelac even aware that someone, Pelltar or otherwise, is watching him? According to the DMG description of <b>Crystal Balls</b>, spellcasters have a chance of detecting scrying equivalent to their percent chance to detect invisible creatures. Faldelac, according to the <b>Detection of Invisibility Table</b> on page 60, as a 10th level cleric with a 14 Intelligence, would have a 15% chance of detecting scrying. Not great, but if it happens frequently then he's probably picked up on it by now. Does he realize, then, that his magic amulet is not doing its job; as mentioned above it gives the misleading impression that it <i>prevents </i>scrying. Is he aware that it is actually cursed? Or does he just assume that it is just less effective than he hoped? In any event, this amulet presents a rather odd chink in the otherwise aloof defenses of the enigmatic character that is High Priest Faldelac. Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-6702958748752249012011-06-20T13:21:00.000-07:002018-02-15T10:43:25.415-08:00The Clergy of the Big GambleIn two previous posts, I've discussed the environs and the behavior of the Church of the Big Gamble; now I'd like to discuss the actual inhabitants of this little cloister in the woods.<br />
<br />
There are seven clerics on the roster at the Temple with Faldelac running the show as the high priest (10th level). He shares quarters with the High Priestess (9th level) who is named Auburn though no mention is made as to whether they are man and wife or platonic roommates. Five more clerics share the other room; all curates (4th level), one woman--Myla--the rest men; Posted, Quall, Yulla, and Tellmar. Again, we don't know if the shared quarters imply anything about the relationship between any of the priests. And since we know virtually nothing about the deity that these clerics worship--except that he/she is most certainly <i>not </i>a patron to gambling--we don't know if they have sworn a vow of chastity, run a free-love colony, or have been surgically neutered.<br />
<br />
The first notable thing about this gang--other than they're non-gender segregated sleeping arrangements--is that they are, as a group, going to be able to kick your party's ass. Five 4th level clerics alone would give most parties attempting this module a run for their money, but tack on two high priests and--assuming that the MC doesn't run the clerics as complete schmucks--you're toast. A second point of interest: they all have very high charisma scores. They average 16.4 Cha, with three (!) of them having Cha scores of 18. Chief proselytizer Faldelac, with a charisma of 13, is actually the least appealing member of the flock. In his forties, he is also the oldest, and, at 5'-9" and 100 lbs, an emaciated little twerp. This and other evidence in the module suggest that Lakofka used Charisma as a measure of physical beauty. Why, then, are the clergy of the "Big Gamble" so damn foxy?<br />
<br />
Though Lakofka states that "This temple is an important site for the party" he offers no reason why this might be so. Though they're not evil, they aren't particularly helpful either. Despite proclaiming that "The clerics are an excellent source of information about Bone Hill" the only information they have to offer is that "some undead are there but they do not know the types or numbers" which is far too vague to actually qualify as "information" at all. They are "generous as long as the party does not try to use the place as a hostel" so have fun but get out before sun down. The clergy might buy a magic item at a reduced rate if it's useful to them--fair enough--and they might, if they take a liking to your party, offer to sell you their clerical services at non-bargain prices. Where, pray tell, is the generosity? <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmnY6590WThFRiu3AiVSkXDdR1WYYHB5TDiUvWAqbbw4aNCHiqE2Eol-QozGIronDejmADNHeEjdP9CmolV313V6JORWcjZRyYyGRgoEbjxfI_-VXun4ubD9rrFqytXyj_lDhSm2bmuR3/s1600/05.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmnY6590WThFRiu3AiVSkXDdR1WYYHB5TDiUvWAqbbw4aNCHiqE2Eol-QozGIronDejmADNHeEjdP9CmolV313V6JORWcjZRyYyGRgoEbjxfI_-VXun4ubD9rrFqytXyj_lDhSm2bmuR3/s1600/05.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Gamblers: Ruthless <i>and</i> sexy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The whole write up ends with the following warning:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
"This is the best the party can hope for in the way of aid on their adventures in the area. If they attack the place the DM must be ruthless!"</blockquote>
Lakofka seems to be saying that the importance of this site is not in its purported generosity--of which there is no evidence to support--but to let the party know that no one cares enough about them to give them a free lunch, or even a discounted one. It's a very hard-hearted message, in direct contrast to the sort of graces that friendly parties of literature often enjoyed; think Bilbo and the dwarves at Beorn's house. Why must the DM be ruthless? Why are the priests so stingy with information and aid? And why is the church so impregnable? <br />
<br />
The only references to the Church in the Rumor list (page 3) are quite cryptic and do not provide anywhere near enough information for anyone to bother to seek the place out: <br />
<blockquote>
31-33: "The cleric on the hill is an honorable man. Go to him for help." and<br />
74-75 "I have seen a high priest come to town from time to time though I have not met him. They say he has a church somewhere within a dozen or so miles of town." </blockquote>
Clearly, there is no one else to whom these rumours might apply, but they aren't at all helpful in finding the guy. In fact the "cleric on the hill" bit is downright misleading; given the number and size of hills in the vicinity--there are several hills rising to over a thousand feet (9.72 m) above sea level--if you were to look for a cleric on a hill in the Restenford vicinity, probably the last place you would look would be on a tiny knoll hidden deep in the low-lying Dweomer forest. Wouldn't "the Cleric in the forest " be more useful? There are several forests to look through, so the PCs job isn't really done for them, but if they really need an honorable cleric, at least they'll have something to go on.<br />
<br />
The players are given almost no clues that the clergy exist and even less reason to care. Given their secluded location it is extremely unlikely that the CotBG is going to come into play unless your players are really gung-ho about finding those apocryphal evil gnomes that supposedly haunt the Dweomer Forest. And if the players do find this place, it will provide nothing more than a moment of comic relief, and some trivial financial gain/loss. The DM is going to have to force the issue if he wants this temple to be part of the adventure but to what end? Whatever intention Lakofka had for this encounter, if ran as written, the players are going to walk away confounded as to what just happened and wondering why the DM foisted such an unsatisfying encounter on them--unless they manage to bed the Big Gamble hotties or heist their sizable treasure trove. <br />
<br />
This whole encounter feels like a bizarro version of the respites that I used to include in my dungeons when I was a kid just starting out in the game; little havens hidden within a dungeon where some old, decrepit-seeming dude would hang out and offer restorative crumpets and sound advice but, despite his genial appearance, he was usually a wicked-bad-ass wizard who would toast the party in a heart beat if they acted up. I suspect that Faldelac and his crew were inspired by a similar urge in Mr. Lakofka, but manifested as the aloof folks you see before you.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span>Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-50088646122371891412011-02-25T23:38:00.000-08:002015-04-28T18:27:25.684-07:00Hospitality at The Church of the Big GambleAs <a href="http://restenford.blogspot.com/2011/02/ecology-of-dweomer-forest-and-church-of.html">discussed previously</a>, at the center of the Dweomer Forest is an isolated group of clerics who utilize their forest locale to conceal their presence, provide food, and elicit the assistance of the animal life. Today I'd like to discuss their church a little more closely to figure out what goes on behind those ivory walls.<br />
<br />
What do we know of the dome? It is initially described as "the shape of an egg cut lengthwise about 40 feet tall and 60 feet in diameter" though later the dimensions change a bit to "40' x 60' x 18' high." It has six "one-way" windows made of impenetrable glass-steel, so no looking--or breaking--in. Its door is enchanted so as to require a <i>dispel magic</i> spell to remove the magical locking effect--<i>Knock </i>is ineffective against it. This is especially significant when one considers that the recommended character levels for this module are 2-4 whilst <i>Dispel Magic</i> is a 3rd level spell; one needs a 5th level magic-user at least to cast a 3rd level spell. And then you have to hope that he didn't waste his 3rd level spell allotment on fireball or lightning bolt or any number of other really cool 3rd level spells. Once you do manage to dispel the locking enchantment, you still have the problem of opening the "solid stone" door, a feat which probably requires a few crow bars and a lot of sweat. <br />
<br />
So, finally, after burning a dispel magic spell and wrestling the "huge stone door" open you'd think that the clerics inside would be there waiting to greet you in some way--especially considering that the wildlife has alerted them to your presence long before you arrived at the doorstep. But no, you walk into a large, unoccupied room with a dais in it. If you step on the dais a bell rings which finally signals the inhabitants to come forth and show themselves, right? Not quite; the residents of the egg-shaped edifice wait for 2-8 rounds (minutes) before the clerics finally enter the room. If you were an adventurer exploring a domed temple in the middle of a forest, would you wait around for 2-8 minutes before kicking in the door to the next room to find out who (or what) has been summoned?<br />
<br />
But alas, after all this waiting around the clerics finally roll out the red carpet. They will ask the party to have a seat and get some gambling on, all the time chanting such hokey oaths as "oh God of Chance, may the dodecahedrons of fate come up naught-naught." What follows is a little gambling tournament wherein everyone breaks up into small groups at separate tables and take turns rolling percentile dice (not dodecahedrons [12-siders] as their prayers indicated). Whomever rolls highest at a table advances to roll dice with the winner from another table in a single-elimination tournament until a final winner is decided. This game wouldn't go over too big at the tables of Vegas I imagine, but when you're deep in a trackless wilderness, it's probably more entertaining than yet another round of Kumbaya at the campfire.<br />
<br />
Given that the church is hidden deep in the woods with no clear path to its doorway, its clergy make a rigorous effort to bend nature to their needs, and are extremely reluctant to engage with people--even those who take the time to dismantle their front door--their stated religious beliefs seem less than sincere. Lendore being a land of Suel deities, it is obvious that they are playing themselves off as disciples of Norebo though he was not officially defined by TSR when L1 was released. But just as clearly they are not running a casino as Norebo's temples purportedly function. The misnamed dice, the simplistic game of chance, and the mishmash of fate, chance, and luck prayers; it takes only a modicum of analysis to conclude that this ritual is a sham. The gambling is in all probability a ruse meant to confuse and perhaps even mock pesky visitors to this hermitage. Faldelac and his staff most likely devote their true worship to a god that values the solitude and the freedom of thought that their isolated locale brooks rather than the visceral rush of gambling. Indeed, the deity actually worshiped by the clerics of the "Big Gamble" most likely feels disdain toward Norebo and his vacuous followers.Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975811619160339512.post-63127058461146820582011-02-20T23:42:00.000-08:002011-02-20T23:45:50.073-08:00The Dweomer Forest and its Denizens<i><br />
</i><br />
We know this about the Dweomer Forest: it is a place devoid of any overt sign of humanity--except at its very center where lies atop a small, deforested knoll, a dome-like structure occupied by a group of clerics who seem to practice gambling as a form of worship. Though the name of their professed deity/religion is never made explicit, the description of their sylvan environs may give us some insight into the nature of their religious beliefs.<br />
<br />
First off, their impervious dome is built atop a knoll that is climate-controlled so that the temperature never drops below 60 degrees F. Not surprisingly, no trees from the neighboring forest grow on the knoll; the rest of the forest is made up primarily of temperate hardwoods--trees that generally need a good cold winter to prosper. Instead, their little hill is covered with a low growing shrub with small green flowers and berries that make poor eating but when fermented make a palatable intoxicant. Generally, plants with small, green flowers--i.e. not visually appealing to insects and birds--spread their pollen via wind. The shrubs, like the priests, are a bit anti-social.<br />
<br />
To this fact we may add that the forest is described as trackless except for a few paths that appear "natural." Presumably the priests of the holy dome must leave the forest occasionally to secure items unattainable in their woodland compound--a notion which is apparently confirmed by the true (non-italicized) rumor that a "high priest" with "a church somewhere within a dozen miles or so comes to town "from time to time." Since we know that Faldelac, head honcho at the church of the Big Gamble, is indeed a high priest and that no others are described in the environs of Restenford it seems safe to assume that Faldelac does, on occasion, roam his skinny ass over to Resty. Yet he makes sure to cover his trail; most likely using a different route each time he travels abroad so as not to leave a noticeable, non-natural seeming path.<br />
<br />
As I mentioned, the forest is predominantly made up of temperate hardwoods--oak, beech, elm, and ash. Yet within a half mile radius of the hill top dome this community changes to walnut, maple, apple, and cherry trees. Sounds like a recipe for a fruit crisp, right? Obviously there's some forest stewardship going on here; whether it be the clerics of the "church" or the hand of their deity directly that directs the trees nearest their citadel to provide foodstuffs in addition to their other treelike duties. <br />
<br />
There is also some discussion of the fauna of the forest. Numerous small mammals and birds can be seen throughout the forest, though they are especially dense in the "inner circle" of the forest, where the wildlife have apparently lost their fear of humanity and will very likely approach human interlopers expecting a handout of free food. We also know that the wildlife will have alerted the residents of the church to the presence of any intruders to their forest sanctuary.<br />
<br />
What does all this add up to? We have a small community of clerics surrounded by a forest wherein both flora and fauna have been carefully managed to provide service to the inhabitatnts of the church. Yet this is no "one with nature" bunch of tree huggers; indeed their abode squats atop a hill rising above the forest floor like an old fashioned motte and baily type castle. The hill is, through magical or divine means, exempted from the worst weather conditions of the area, and has been carefully managed to create a monoculture of an unpleasant berry whose only value is to provide an intoxicating beverage. It seems safe, then, to assume that the church holds a patronistic attitude toward its "natural" surroundings. The trees are used at first to conceal the presence of the church and then to provide foodstuffs; the animal life is bribed into docility to provide an early warning system, and yet the priests choose for their quarters to quite literally rise above their forest environs and completely eliminate all contact with their immediate surroundings. <br />
<br />
And the big question looms, what the hell does any of this have to do with gambling?Timrod http://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.com0