Secret Hold of the Slaver Lords
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There are always those willing to profit from the most odious of all trades—slaving—and to grow wealthy from other people’s misery. Most of the smugglers lurking in the dismal coastal village of Coldwater are nothing more than smugglers. But one family—the foul and deformed Purhos—are in league with smugglers, pirates and slavers. The slavers never enter the village itself—that would inevitably draw unwanted attention—and, instead, operate from a secret hold buried in the lofty, spray-slick cliffs of an isolated cove.
When the Purho have new merchandise for their business partners, they sail north to deposit the unfortunate now-slaves into the slavers’ clutches before returning south with a handsome profit.
Setting Note: This Dungeon Backdrop is set close to the village of Coldwater on the northern coast of Ashlar. However, the hold is self-contained and could easily be set near any coastal village with smuggling links.
Every month or so, a slaver ship visits the area and takes aboard any slaves or other merchandise gathered at the hold. When the characters arrive in Coldwater, the next ship is due in seven days. The slavers garrisoning the Secret Hold are members of a much larger organisation who have their base on an island out in the Bitter Sea. From there, the slaver lords send their scarlet-sailed ships hither and thither on their terrible business.
Adventure Hook
The characters are sailing along the coast—perhaps in a fishing boat—when a storm comes in from the Bitter Sea. As the storm rages, they spy a small sheltered cove and manage to make their way inside. While the storm batters the coast, one of the characters notices the entrance to the Secret Hold. With nothing else to do, they investigate the cave…
The Surrounding Locality
The Secret Hold of the Slaver Lords lies roughly three miles north of the village of Coldwater on a stretch of desolate, little-visited coastline at the head of a small cove. The cove is accessible to rowing boats, fishing boats and the like, but ocean-going vessels will likely come to grief in the cove’s narrow mouth.
High cliffs crowd over the cove, making access from landward difficult without extensive preparations or magical assistance. The ruin of an old building runs across the hilltop. A small single beach lies at the head of the cove, but it is mostly inundated at high tide. The entrance to the Secret Hold is visible to even the most casual of observers.
Notable Locations at a Glance
The dungeon has several notable locations:
Tenebrous Sea Cave: Dim light suffuses the calm waters of this sea cave.
Sandy Beach: Scattered clumps of seaweed, pieces of driftwood and other rubbish litter this sandy beach.
Natural Cave: This cave is unoccupied and little used.
Store Room: The slavers store their victuals and other mundane equipment here, along with the stolen possessions of their prisoners.
Chamber of the Marshal: Here dwells the commander of the cave’s garrison.
Guard Chamber: The guards here keep a watch on the sea cave and stop the prisoners from escaping.
Barracks: Here dwells the hold’s small garrison.
Chamber of Despair: The slavers hold high-value victims in this dank, foul-smelling chamber. Such folk are sold for a premium or ransomed back to their families.
Chamber of Horrors: The slavers hold their rank-and-file prisoners in this dank, foul-smelling chamber.
The Nowhere Stairs: These stairs spiral upwards to a stone wall which bears signs of obvious tool marks.
Credit
This is a system-neutral extract from Dungeon Backdrop: Secret Hold of the Slaver Lords by Creighton Broadhurst. The book is available in 5e, Pathfinder First Edition, Pathfinder Second Edition, System Neutral and OSR editions. Cartography by Dyson Logos
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