A merchant caravan is nothing without its mistress and those she employs to run her business.
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A merchant caravan is a unique thing. Beside its guards, servants and merchants it has distinctive characteristics, features and events in the same way as any other locale.
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The ghoul is a creature of nightmare for any adventuring group. From the packs of mindless, carrion-eating undead to the ancient civilisations deep underground, screaming adulation to their sheep-headed god Orcus, all ghouls have one thing in common: an eternal, gnawing hunger that no amount of flesh can sate.
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The characters should not be the only things creeping through the dark of the dungeon in search of loot and/or prey. Other things lurk in the ebon shadows of the underworld, waiting for foolhardy adventurers to wander by…
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Found throughout the wild and abandoned places of the world, giant spiders dwell both above and below ground. They attack any creature disturbing their nests and are aggressive predators. Although essentially unintelligent, they are adept at using their webs and poison to immobilise and kill prey.
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Nestled in a twisting ravine amid the Luminous Desert’s endless windblown dunes, Rifthammer is home to a desert-dwelling tribe of dwarves. Hidden in the cool shadows of their cliff-side home, these reclusive folk offer peaceful seclusion for those seeking refuge from the desert's relentless heat, or simply the troubles of the wider world. However, not all is as idyllic as Rifthammer’s dwarven masters pretend, and a festering ruin of otherworldly creatures in the darkest recesses of the rift threatens all who reside above.
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Savage, bestial creatures of rage and violence—minotaurs are terrifying enemies. Often solitary beasts haunting labyrinthine dungeons, or similar locales, they delight in hunting and terrorising their prey.
Minotaurs are innately cunning—surprising given their bloodthirsty, atavistic tendencies—but employ simple, brutal battle tactics. Legends tell of their origins—of how the gods created them; most minotaurs, however, believe their roots to be more demonic.
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Lunatic asylums are different to other places. Likely located in a town or city, it is probably a grim, hopeless place. Those within may, or may not, regain their freedom, and the staff are likely hardened to the suffering they see every day. The surroundings should reflect the place’s styles and theme.
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Half-woman, half-monster harpies are vicious, corrupt hunters driven by their insatiable desire to eat. They prefer intelligent prey and enjoy speaking with their meals.
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Ringed by a timber palisade, the village of Hjalward comprises wooden lodges and cabins built atop snow-covered hills in the shadow of ancient, giant-crafted architecture of a fallen elder kingdom. Looming over Hjalward like a tombstone, a crumbling stone wall fully 200 ft. high and 60 ft. thick and a yet higher sky-scraping tower remind the residents of this mining community of the follies of past civilisations, and that in time all empires crumble. Nearby deposits of iron, silver and lead draw desperate or avaricious miners to this cold, hard place while legends of lost giant treasure ensure a steady trickle of adventurers make the long, perilous journey to Hjalward.
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Vicious, warlike and mercenary hobgoblins set up their military-style camps almost anywhere. The camps are not just their home but also the springboard for their campaigns.
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Nomadic, opportunistic and savage orcs quickly take over a suitable camp, village or cave before turning it into a shoddy yet defensible home.
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A travelling show magician, feted for his charm and tricks, Thadrim hides a dark secret.
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An unremitting bully and brutish extortionist Raine is a thorn in the side of a once-peaceful hamlet’s inhabitants.
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Thrones are meant to present an image of power. The exalted personage occupying a throne is important and sits in style and comfort while others stand in their presence. Reclining in a throne is a symbol of the office the individual occupies. A throne needs to be functional and ceremonial, representing whatever power or religion grants the monarch his authority.
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A fane of good is a beautiful and uplifting place for characters to admire and explore. Many small touches and features mark a fane of good as a benevolent locale and sanctuary for adventurers and worshippers alike.
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Cut from a chunk of local limestone and set above the tavern’s front door, the luridly carved face of an orc identifies this place as the infamous Orc’s Head. Notorious throughout the duchy as the haunt for adventurers preparing to dare Gloamhold’s depths, the Orc’s Head is a place of tall tales and hard drinking. Decent folk rarely venture inside.
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One of the best-known establishments on Cheap Street, Raisa’s Curios fills the first three floors of a tottering four-storey townhouse. Known throughout the city, Raisa’s Curios is one of those places adventurers often come to browse in hopes of finding something interesting or valuable among the junk and bric-a-brac.
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Standing on a dingy side street (location L3 on the City of Languard map), a stylised sign of an oversized scythe cutting through an ankle spurting a ridiculous amount of blood marks this semi-reputable establishment. Run by its one-legged owner Arvo Outila this inn has operated under its current name since he purchased it 15 years ago after a horrendous accident on his farm. It doesn’t offer food or accommodation. This is a place to drink (copiously) and listen to music.
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Languard is a busy, noisy place. The administrative and mercantile heart of the Duchy of Ashlar it is, however, also a place of fear and gradual decay.
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Houses of worship and quiet contemplation stand in or near many settlements. Within, the occupants seek spiritual enlightenment in the service of their patron.
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