Black Hand
2007-04-05, 07:51 PM
:smallconfused: Not too sure if I put this in the right forum.
Isle of the honored:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/jody1974/IsleoftheHonored.jpg
The Isle of the Honored is a relatively small island which is the southernmost island in a chain of three: Linnorm D'Ogden, and Olgarth. The other two being the more habitable Islands in the northern sea. It's dimensions are about 33 miles wide, and about 46 long. It is a lonely and haunting land of windswept beaches & grasslands, thick fog covered evergreen forests, rocky hills, and low bogs. It's flavor is nordic in setting and fits well in any northern ocean.
Northern Islands Map: http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/jody1974/NorthernIslands.jpg
All from the Linnorn D'Ogden, and Olgarth usually set their dead adrift (if they can afford it) on a boat. With Prayers to Thor the sails are set and the ships blow away to sea. It is said that the ships once in the fog, sail to the Isle of the Honored to join their Ancestors. In times when very imporant people die a funeral Procession takes the boat personally to the island to Interr the Dead King into one of the many hills.
The Island is pretty much off Limits for anything/one alive. Besides the occasional Restless spirit, The shores are said to be guarded by a Jabberwocky that make sure none leave the Island alive. Only the death of a King and the funeral procession carried out by holy people and royal guard, does the Jabberwocky let them leave the Island in safety...Although much tribute is expected to be left behind for the beast.
Visitors that dare visit the island generally approach from the north, as the eastern, western & southern portions of the island are facing the vast open sea. The entire islands shore consists of sandy/rocky beaches that go out about 60' at low tide, and is walled by rocky banks (http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/jody1974/Pic-Beach.jpg) that range from 5' high to 40' at the most. It is only where swampy sections (see map) meet the sea is the land at sea level.
Those approaching that are wise will seek out an abandoned port called Skraelings docks. It is unknown who built them or if the place was ever inhabited but, the 7 sod & houses and the stone docks still stand are used by those delivering their important dead. Not much is in this village except that is has been overtaken by grass weed & trees. An overgrown path (Spot/Track DC 20) leads from the docks and follows south parallel with the small (10' to 30' wide) river that leads to the sea. The source of this river is Black-Lake, a supposedly bottomless lake where visitors throw in valuables to keep the spirits and the jabberwocky away. The northern end of the lake is the Barrow of the kings, large hill 5-7 miles long which has tombs and barrows built onto it. It is said that sleeping at the heart of the hill is the dreaded Corpse Tearer Linnorm.
The northwestern end of the island where the docks are is bordered by Blacklake river is the one section of the island the Jabberwocky cannot enter due to it's aversion of flowing water. It is not without it's dangers though, as the barrowlands dominate the southern portion of that quadrant.
The barrowlands is a bog that is endlessly filled with fog that gives at the best of times a 30' field of vision. Barrows and the occasional dead tree are encountered as one slogs through the squishy bog, worse of all once in the barrowlands there is no escape. One could walk in a straight line and always come upon features they've already encountered. Those that die wandering generally learn the secret of escape afterwards and their spirits lament the easieness of the task, but they only express it as: "The more you make, the more you leave behind" Those that figure out the spirits lament are able to leave the mists of the barrowlands and find their way to the shore to the west, the forests to the north and south, or the river and lake to the east.
The environment of the island is bare of life, the closest thing to life perhaps is the fish that live in the water surrounding the land. The only company the visitors have here is the sound of rain wind and silence. Any other sound is of unnatural origins and worth avoiding. The landscape is dominated by swamp, hills, evergreen woods, and cold grasslands. Any encounter with a barrow has a 30% chance of the deceased being restless and his wraith haunts closeby. During the day this isn't much of a problem but night is a different story. Other wandering dead roam about the land but only at nightfall. During the day the only living thing on the island is the plants. Fog is also a constant in the island with a 40% chance of it occurring at least 3x a day and lasting up to 1d4 hours. For the barrowlands that's up to 100%.
Zombies clad in rotting viking attire roam around at night in bands of 10-100, Wight's, wraiths and many other undead also haunt the lands at night. The Jabberwocky hunts day & night on the western & southern portion of the island. Those that land their ships along any shore it can reach will find their ships destroyed as the Jabberwocky enjoyes elicting fear in those it hunts.
For adventurers the island itself can be a treasure trove, if grave robbing doesn't bother them. The lakes ponds and rivers on the island have had centuries of treasure thrown into them for tribute to ancestors, gods, and spirits that roam the land. Those that find and take such offerings though are best to leave the island quickly though as any loot carried from such offering sites pretty much doubles the chance for encounters while still carrying what they took. For those not into graverobbing, sometimes find themselves on the island to find an ancestors mound to relinquish something from it for part of a greater quest.
The Jabberwocky: (essentially a Nuckalavee from Dragon magazine #... um, I have to find it again.)
This ugly creature looks like a mutated aquatic centuar whose legs are part fin; he has an enormous gaping mouth, and a single giant eye, which burns with a red flame. The most gruesome detail of his appearance is the fact that he has no skin. Black blood courses through yellow veins and the pale sinews and powerful muscles are visible as a pulsating mass. He has an aversion of Fresh or running water and those who are chased by him have only to cross a stream to get rid of him.
HP:82 (11d8+33)
Init +2
AC: 16
Attack: +15, 0r +11/+11
Damg: 1d8+4
Can't cross/immerse fresh water
Breath Weapon 6d6 cold 60'
Fast healing 5
Fear Aura 60' DC 17
Immune to Poison, SR 10, Fire Res 30
Hide +5, Move +4, Listen +6, Spot +7, Swim 12
CR- 6+
Isle of the honored:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/jody1974/IsleoftheHonored.jpg
The Isle of the Honored is a relatively small island which is the southernmost island in a chain of three: Linnorm D'Ogden, and Olgarth. The other two being the more habitable Islands in the northern sea. It's dimensions are about 33 miles wide, and about 46 long. It is a lonely and haunting land of windswept beaches & grasslands, thick fog covered evergreen forests, rocky hills, and low bogs. It's flavor is nordic in setting and fits well in any northern ocean.
Northern Islands Map: http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/jody1974/NorthernIslands.jpg
All from the Linnorn D'Ogden, and Olgarth usually set their dead adrift (if they can afford it) on a boat. With Prayers to Thor the sails are set and the ships blow away to sea. It is said that the ships once in the fog, sail to the Isle of the Honored to join their Ancestors. In times when very imporant people die a funeral Procession takes the boat personally to the island to Interr the Dead King into one of the many hills.
The Island is pretty much off Limits for anything/one alive. Besides the occasional Restless spirit, The shores are said to be guarded by a Jabberwocky that make sure none leave the Island alive. Only the death of a King and the funeral procession carried out by holy people and royal guard, does the Jabberwocky let them leave the Island in safety...Although much tribute is expected to be left behind for the beast.
Visitors that dare visit the island generally approach from the north, as the eastern, western & southern portions of the island are facing the vast open sea. The entire islands shore consists of sandy/rocky beaches that go out about 60' at low tide, and is walled by rocky banks (http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/jody1974/Pic-Beach.jpg) that range from 5' high to 40' at the most. It is only where swampy sections (see map) meet the sea is the land at sea level.
Those approaching that are wise will seek out an abandoned port called Skraelings docks. It is unknown who built them or if the place was ever inhabited but, the 7 sod & houses and the stone docks still stand are used by those delivering their important dead. Not much is in this village except that is has been overtaken by grass weed & trees. An overgrown path (Spot/Track DC 20) leads from the docks and follows south parallel with the small (10' to 30' wide) river that leads to the sea. The source of this river is Black-Lake, a supposedly bottomless lake where visitors throw in valuables to keep the spirits and the jabberwocky away. The northern end of the lake is the Barrow of the kings, large hill 5-7 miles long which has tombs and barrows built onto it. It is said that sleeping at the heart of the hill is the dreaded Corpse Tearer Linnorm.
The northwestern end of the island where the docks are is bordered by Blacklake river is the one section of the island the Jabberwocky cannot enter due to it's aversion of flowing water. It is not without it's dangers though, as the barrowlands dominate the southern portion of that quadrant.
The barrowlands is a bog that is endlessly filled with fog that gives at the best of times a 30' field of vision. Barrows and the occasional dead tree are encountered as one slogs through the squishy bog, worse of all once in the barrowlands there is no escape. One could walk in a straight line and always come upon features they've already encountered. Those that die wandering generally learn the secret of escape afterwards and their spirits lament the easieness of the task, but they only express it as: "The more you make, the more you leave behind" Those that figure out the spirits lament are able to leave the mists of the barrowlands and find their way to the shore to the west, the forests to the north and south, or the river and lake to the east.
The environment of the island is bare of life, the closest thing to life perhaps is the fish that live in the water surrounding the land. The only company the visitors have here is the sound of rain wind and silence. Any other sound is of unnatural origins and worth avoiding. The landscape is dominated by swamp, hills, evergreen woods, and cold grasslands. Any encounter with a barrow has a 30% chance of the deceased being restless and his wraith haunts closeby. During the day this isn't much of a problem but night is a different story. Other wandering dead roam about the land but only at nightfall. During the day the only living thing on the island is the plants. Fog is also a constant in the island with a 40% chance of it occurring at least 3x a day and lasting up to 1d4 hours. For the barrowlands that's up to 100%.
Zombies clad in rotting viking attire roam around at night in bands of 10-100, Wight's, wraiths and many other undead also haunt the lands at night. The Jabberwocky hunts day & night on the western & southern portion of the island. Those that land their ships along any shore it can reach will find their ships destroyed as the Jabberwocky enjoyes elicting fear in those it hunts.
For adventurers the island itself can be a treasure trove, if grave robbing doesn't bother them. The lakes ponds and rivers on the island have had centuries of treasure thrown into them for tribute to ancestors, gods, and spirits that roam the land. Those that find and take such offerings though are best to leave the island quickly though as any loot carried from such offering sites pretty much doubles the chance for encounters while still carrying what they took. For those not into graverobbing, sometimes find themselves on the island to find an ancestors mound to relinquish something from it for part of a greater quest.
The Jabberwocky: (essentially a Nuckalavee from Dragon magazine #... um, I have to find it again.)
This ugly creature looks like a mutated aquatic centuar whose legs are part fin; he has an enormous gaping mouth, and a single giant eye, which burns with a red flame. The most gruesome detail of his appearance is the fact that he has no skin. Black blood courses through yellow veins and the pale sinews and powerful muscles are visible as a pulsating mass. He has an aversion of Fresh or running water and those who are chased by him have only to cross a stream to get rid of him.
HP:82 (11d8+33)
Init +2
AC: 16
Attack: +15, 0r +11/+11
Damg: 1d8+4
Can't cross/immerse fresh water
Breath Weapon 6d6 cold 60'
Fast healing 5
Fear Aura 60' DC 17
Immune to Poison, SR 10, Fire Res 30
Hide +5, Move +4, Listen +6, Spot +7, Swim 12
CR- 6+