JW86
2016-10-08, 08:41 AM
Hi all,
I'd like some creative suggestions to aid me in the creation of a dungeon I'm running for a session in the coming couple of days.
BACKGROUND first (skip ahead for the dungeon idea part):
Homebrew world/cosmological setting.
Based around 6 Ancient Races - the Aasimar-Devi, Baatezu-Tiefling, Githzerai, Githyanki, Eladrin and Shadar-Kai who some 2,000 years in the past broke out into worldwide war, unfortunately leading to widespread devastation of younger developing races who got caught in the crossfire. An Even-More-Ancient cosmic race of 'Auditors', ruled over by The God of Law, intervened and these 6 eldar races were taught in the ways of the wider cosmology, and a Covenant of Noninterference was drawn up. The Eldar races were to step aside, so to speak, to cease hostility and allow the younger races of the world the time and space to grow.
The souls of those on the material plane, upon their death, would tend to gravitate towards Celestia (Heaven), Styx (Hell), or Shar (Plane of Shadow) depending on their virtues and vices. Shar was the location for those whom although not gravitating towards good or evil specifically, lived lives of inaction, regret, emptiness, etc. Their soul may reside in one of these planes for many hundreds, or thousands of years, before reincarnating back onto the material plane again. An endless cycle.
So, here we are some 2,000 years later, and some very long-winded schemes are coming to fruition. Specifically, a Shadar-Kai sorceress of immense power who resides within Shar (The Plane of Shadow), has overthrown the existing God-King of that Plane to take up absolute authority there. Unlike her predecessor who was content for souls to pass to the various planes according to their own merits, this Sorceress feels apalled at the endless cycle of mortal suffering and seeks an end to this rollercoaster by the absolute nullification and extinction of everything. Part of this will involve the invasion of the material plane - as the material plane is the only real 'convergance' for the planes.
Going back 2,000 years to the old times, there were many younger developing races (human, dwarf, orc, elf, etc). In the north of the mainland, there were a subset of hardy northern humans who worked for the Shadar-Kai, and specifically this Sorceress. These wicked men had been promised eternal unlife through the Ritual of Crucimigration in exchange for their services to the Shadar-Kai. These services basically involved raiding the surface world and taking large numbers of slaves, bringing them back to their underground barrows, and through certain rituals sacrificing their souls specifically to this Sorceress. Through absorbing the powers of so many souls, alongside other means, the Sorceress would eventually gather sufficient power to challenge the God of Shar himself.
SO - DUNGEON PART:
Our party of Level 7 adventurers (Human Druid, Warforged Warlock, Githzerai Monk/Ardent) find themselves in Dovagrad, the new name for the northern human kingdom. Having just survived an unlikely encounter with a human wizard in service to the Shadar-Kai who had several ghouls, they find themselves suspicious as to what is going on and trying to research why there are undead in the country. Their research has led them to a relatively nearby dungeon, Wyrdwhyl Barrow, that they intend to explore next session.
I want for Wyrdwhyl Barrow to be one of these ancient sacrificial burial sites. The dungeon is coming back into usefulness again after over a thousand years of inactivity. The Necropolitan and other intelligent undead there are preparing the barrow for use again in the upcoming war (Return of the Shadar-Kai), readying themselves for the mass genocide and sacrifice of the surfacers once their Shadar-Kai masters return to the material plane. I want to make it as interesting as possible. The specifics are evading me a little at the moment.
What kind of cool things would you put into an underground, undead-centric dungeon?
I'm just a little stuck for the specific, you know, rooms, cool items, things, hints, goodies.
I'd expect burial crypts, halls for embalming, sacrifical chambers (how can I make these cool?) etc but I'm lacking fleshed out and practical cool ideas here and would welcome creative input, if anybody is feeling it!
I may type more later, but feel this is enough for now.
Thank you.
I'd like some creative suggestions to aid me in the creation of a dungeon I'm running for a session in the coming couple of days.
BACKGROUND first (skip ahead for the dungeon idea part):
Homebrew world/cosmological setting.
Based around 6 Ancient Races - the Aasimar-Devi, Baatezu-Tiefling, Githzerai, Githyanki, Eladrin and Shadar-Kai who some 2,000 years in the past broke out into worldwide war, unfortunately leading to widespread devastation of younger developing races who got caught in the crossfire. An Even-More-Ancient cosmic race of 'Auditors', ruled over by The God of Law, intervened and these 6 eldar races were taught in the ways of the wider cosmology, and a Covenant of Noninterference was drawn up. The Eldar races were to step aside, so to speak, to cease hostility and allow the younger races of the world the time and space to grow.
The souls of those on the material plane, upon their death, would tend to gravitate towards Celestia (Heaven), Styx (Hell), or Shar (Plane of Shadow) depending on their virtues and vices. Shar was the location for those whom although not gravitating towards good or evil specifically, lived lives of inaction, regret, emptiness, etc. Their soul may reside in one of these planes for many hundreds, or thousands of years, before reincarnating back onto the material plane again. An endless cycle.
So, here we are some 2,000 years later, and some very long-winded schemes are coming to fruition. Specifically, a Shadar-Kai sorceress of immense power who resides within Shar (The Plane of Shadow), has overthrown the existing God-King of that Plane to take up absolute authority there. Unlike her predecessor who was content for souls to pass to the various planes according to their own merits, this Sorceress feels apalled at the endless cycle of mortal suffering and seeks an end to this rollercoaster by the absolute nullification and extinction of everything. Part of this will involve the invasion of the material plane - as the material plane is the only real 'convergance' for the planes.
Going back 2,000 years to the old times, there were many younger developing races (human, dwarf, orc, elf, etc). In the north of the mainland, there were a subset of hardy northern humans who worked for the Shadar-Kai, and specifically this Sorceress. These wicked men had been promised eternal unlife through the Ritual of Crucimigration in exchange for their services to the Shadar-Kai. These services basically involved raiding the surface world and taking large numbers of slaves, bringing them back to their underground barrows, and through certain rituals sacrificing their souls specifically to this Sorceress. Through absorbing the powers of so many souls, alongside other means, the Sorceress would eventually gather sufficient power to challenge the God of Shar himself.
SO - DUNGEON PART:
Our party of Level 7 adventurers (Human Druid, Warforged Warlock, Githzerai Monk/Ardent) find themselves in Dovagrad, the new name for the northern human kingdom. Having just survived an unlikely encounter with a human wizard in service to the Shadar-Kai who had several ghouls, they find themselves suspicious as to what is going on and trying to research why there are undead in the country. Their research has led them to a relatively nearby dungeon, Wyrdwhyl Barrow, that they intend to explore next session.
I want for Wyrdwhyl Barrow to be one of these ancient sacrificial burial sites. The dungeon is coming back into usefulness again after over a thousand years of inactivity. The Necropolitan and other intelligent undead there are preparing the barrow for use again in the upcoming war (Return of the Shadar-Kai), readying themselves for the mass genocide and sacrifice of the surfacers once their Shadar-Kai masters return to the material plane. I want to make it as interesting as possible. The specifics are evading me a little at the moment.
What kind of cool things would you put into an underground, undead-centric dungeon?
I'm just a little stuck for the specific, you know, rooms, cool items, things, hints, goodies.
I'd expect burial crypts, halls for embalming, sacrifical chambers (how can I make these cool?) etc but I'm lacking fleshed out and practical cool ideas here and would welcome creative input, if anybody is feeling it!
I may type more later, but feel this is enough for now.
Thank you.