6-Room Dungeon glacial chasm revision 5

My pdf maker button seems to be crook - can anyone get tables intact on my ballroom post with it? Is it just me? Are all my backups actually crap? More Hawksmire stuff and parts of this series coming. Trying to finish old stuff more - about 30 drafts sitting a while.

Had ballroom game work well.

Original Series
1 Redbrick + Update 1
2 Goblin Mine + Update 2
3 Gothic Tomb + Update 3
4 Magic Mansion Update 4
5 Glacial Chasm
6 Jungle Shrine
7 Underland Cavern
8 Auldwood Grove
9 Sunken City
10 Desert Ruin
11 Eldritch Monolith
12 Hell Gate

mapping your 6 room dungeon

Environment
Dungeon Defence Conditions
d12 Sounds, Smells & More
d12 Rumours
d12 Missions
d12 Factions
d12 Allies
d12 Enemies
d12 Special Treasure
d12 Special Feature

Environment
A prehistoric glacier of the north wastes, where strange creatures, monsters and wild folk who know no metal. zin other lands some cold dwelling monsters will try to invade lowlands with rapid crawling glaciers floiwing down mountains to crush civilisation. Such forces use cold, weather, water and air magic to grow the glacier and its conditions. Walls are of deep white, blue or green ice. The ground may be ice or ground down rocks into pebbles and muddy slush. Doors may be made of ice or whicker framed hides or fur curtains. Tunnels can be slippery and cold. If you get wet it is even worse. You can smash trhough some walls and in deep areas may be more rock or caves. It is in a state of change and as it moves and mnelts prehistoric things are awakened.  

d12 Sounds, Smells & More

1 Creaking ice 

2 Cold air vent
3 Frost or snow
4 Steam vent

5 Fog cloud

6 Salty air

7 Cracking ice or crunchy snow 

8 Distant smoke

9 Earthy wet mud odour 

10 Dripping or trickling water

11 Howling wind

12 Falling ice 

d12 Rumours
1 That river of ice gets closer each day, it is a doom on us all
2 Some icy evil is driving the glacier ever closer to us

3 Huge brutish hillfolk in hides with spears live up their, with ogres and sabretooths

4 A great orange furry troll beast with huge tusks and a tentacle nose came from their once 
5 The closer it gets the worse the winters are, since they took down the old standing stones

6 Sometimes the glacier glows by night with unholy power

7 They say wailing ancient spirits surround it, and wild beasts unseen for an age
8 The glacier feeds on souls, causing the dead to walk
9 You will find metal rare within unless you meet dwarves or giants
10 You will fnd the deepest tunnels leading to the icy region of hell

11 An elder god is imprisoned within and its power used for wicked magic

12 Stone age wizards worked wonders here in imitation of the prehuman ager of darkness 

d12 Missions

1 Find the magic heart of the glacier and destroy it

2 Find what fell power lurks within and report it

3 Foolish people went to explore it and have not returned

4 A dread chill is ruining crops, find its source

5 They say prehistoric wizards left wall carvings in the magic glacier

6 Hairy creatures from old stories are coming from the frozen mountains, find their source

7 The weather is being changed by this glacier find out how

8 Certain stones found in the glacier by heroes in the past preserved us in the past

9 When the meltwater grows to a stream, slumbering beings in the glacier stir. Go check no evils are plotting against us

10 A body downstream of the glacier has been found of a wildman not seen for generations and he had snow crystal spheres in his pouch and strange herbs. Go see if he came from the glacier 

11 To drive away the fire monsters, we need ice relics they respect, go to the glacier and find some

12 By night when blizzards come, strange creatures move around the village and have frozen the life from people. Tracks lead to the forbidden glacier. Please stop this fearsome being

d12 Factions
1 Prehistoric animal life, larger archaic versions of modern species

2 Cave dwellers are subterranean peoples living as the first free humans did long ago

3 Ice Tribes are dwellers in frozen lands and high altitudes as hunters and fishers

4 Humanoids, including goblins and orcs, but also white apes and yeti 

5 Giant folk including ogres, trolls and various giant peoples

6 Elemental beings of ice, air or water or beast tainted by them

7 Undead of ancient pre-metal ages of dark wizardry, many with gold property or occult lore

8 Draconic controlled group serving the monster or just pets

9 Living elemental ice creatures or elemental mutants or cultists

10 Winter faeries who freeze captives as artworks, then defrost them when bored. They have an outpost here to act as a transit hub for the winter fey seasonal invasions

11 Wizard cult here to find prehistoric arcane knowledge with hired guards

12 Alien ice creatures burrow into the complex and have a hive structure

d12 Allies

1 Explorers here a mix of curious scholars and profiteers, well-supplied and tough

2 Benevolent ice spirit or faerie cares for puny humanoids 

3 Ice sprite might warn locals or even scout for them

4 Wizards and a few hirelings, overwhelmed by threats, seeks allies

5 Lost sledge dog happy to see humans and hungry

6 Changeling animal spirit like a fox or lynx will watch the party, may try to contact in human form

7 Tribal cave folk seek to trade or warn of peril but usually only speak underland speech

8 Frost elf lost but drawn to this magic place seeking a portal home

9 Ice mummy seeks help to rob the grave of another ice mummy

10 Wildman trapper is gruff and a misanthrope, but requires help to kill glacier monsters

11 Thawed out ancient, confused and language-dated, seeks some help in new world

12 Talking giant mountain goat warns you of threats and will even help party

d12 Enemies

1 Elemental beings or mutated beasts, possibly prehistoric types

2 Cannibal tribe of cave folk hungry for flesh

3 Frost elves scouting led by a knight, can be cruel and bored or keen to test powers

4 Ice statues or golems

5 Ice mummies, frozen zombies and spirits with chilling touches

6 Owlbear or sabretooth lion

7 Ice trolls or cave ogre gang

8 Frost salamander or ice toad

9 Yeti or white apes or carnivorous apes

10 Terror birds or dire wolves

11 Cultist or wizard party

12 White dragon or hybrid creature

d12 Special Treasure

1 +1 stone weapon (d4 1=sling stones x2d4 2=hand axe 3=javelin 4=dagger)

2 Beast cloak, once a day can transform into the species of the cloak for 10 minutes

3 Tusk ivory from walrus or mammoth 2d4 pieces in a bag, 100gp each 1in6 with symbols carved

4 Runestone with knowledge of a basic spell d6 x d6 enc

5 Fur or hide of giant or magical beast d6x100gp

6 Bone flute can three times a day animate a medium animal or humanoid skeleton for ten minutes

7 Ice sculpture, never melts d6xd6 enc, 1in6 drip constantly with ice water

8 Magic bone fish hook catches d6 fish a day

9 Yeti fur suit or cape, +2 save vs cold and -2 damage per dice from cold damage

10 Ice Sword +d3 cold damage sword of unmelting ice, also keeps goods cool

11 Magic Harpoon, 20 foot line which can be burned but not cut or snapped, d8 damage, no range penalties

12 Shamans bag, fur bag of mysterious contents, magic ruined if opened and opener save or die (d4 1= +1 protection 2=protection from evil 3=double natural healing 4=double healing from magic herbs)

d12 Special Feature

1 Elemental portal often guarded by elemental creatures

2 Chamber with huge frozen prehistoric creatures in icewalls

3 Semi flooded room with creature who uses freezing powers to trap targets

4 Beautiful chamber of icecrystals with sweet sounds from wind passing through

5 Under ice floor or in walls see swimming aquatic creatures

6 Unatural cold causes 1pt damage per hour without furs or per round if wet

7 Fierce cold breeze forms ice structures and blows snow flakes everywhere

8 Crystal control room to operate the glacier course and speed, normally moves a d6 inches a year but can speed to d6 yards per hour, easily destroys most buildings

9 Snow covered pits (d4 1=deeper level slide 2=icicles 3=water 4=mud and gravel)

10 Moving ice walls, doors, floors and ceilings in sections

11 Magic mirror walls (d4 1=conjure evil duplicates 2=portal to prison pocket worlds 3=causes mutations 4=release trapped creatures)

12 Any who die here are animated as undead if bodies left overnight, usually of a type tainted with cold or ice power

Ballroom drama thoughts and playtest

We played through a ballroom session and did some learnificating. 

I think you should have perhaps 4 love interests per character
Id say perhaps 2 hours with 4 dances is plenty in a game, perhaps 8 for a longer session
Give every player a dance card and have a d4+CHA bonus requests early
I also use encounters per character each hour and make players roll them

Players ended up getting caught up with ball guests from encounters and had to skip dances. 
They ended out people staring at them and seething nobles they have had issues with before. Lots of people watch and judge you here and suspicious activities.

Dance Customs
Dancing with the same person twice is flirtatious and gets gossip going
You can refuse a dance if your card is full at that time, or you dont dance at all 
You're expected to share yourself around and be a good sport
Older courtly dances are arms apart, with lines of partners
Modern scandalous dancing holds bodies together, and the church may object
Perhaps some married or engaged persons will dance, but mostly it is a form of speed dating and is intended to lead to courtship and marriage
Dont waste people's time dancing with your siblings or relatives

You can chat with whom you dance with or try and chat with other dancers on the floor but a bit more broken. Enough to gossip or threaten or insult or flirt.

The older courtly dances have couples break into lines and you end up holding hands with same sex for parts of the dance. So you might get some conversation or vibes from these partners. But other places let anyone dance with anyone and just judge your clothes and dancing and manners.

Showboating with your amazing solo can embarrass your dancing partner. 

Id pre roll lots of guests to interact with. Maybe I need a d100

Some of the players' encounters flowed into each other

Gamelog for my Ravenloft Hawksmire game

So tonight we had as characters:

Newly titled Halfling Ratrump in hoot high pumps and a a foot high feathered hat on his 1000gp gem encrusted outfit. Has his pet Grimalkin, snake and piglet in gem encrusted prams with own attendant and legal heirs. Also had his personal spliff roller for marsh weed.

Alan, the halfling bard dressed in high heels and nipple covers as Ratrumps herald. Has been on tour of the Island.

GlumpGlump the musical 8 foot tall goliath zelot barbarian. Wears a bejewelled loincloth and a huge ruff. Ratrump insist he is his personal eunuch. Glump Glump got a sparkly pillow so Ratrump could ride him. He carries three rancid heads on his belt he insists on terrifying guards with.

"Didnt we bury them heads," asked Threekay the dwarf cleric.
"These are new ones" replied GlumpGlump.

Anel the dark elf cleric of light with her white orchid spider wearing a gold hat. Whe wears a spectacular yellow orange red holy symbol of light number with coat tails and lots of lots of buttons. She is Ratrumps' spiritual advisor who mostly looks disappointed. She just was given a church and the old priest then ran away.

Threekay in blue robes of his church with a huge ruff. He is Ratrumps' Confessor who gets to roll his eyes lots. He has been building a church in Chumwater and is usually the sensible one.

They spent the afternoon seeing what mayors they should see and used Augry to help choose who. Apparently, the werewolves are not impressed. The mayor of CHumwater the party home base, was coming with them. They had a fancy new carraige and a driver. Went to palace and moved to back of line. Parked in courtyard and entered via the red carpet with guards and footmen everywhere. They got in line as a group to be presented to Lady Chrysopasia the Domain Lord. Some mean old toffs sneered at party vulgarity and GlumpGlump wanted to attack a snooty old woman on a palenquin.

Chrysopasia met party cleaning up after butchering a deer in front of them fresh from a hunt. Alan as the herald sung and danced announcing Ratrump and his enterage. She was quite friendly and commented she was glad to see them in the flesh. She told GlumpGlump to save a dance for her. She said she wanted a meeting with party in her private chambers later. She was pretty nice and welcomed them.

From the reception to dinner most of the party performed like posh nobs with table manners as per the Mayor's briefings. Except GlubGlub who slurped and pigged out. When he stood up he had tucked a tablecloth for a 100 seat table in his loincloth. Anel tried to burn him free and it sort of didn't end in disaster. Allan made a raucous laugh and got some looks but explained he was imitating some boorish cretin and it worked. Anel perspired while watching the crowds dancing but dried iff with fire.

The hunter of the year prize was given and GlubGlub yelled he could do better. People got rowdy and halberd-wielding footmen appeared. The party calmed the barbarian maniac down. Then The enoblement occured and Her ladyship knobled Ratrump and he made the vassal lord oath to the domain. Glubglub tried again to butt in but people kept him at bay. I threatened to skip to the TPK and start a new game next session.

Ratrump met a cool pretty guy in the smoking room and danced with him. Then a shy debutant and skilled gossip asked for a dance. Then to another dance with a smoker who was a bit of a borechap. He got an invited to a thrill seeking noble hunting lodge. He stole show at one point when he bribed the band and did a solo dance. While doing it he spied an assassin, danced with him, stole his dagger and informed the target. All in a snappy musical number. Others saw assassin taken to dungeon.

Allan was more concerned with the guests and saw a man who mocked Chrysopasia get escorted to the dungeon. Allan sneaked outside down a drainpipe and peeked in the dungeon to see them whipped and thrown out of the grounds naked.

Anel saw some creep drug a woman and take her to the balcony for air. Anel spied through the curtains and he sprouted fangs so she turned and burned him badly. The creature crawled dowm the wall and resisted a hold person spell. She sent her spider to spy on the vampire thrall.

GlupGlup danced with a old orc grandma and she spoke of her swineherd and vast tracts of wasteland. She was from the Pig orc tribe but also partly from the vanished necromancer orc clan. Other orcs were impressed by Glump and got him into drinking kegs until Chrysopasia came for a dance. She swung the 8 foot tall barbarian and spun him in the air with ease. He was pretty impressed. How tall is she? Six foot two. Others treated GlumGlump with awkward approval after all his etiquette fumbles earlier.

Threekay saw some grump and went to see why he was spyng on party. He wore a black outfit with green fire patterns like those village cultists the party massacred. Threkay danced with him the two men muttering abuse. He also danced with a nice dwarf maid with a luscious purple beard. Later, a rich-looking older dwarf woman made it clear she would see him for gems or jewellery.

The party had a private meeting with her Ladyship in her study dressed in her hunting outfit again. She gave them the bill for all the murders of townsfolk and the fiery massacre of a police station and freak show tent by Anel the LG priestess of light in a moments of panic. When her calm spell didn't work as well as she hoped she had to burn tho guards to death and incinerate their corpses. The party gasped a bit at a nearly 10k bill but they would be safe from reprisals. She welcomed them to the island and for them to grow in power to be better challenges. Ratrump felt like she wanted to hunt them when they were more of a threat. She mentioned a relative had helped them gain a dark gift to the domain and GlubGlub wondered if she meant that dragon in the swamp who let them go if they drank one of three dark chalices. Sometimes he was clever.

 After the ball, Anel slipped off to hunt vampires and party grabbed weapons from the carriage and followed her. She had a bit of a death wish from all this responsibility and meeting the domain ruler. They caught up with her scouting the house with her spider. Ratrump squeezed through window bars while the rest followed GlumpGlump with a silence spell to run through doors. Found crypt with a open stone sarcophagus with the burned vamp thrall from the ball. There was aother fancy coffin and Ratrump opened it partly and got ready to stab anything moving. Anel fireballed the coffins almost frying Ratrump. The thrall died and the senior sub vamp arose to get stabbed by Ratrump. The party finished them and three more thralls arived who got blasted by Allan with a harsh chord. Threekay did swing his holy flail a bit but was unlucky outside of some petty healing.

Killed them all and found a stash of silver and a book with letters of the vampire revolution. Was a fun and silly session. Made contacts, future engagements and some possible dates.

6-Room Dungeon magic mansion revision 4

Original Series
1 Redbrick + Update 1
2 Goblin Mine + Update 2
3 Gothic Tomb + Update 3
4 Magic Mansion
5 Glacial Chasm
6 Jungle Shrine
7 Underland Cavern
8 Auldwood Grove
9 Sunken City
10 Desert Ruin
11 Eldritch Monolith
12 Hell Gate

mapping your 6 room dungeon 

Environment 
Dungeon Defence Conditions

d12 Sounds & Smells

d12 Rumours

d12 Missions

d12 Factions
d12 Allies 
d12 Enemies
d12 Special Treasure

d12 Special Feature 

Environment
Built environment of great wealth, a palace for a rich dynasty. May be immaculate with fine decor, or run-down from a degenerate dynasty of the rich. Might even lean into a gothic tomb. Some are cursed or highly magical. Many have unusual follies, secret doors and puzzle locked secrets. 

Dungeon Defence Conditions
5 DEFCON Blue - Peace 1in12 encounters
-quiet, possibly with distant music, servants or unseen spirits working
4 DEFCON Green - Increased intelligence 2in12 encounters
-guards at main doors, alarms ready
3 DEFCON Yellow - War Ready 3in12 encounters
-gates and doors barred and locked, guarded chokepoints and patrols

2 DEFCON Red - Ready to deploy 4in12 encounters
-bell or claxon chiming, VIP guarded and locked away, guards patrol grounds 

1 DEFCON White - Total war imminent 6in12 encounters

-supernatural and magic defences, guards and magic traps

d12 Sounds & Smells

1 Servant's bell rings
2 Floral or tree scents

3 Distant music (horn, harp, violin, harpsichord)

4 Smell of delicious food

5 Opera singing

6 Echoes of gossip or muttering

7 Creaking noise in wall

8 Marching footsteps of guards or servants

9 Scent of perfumed candles or soap

10 Distant sobbing or moan

11 Cold chill passes

12 Musty stale air or dust

d12 Rumours

1 There is something unnatural about that house; many never leave 
2 The mansion dwellers are an odd sort with the taint of faerie folk on them 

3 Wizards made those walls, it's an unnatural place best shunned

4 Sometimes you just can't find it as if it were swallowed by the mists

5 They used to have strange balls up there with all kinds of strangers

6 One of the masters up there was involved in a dreadful business, lots of murders

7 Such a romantic place, I wish I could see inside just once

8 There is a fortune in that place just lying about with only soft, weaklings to defend it

9 Strange carriages are seen going there regularly

10 Sometimes a butler comes from the manor to buy some children to be maids and footmen

11 They say some areas are long abandoned and haunted 

12 We see strange lights from up thar house, tis a fearsome place 

d12 Missions

1 A glistening manicure has been seen glimmering in the distance. Who owns it?
2 Deliver these documents or artworks to this mansion on this map 

3 There was a ruin of a manor house in this area, they say

4 You have dreamed several nights of a strange mansion, and now you sense it is near

5 You receive an invitation to a mansion for a reward of some kind for your great deeds

6 Someone you know last reported investigating the strange house

7 A mysterious family or wizard built a house, and people have not seen them in years

8 The shunned house is said to have a relic inside, greatly needed in these times

9 You discover your inheritance! A lawyer gives you a map to locate your kin and share

10 A love interest was invited to the house and has not been seen since

11 A patron offers a title to a mansion and estate instead of gold, a bargain

12 The crown hires you to investigate this undocumented so called nobles

d12 Factions

1 Rich, decadent old family with many accomplished spell wielders and magic servants
2 Sylvan beings imprisoned in a magic art or greenhouse or guests

3 Monsters and magic livestock from a menagerie, surviving ones cooperating

4 Magical artificial life servants and guards, like living statues or spectral constructs

5 Spectral minions, spirits of once living or illusory phantasms made permanant

6 Guests summoned here, possibly trapped and allied, but one is a secret murderer

7 Religious order visit to cleanse the house of spirits and curses

8 Cruel cursed nobles, their servants, guards and pets

9 Shapeshifters appearing as nobility might be doppelgangers, spirit folk or planar

10 Undead elders of the clan seeking life to convert, eat or steal living bodies

11 Planar beings and cultists trapped

12 Vampire lord and thrall minions seek to take control

d12 Allies

1 A familiar spirit can spy ahead
2 An imp or hellcat offers diabolic tips

3 Adventurer party trapped

4 Benevolent spirit in form of an animal or tiny folk

5 Servants, living or magic

6 Faerie or sylvan folk who want out

7 Benevolent shape shifter

8 Sentient statue or construct

9 Sentient household objects or artworks

10 Ghost hides in an artwork and might offer entry

11 Cherabim or Fascinus spirit

12 Lost child has seen some stuff

d12 Enemies
1 Living statues, golems or other magic constructs defend the house
2 Gargoyles living or golems defend the house
3 Spectral minions of guards and servants, some more free-willed and stronger
4 Human guards with halberds and crossbows in good armour

5 Mimics and doppelgangers 

6 Cults seeking lost magic lore 

7 Magic household items or toys exploring house

8 Faerie folk noble party with non elf guards and pets

9 Undead but possibly non-corporeal kinds or disguised or long-dead residents forgotten

10 Wizard noble with servant or pets

11 Knights on a quest

12 Planar shapeshifters in human form seeking escape

d12 Special Treasure

1 Duelling pistol or sword with gems in the handle

2 Fabulous gold and silver carriage clocks

3 Fine porcelain vases from a far-off land

5 Bird in a gilded cage

6 Tea set of fine porcelain

7 Boxes of exotic narcotics and pipes

8 Wine bottles that refill each dawn, find a d6 at a time

9 Gold locket with portrait, one of a pair, allows long-distance messages to be sent

10 Items of magic clothing +1 CHA or other effects

11 Unicorn horn cup neutralises poison inside

12 Love potion vial with d4 doses, victims fail save or woozy and gullible for an hour

d12 Special Feature 

1 Crypt under the house spawns spirits, poltergeists, shadows, and other non-material undead

2 Time in the house follows faerie logic and may trap inhabitants

3 The house has a spirit which controls magical effects, traps and alarms

4 The house is maintained by the will of a wizard, and killing them causes the house to shake

5 unnatural corridor loops from warped time and space, floorplan folds on itself weirdly 

6 Automatons so old they have become self-aware and questioning existence

7 Full of sentient objects around the house, including food service and artwork items

8 Dressing as a rich dandy makes automated house threats and guards think you belong

9 Insanity effect relic, inflicts the inhabitants with madness, new intruders have hours to resist

10 Benevolant shrine, a solace from violance and threats but dont dare rob it

11 Artworks such as paintings or tapestries, or murals, can be entered, and spirits within can be interacted with. They are time-looping scenes of the past. Might be a food source

12 When you enter a room after clearing it before, it has been restored minus any treasure you took. Beings inside wont remember you

Ravenloft Hawksmire

Had a good game of my Ravenloft setting where my Domain Hawksmire has been the real campagn setting all along. Now all party have dark gifts. Our youngest player has been getting bolder and on one hand wants to revive enemies often up to 3 times a fight but also fireball at close range and burning hands in wooden slum full of garbage. Glubglub the Barbarian bard got the party in trouble for waving severed head bundles about in public. Ratrump the Halfling is a dirty bastard rogue with lots of magic and poison blades. The new cleric of light a a reformed dark elf. Threekay the Dwarf cleric who has been fairly indifferent to suffering, is now starting to think he has some duty to local dwarves and other people. GlubGlub had flu and was quite to preserve his lovley singing voice for songs about orc decapitation.  

Party arived at Hawksmire, the capital town of the island, with a population of 4000ish. Got inside and performed a hunt to get into the hunters' guild to immigrate into the population rather than be treated like outsiders or peasants. While in the in planning what to do, everyone except Ratrump voted no to anything with magic beans after the pyramid incident. Ratrump was playing with his magic bag and noticed his pampered piglet was afraid of the bag. So they took it to the privy to empty out whatever evil was inside and creepy, long-limbed Bagman horror stepped out. Was a dangerous battle, and the bathroom was singed. They tipped the attendant and cast repair on the wall a few times, accidentally filling in a glory hole.

Locals in the tavern who were joking about Bagman moments before saw some flashes and heard an unearthly scream. The bag seemed ok now but PIg still wont go near it. Barman told them of a ward elector of the slumbs reports disappearances and offers the undying love of the people if they help. So they drank more and headed off to meet the man and get a briefing. Went walking around the block seeking homless being preyed abon. Gave some of them money to stay in an inn. The Ratrump dressed as an urchin to be bait realised he could also could climb walls and the rooftops to look about. The light cleric summoned a radient orchid spider familiar and screamed because she hated spiders and it was her first time using the spell. The spider made a good spy. Threekay hung back prefering to buff enemies.

They found a strange scrawny hairless cat creature on the roof that seemed intelegent and Ratrump gave it food and it followed him. He pulled rats out of his magic hat for it.

They found in one alley a strange man in a coat rocking about with some dead dogs. Drow light priest spoke to him and the guy was a were-stirge horror and that coat was his leathery wings. Under his arm flaps were normal stirges feeding of him. A pesky fight and some fire in tightly packed wooden alley with trash everywhere. Killed monsters then worked on puttoing out fire. Some homeless grabbed roast stirges. Ratrump peed on the fire to "help". Everyone had stirges sucking their blood. Ratrumps funny cat killed one with glowing claws. The light priest used her crappiest cloak. This looked good when law and firemen arrived, and the party were exonerated of blame. Some repair spells helped. The creature had a burned journal about how it tried to resist. The light priest stabilised the creature and cast remove curse, healing it. Threekay tied it up, and the law complained the monster would be better to hunt for sport than some old man who might be sort of innocent. Off to the courthouse to await trial with comments from characters taken as testimony.

Later found a man hiding who warned them of a creaking wagon making people vanish. So they all hid, and sure enough, the creaking wagon came. The light priestess in her ratty burned cape was lured with food into the wagon by a strange, scarred man. The spider familiar jumped on the creep's back. The wagon set off and Ratrump and his cat climbed under the wagon. It went into a stable in an alley next to the wall keeping the poor from the rich. They went inside and confronted the strange man who was some kind of fiend, a man-stabbing machine who slashed the party and mad some fear for their lives. Killed it and moved through a secret door into a townhouse of a noble. Some kind of armoured wizard was levitating in iron magic armour, so the light priestess fireballed him. Rest of the party piled and killed the warped weird wizard who battled them with some kind of arcane blade. A fireball damaged books and an alchemy lab. Luckily, this building was brick. 

So they found the property deeds, the lord's dead-end family tree, his documents of nobility so Ratrump in his best outfit, claimed to be the long lost son of the weird magician so he is now a Lord. Party is happy to settle in and continue adventuring. Interested in killing Chrysopasia the Domain Lord. GlubGlub wants to plunder serpent folk ruins for cash.

There is a hunter's ball on where Chrysopasia will attend soon...

----------------------------

Hawksmire
Domain of thirst for the hunt
Darklord: Lady Chrysopasia Drakon
Genres: Folk Horror, Cosmic Horror, Dark Fantasy

Hallmarks: Bloodthirsty hunts, isolated communities, lingering darkness
Mist Talisman: Hunter's horn, cloak, hat or hunting trophy

Hawksmire is a hidden, mist-shrouded island where stranges wash ashore from many worlds, saved from drowning but damned by the lords of dread. There are many coastal villages on the coast influenced by strange cults. The core of the island is a forested hilly region with Hawkmire town in the centre. Between the woods and coasts, orcs roam, limiting trade and commerce. There are those who know how to navigate the coasts by worshipping a great Anglerfish goddess. They also use underground tunnels all over the island to travel past orc scrutiny. Everyone on the island is obsessed with hunting, and great hunters get more respect than anyone other than the Domain lord.

Noteworthy Features

Hawksmire is an island in a sea of mist where outsiders arive mostly by sea. The domain draws in the wicked and the damned near death on the sea. Fog and dangerous grey soupy seas surround the island populated by seamonsters, fueding fish folk and a great lamprey fish god who eats ships whole.

The coasts are rough and swampy but their are villages operating wharfs atound the coast. The inner region is a wasteland of hills and plains with highways linking the villages to the City in the centre. The inner region has dangerous wolves, killer hogs and orc tribes. Their are five tribes all serving christopasia. A sixth of necromancer death cultists was killed by the other tribes a generation ago who were very fearsome. The orcs limit trade to certain monopolies who use of roads and tax the villagers.

Their are also undergroud ancient highway tunnels linking villages and the city but mostly they are dangerous and goblin infested. Smugglers know their own secret safe routes and can sail the coasts without being eaten by the great Angler fish godess. The smugglers are based in Anglers Harbour as is the Anglerfish godess cult. 

The central region is forested full of wild and strange beasts and hunters persuing them. In the middle is the City of Hawksmire.

Settlements & Sites

Hawksmire City is the city of Hunters ruled by Crysopasia from her palace. Their are X districts around the palace and walls and gates divide them. Strangers will only let in islandborn or guild members. You can apply to a guild with a test and a payment. The hunters guild, bards guild, wizards guild, mercenaries guild, merchants guild are the most common and have various tests and quests to join. The hunters guild hall is outside the city near the hunters district so you can get a test without entering the city or hiring a middleman. Districts include: Merchant (markets & shops), Guild (guilds, crafts, workshops), Hunters (butchers, stables, hunters lodges), Orctown (orcs and goblin district) Slumtown (poorest workers) and the Nobles district that surrounds the Palace district.

Chumwater is a decrepid village once thralls to the cult of the fish god Dagon. Their are many abandoned houses and catacombs. A goblin village acts as a buffer between humans and orcs just outside the village. Locals are wary and bitter and hungry. Many are cultists and are granted fish and gold from the fish folk.

Anglers Harbour is a thriving village serving the Anglerfish Goddess. Male visitors risk being chosed as a husband of the goddess and carried out to sea to merge with her as just a face with thousands of other. Otherwise the village is quite friendly. The smuglers here can move your goods around the island on a weekly anticlockwise trip or know secret underground dwarf roads that are mostly safe.

Ealdwell is town of wizards and artisans where quaint bookish cottage folk dwell. Some report a loss of memory and some so badly they are sent to the local asylum for such victims. Locals are proud of the local shine of a wizard who bound a tentacled toad beast in the village well long ago. Many locals speak of the faeries quite often.

Greywater is a primordial swampy village where strange prehistoric marine scorpions and trilobytes dwell. Mutants dwell in the swamp and locals hunt and and kill them. Some were former humans but many small ones under a yard seem to spawn from the earth itself. The locals love mutnat whacking and the mayor a hulking stern old fashoned fellow keeps local law and order by himself unarmed.

Burning Hill is a mining town with a sizable dwarf minority. A pleasnt terraced hill has a fence around it and the cottages of the ruling mine owners. These wealthy comfortable folk perform rites in their fenced comunity and learn arcane secrets.

Wolfmire is a town of rough woodland hunters. Many locals have tamed wolves and outsiders are unwelcome. Many strangers are attacked by werewolves. Many locals serve Chrysopasia as her personal guard.

Swinewater is a town of wretched debter workers and flamboyant huge rich folk who feast all day and are even carried by their servants. The locals love their pigs and lavish them with bejewled outfits and even wheel piglets about in prams. The poor seem wretched and wait on the pigs and rich. The rich enjoy novelities, strangers and new stories of hillarious escapades. Pig lovers are always welcome so take care not to hurt or spurn a friendly pig.

Fever Bay is a swampy village famous for snake cults. They are famous for wearing few clothes, gold jewelery and snake tatoos. They are very festive and welcom guests.  Their are ancient serpant folk ruins in the swamps full of undead and snake bog mummies.

Lady Chrysopasia Drakon

The domain lord Chrysopasia is famed as the iron grip ruler of the island, a great beauty and famous huntress. She hunts daily and many see her on their travels daily. Her fine palace is also home to her servants and her wolf guard of elite hunter riders. Sometimes she is seen at night with a wolf pulled chariot heading to the forest to hunt. They say she seldome sleeps and has vast treasures and stuffed creatures in her palace.

Chrysopasia's Powers & Dominion

The domains existance is predicated on the hunt. The more you hunt the higher your status and aura. Hunters are heroes and celebrated in arts and culture of the city. Many die on dangerous hunts and rapidly replaced. Many locals feel a hunger to kill and see blood. The compulsion to eat prey and make trophies is visible on clothing, jewellery and home decor. People bet on hunters and animal fights. A cat chasing a rat will draw a crowd and bets and the hero beast will be rewarded with cream.

Locals may also hunt humans and criminals are often set loose for a mob to hunt. If a famous criminal the best hunters will be called to hunt the criminals. On festivals the jobless will be rounded up and dressed as blackbirds to be hunted for a charity event. Men may invoke bloodhunts on their enemies or just duel. Hunting contests may be used to prevent duels and nobles deaths if their peers step in. Nobles are given titles for hunting deeds so they hunt constantly and teach their children to do the same to inherit their goods. 

Chrysopasia is a 20th Lv ranger and 14th Lv wizard. She has a blood drinking sentient sword named Woundmaker. Her Wolfguard are werewolves and they will sometimes pull her night chariot. Her horse is really a nighmare named Umbra, bound to this demiplane. If killed she sheds her humanity and is reborn as an ancient shadow dragon. Her moods alter weather for the island turning skies grey or dark with clouds when moody or storms if enraged. Those she marks as prey she can spy on with a crystal ball in her treasury. SHe has magic items that are disguises. She may gift a valuable trinket or magic item of clothing to someone which helps her scryings. 

Chrysopasia's Torment
Chrysopasia was a cruel rich noble who hunted villagers and her suitors for sport and skinned them alive. Her lust for treasure was notorious and it is said she liked to sleep on her vast hoard. Drawn into this domain as its ruler, she led the orcs to take over rapidly several hundred years ago but it seems like forever. 

She must hunt and kill to maintain her beauty daily or her skin sloughs off revealing black scales. She is terrified of this effect and being revealed so she spends all her spare hours hunting and killing. Hunting adventurers is her gretaest delight and she may let them live to grow more challenging several times. If she is reduced to zero hitpoints she burns with silver flames and black smoke revealing her Shadow Dragon form. By hunting and devouring a victim then sleeping on her treasure pile she restores her human form.

Adventure in Hawksmire

Each village is potential a place of mystery and conflict and local weird cults are common. 

Crossing the wastes and exploring the island offers months of adventure as they visit each village. Exploring your own underground highway routes provides adventure and a shortcut from orcs in the waste.

Chrysopasia's Hunts
Daily she hunts and you might become her target. She may spy on them with some magic treasure in her palace at first and may disguise herself to get a look at them. It is likley officials and orcs will have been killed by adventurers. Adventurers may also earn respect for killing famous monsters. It is possible adventurers with wanted posters may be offered enoblement at a ball in the city. She will use this to meet adventurers and show she has been admiring them from afar. She will offer adventurers the chance to pay off any murders of civic officails with gold or service. She likes powerful minions she can keep near for future hunts. She may spare adventurers so they can grow to be a challenge. Risk is more delicious and makes her rejuvination last longer.

Exposing her true nature makes her turn up all opressions and cruelty. The island days grow shorter and weather is darker. She may just roam as a dragon eating people and use orc thugs to opress all. She may even revive the 6th orc tribe as undead.

I will detail the city and districts with tables next.

All my game stories out of sync sorry.
 

Hosting Your Fancy Balls

I did this for my weekly Ravenloft Hawksmire game.
Also, possibly running Pendragon and some Romantasy in future.
I realise now it fits into my magic-mansion genre work.
-Imagine this in Castle Amber

Have fun. I was 8 posts ahead and now im not. So it might be slow for a while as meatspace has improved for me.

1  Basic Balls

So roll on these tables and fabricate a wondrous ball.
You dont need to roll them all.

5 point method
-focus on 5 rooms
-have 5 interesting npcss (perhaps per room)

-have 5 big events spaced out over the event
-have 5 activities or problems 

d12 Celebrating?

1 Wedding
2 Holiday
3 Victory
4 Tournament or sport event
5 Investitude or ennoblement

6 Charity for some cause

7 Masquerade

8 Debutante

9 Hunt or contest 

10 Aniversary event 

11 Harvest

12 Birthday

d12 Hosts?
1 Merchant

2 Society

3 Charity

4 Guild
5 School
6 Order

7 Mayor

8 Rich foreigner

9 State official

10 Dame or knight

11 Barron or duke 

12 Royalty

d20 Other Features?

1 Tournament or contest

2 Feast or banquet

3 New construction or artwork

4 Latest dance fad

5 Ice or butter sculptures

6 Award for best dancer

7 New fashion craze

8 Eligibles looking for love

9 Themed decor theme

10 Celebrity guests

11 Diplomatic guests

12 Formal Announcement
13 Exotic foods
14 Foreign fantasy exotica theme 
15 Dance recital

16 Live concert

17 Bard or poet contest

18 Public duel or martial display

19 Performing magician

20 Old creeps here to meet youths

2 Guests

d12 Common Groups of Guests
1 Debutant youths at first ball as adults

2 Youths starting careers and notoriety
3 Young engaged couples
4 Newlywed couples
5 Extended clan members
6 Respectable citizens

7 Wild youths 

8 Pleasure seekers

9 Drama mongers

10 Intellectuals

11 Elder community leaders

12 Rickety elders 

d20 Guests Traits (+flip a coin)
1 Shy or flirty
2 Chaste or saucy
3 Kind or callous
4 Officious or mischievous
5 Kind or cruel
6 Forgiving or spiteful
7 Well-mannered or oafish boor
8 Controlled or impulsive
9 Generous or greedy
10 Learned or cretin

11 Cultured or cliched

12 Modern or dated
13 Immaculate or scruff
14 Fashionable or dreadful bore
15 Pious or apatheist
16 Indulgent or strict

17 Snob or social chameleon

18 Classy or crude

19 Talkative or quiet

20 Secretive or seeks a confidant

d12 Scandals & Secrets
1 Sordid affair

2 Financial ruin

3 Secret child

4 Corrupt money

5 Indulges in vice

6 Possibly a murder

7 Cheats and lies

8 Gullible

9 Scheming

10 Social faux pas

11 Cultist

12 Spy or agent

d12 Guest Interests
1 Gossip

2 Romantic

3 Hedonist

4 Politics

5 The fine arts

6 Poetry & Literature

7 Academia

8 Sports

9 Money

10 Status

11 Power

12 Influence

d12 Important Guests
1 War hero
2 Artist
3 Scholar
4 Poet
5 Athlete
6 Adventurer
7 Explorer
8 Banker
9 Merchant 
10 Philanthropist
11 Noble
12 Royal

d12 Strange Guests
1 Medium, seer or mystic

2 Heretic of a forbidden or unpopular sect

3 Cultist of evil otherworldly power 

4 A sneaky familiar spy

5 Haunting spirit 

6 Doppelgangers

7 Animal or nature spirit in human form

8 Faerie glamoured to appear human

9 Ghost or phantom

10 Lycanthropes

11 Vampires

12 Planar evil being in mortal form or appears to curse or threaten

d12 New Social Invitations

1 Boating trip

2 Games

3 Sports

4 Riding

5 Tea

6 Dinner

7 Holiday house

8 Hunt

9 Performance

10 Meet a famous person

11 Feast

12 Ball

d12 Trinket Things

1 Fan 

2 Opera glasses

3 Hip flask

4 Hankerchief

5 Hat pin

6 Pipe

7 Pillbox

8 Purse

9 Comb or brush

10 Hat

11 Poppet

12 Jewellery d4 1=ring 2=earing 3=bracelet 4=locket possibly with portrait or hair inside

d12 Secret Things
1 Love letter
2 Spicy chapbook

3 Forbidden potion
4 Political pamphlet

5 Book by a traitor
6 Cultist symbol
7 Treasure map

8 Combat plans

9 Conspiracy message

10 Coded or letter-locked note
11 Crooked dice or cards

12 Mysterious ornate key

d12 Magic Things 
1 Magic scroll ot tablet or runestone

2 Love potion

3 Poison potion

4 Invisibility potion

5 Silver +1 stilleto or hairpin

6 Spirit in a bottle

7 Duelling smallsword or flintlock or walking stick+1

8 Ring of spell storage 1x 1st Lv

9 Ring, fan or cape of protection +1

10 Ring of a dark lord

11 Cursed Scarab, figurine or gem

12 Diabolical wizard apprentice spellbook

3 Time

1 Reception 6-7pm
-Arrival on red carpet pat footmen and guards
-Guest check in with door staff, leave coats and grab a drink
- Pre-dinner drinks, canapés, music and costumed performers
-Guests announced and presented to the hosts
2 Formal Dinner 7-9pm
-Guests seated with a chime 
-MC, host and others make speeches and toasts

-Main course

3 Entertainment 9-12pm
-Desert and live entertainment
-Raffles, prizes, announcements
-Dance and band
-Late supper last dance and drinks
-Go home or some house guests may continue in smaller rooms 

4 Areas for Drama

d12 Main Rooms
1 Banquet hall

2 Parlour

3 Games room

4 Staircase

5 Restroom

6 Library or study 

7 Balcony

8 Conservatory

9 Trophy room

10 Stage or theatre

11 Chapel

12 Ballroom

d12 Downstairs Rooms
1 Servants room

2 Kitchen

3 Service Room

4 Backstage

5 Servants entry

6 Privy

7 Dumbwaiter

8 Stairs

9 Cellars

10 Pantry

11 Laundry

12 Coach house

d12 Grounds
1 Gatehouse & wall 
2 Stables
3 Greenhouse

4 Folly
5 Water feature or fountain

6 Temple

7 Gardeners shack
8 Garden beds

9 Hedges
10 Grassy field

11 Necropolis

12 Menagerie

d12 Hidden Secrets
1 Oubliette
2 Dungeon
3 Torture chamber

4 Shrine
5 Secret passage

6 Spyhole nook

7 Crypt

8 Love nest

9 Attic storage

10 Escape tunnel

11 Hidden vault

12 Long sealed room

5 Event Types

d10 Quick Event Types
1 Flirting
2 Dancing
3 Manners
4 Rivalry
5 Humiliation
6 Vice

7 Plots

8 Romance

9 Scandal

10 Supernatural

d100 Quick Event Types
01 Mysterious, attractive guest winks at you
02 Ladies with coded fluttering fans cast an alluring gaze
03 Attractive guests recite lines of verse for you
04 Requests to fill your dance card

05 Shy youth blushes at you and withdraws

06 Someone dropped a handkerchief near you

07 Creepy old noble drools at you and invites you to a quiet room

08 A wealthy noble with children who lost their spouse wants to meet you
09 Older person sends you a gift (d4 1=bouquet 2=jewellery 3=confection 4=trinket)

10 Youths follow you about giggling

11 Wardrobe malfunction on the dance floor

12 Exciting new dance
13 Guest band get fiesty

14 Clods tread on your feet several times on the dance floor

15 Someone tries to skip a place on your dance card

16 Opportunity for some solo dance feat on the dance floor
17 Fierce competition on the dance floor

18 Whispered taunts on the dance floor

19 VIP asks to dance

20 Cad tries to steal your dance partner

21 Test of correct dining etiquette

22 Disrespected someone of higher status

23 Made an embarrassing bodily sound

24 Lost a button or tore loose a thread

25 Slipped over or tripped?

26 Caughed up a morsel or canapé

27 Made a false identification of wine or morsel

28 Perspired for a moment

29 Vulgar laugh

30 Tell an inappropriate story or joke

31 Snob wants to humiliate you
32 Bully wants to make trouble for you for fun

33 Challenged to contest (d4 1=game 2=sport 3=dance 4=poetry)

34 Rambling old person tells you off for some reason

35 Old grump hates your type and wants to enjoy your suffering

36 Peer thinks your a romantic rival

37 Peer thinks your up to no good

38 Gossip spreads stories about you

39 Shunned love interest tells lies about you

40 Suspicious peer wants to learn about you
41 Someone loses a trinket
42 Someone feints and needs attention

43 Someone embarrassingly drunk and indiscreet

44 Foolish duel challenge

45 Fueding guest expose shocking secret in public

46 Embarrassing letter stolen

47 Secret lovers exposed in public

48 Legal threats made

49 Rich bullies plot some game with guest victim

50 Drunks have a fight

51 See a pickpocket
52 Theiving servant or performer

53 Gamblers prey on idiot

54 Charletan offers colourful magic potions
55 Implausible investment scheme on offer

56 Offers of jewels for sex

57 Overhear criminal deal

58 Factions fued in public
59 Drug sales used for coercion

60 Sharing naughty parchments banned by church

61 Blackmail plot

62 Assassin in disguise targets a guest

63 Overhear whispering plotters

84 Eavesdroppers spying on guests

65 See a stranger making magical gestures when they think they are unseen

66 Someone recruiting for a political faction

67 Someone sharing political pamphlets

68 Someone shows a print of the slanderous illustration of a VIP

69 Someone discusses giving the poor rights and political power

70 Someone advocating to free a political prisoner

71 See a perfectly desirable peer with much in common

72 A stranger sends you a letter via a servant to meet in quiet place
73 Dance with someone who was so dreamy you teared up

74 Dance with a mysterious stranger who whispered something about your past before flitting away

75 An abusive cad bullies a beautiful, teary youth who looks at you with deep moist eyes

76 Someone briefly rubbed against you and winked at you in a dance

77 Multiple admirers compete for your attention and for the chance to please you, some might even duel to win

78 Meet with a stranger who makes you feel squiffy but they are in unhappy marraige

79 Several admirers of different factions admire you, if you pick one other factions know

80 Meet a wonderful stranger trapped in a terrible relationship, they are pressured to keep up

81 Someone is revealed to be related do someone of shocking nobility

82 Leader falls ill, making many speculate wildly

83 Noble exposed engaged in vice and has public loss of honour 

84 Love affair exposed, resulting in shouting and a duel

85 Guest seized and arrested and taken to prison to await trial

86 Guest exposes secret lineage of a VIP

87 Guest drunk and embarrassing and shunned by other guests

88 Guest tries to shame others to join a fight in a foreign land for a cause

89 Guest killed in a disgraceful manner, who dunnit?

90 Letters expose a guest as a dastard and possible traitor

91 Medeum, seer or prophet issues a forecast for the next year

92 An evil cult infiltrated guests is up to something or recruiting with vice

93 A guest is a member of a forbidden sect and is trying to recruit ppl
94 A shapeshifter has a disguise failure after meeting many people and dazzling guests with wit and charm (d4 1=doppelganger 2=lycanthrope 3=sprirt animal 4=faerie 5=dragon 6=planar being)

95 Witch familiar seen spying and pranking guests (might be invisible)

96 Someone screams as they saw a spirit haunting the estate

97 Some guests perform a seance or some magic ritual

98 Someone finds a mauled corpse with missing chunks of flesh and lots of blood

99 Hag appears to warn guests of a curse on the land or some VIP

100 Villainous spellcaster not invited comes anyway to cause trouble