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 Crypts of the Deepening Moon for Pathfinder/3.5
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Cards77
Senior Scribe

USA
745 Posts

Posted - 11 Jan 2019 :  19:20:52  Show Profile Send Cards77 a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
My friend and I are working on fleshing out this site as it has never really been covered in detail.

Credit for the intro goes to: phasai and Snowblood

I have started on detailing the first two areas:

Crypts of the Deepening Moon
In the depths of Ardeep Forest lie the Crypts of the Deepening Moon—the royal vaults of ancient Ardeep—which are said to hold the remains of many Laranlor’s and Laranlas, as well as the fabulous Elven artefacts with which they were interred. These rumors of great wealth draw many mercenary adventuring bands, some of which have been hired by Water deep’s various noble houses to plunder the crypts. But since the crypts are guarded by a trio of moon elf baelnorns and a legion of watchnorns and green wardens that inhabits the surrounding woods, no such expedition has ever returned.

These tombs are built within several large barrows, A giant blueleaf, wierwood and shadowtop trees grows all over mounds completely blocking the entrances with their hugs roots. The tombs are all relatively intact save for the invasion of tree roots, and the vagaries of wind and rain. The warding magics are subtle and strong and the Green Wardens and Watchnorns guarding the barrows are very much aware and alive. Beings walking past the barrows or stopping by to pay respects at a small shrine near the entrance is ignored by the watchers but any attempt to dig is met with swift and brutal reprisal. Once past the entrance chamber and Mortuary chapel, large stone coffins flank a central open pathway of each barrow, their tops carved into life like effigies of elves of both sexes. This area is lit by a permanent amber continual light, emanating from now failing continual light lamps. At the far end of the path is a large mausoleum sealed with an arched stone door.

Barrow 1 Map Key

1.) Entrance Hall: this chamber is the entrance to the barrow. It leads from the surface via a short hallway (just off the Southern edge of the map). The entrance hall at first seems to be simply an out of the way place for a minor shrine to the Seldarine where a mighty elven kingdom once stood. The entrance hall is inside the barrow and out of the elements offering travelers a small place to pay their respects and seek shelter if needed.

The shrine conceals a secret door that leads into the barrow. The secret door is trapped with a symbol of insanity (see below).
Description: The smell of old stone and damp earth welcomes you as you open the door into this low entrance hall.

The entrance hall is approximately 40 feet long and 30 feet wide. The ceiling is low (8’). Remarkably, no mold or moss grows on the stones. The high quality of the stonework here is evident. The room is empty save for small offerings and trinkets left at the small shrine to the Seldarine at the back of the hall. The hall is completely silent. A sense of foreboding permeates the atmosphere.

Skill checks: Appraisal DC 20: Nothing of particular value though a few of the jewelry pieces are worth up to 50 gp.

Knowledge (Engineering) DC 20: The stones were the work of elven masterwork masons in an ancient style.

Knowledge (Religion) DC 15: The motif on the shrine clearly venerates the Seldarine (Elven Pantheon).

Perception DC 15: The small shrine to the Seldarine is situated against the back wall opposite the entrance. Several small gifts have been left by travelers who have stopped to venerate the Elven Pantheon. Most of the items are dried flowers, beads, minor gems and jewelry, holy symbols, scrolls and writings, candles and the like.

Perception DC 30: A secret door is hidden behind the shrine. It must be pushed inward and slid in order to be opened. Anyone touching the door triggers the symbol of insanity.
Any PCs searching for traps near the secret door must succeed on a Perception DC 33 to notice the symbol and Disable Device DC 33 to avoid triggering it.

Symbol of Insanity
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level:
Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8

Saving Throw:
Will negates

This spell functions like symbol of death, except that all creatures within the radius of the symbol of insanity instead become permanently insane (as the insanity spell).
Unlike symbol of death, symbol of insanity has no hit point limit; once triggered, a symbol of insanity simply remains active for 10 minutes per caster level.
Note: Magic traps such as symbol of insanity are hard to detect and disable. A rogue (only) can use the Search skill to find a symbol of insanity and Disable Device to thwart it. The DC in each case is 25 + spell level, or 33 for symbol of insanity.

2.) Mortuary Foyer: This dark hallway is 10 feet wide and circles the barrow. The walls are damp and covered with moss and lined with ancient elven stonework. Several secret doors open into various crypts on both walls of this hallway. Any creature entering Area 2 immediately and unknowingly comes under the effects of a mythal (see below) created by elven High Magic upon the consecration of this tomb centuries ago.

Skill Checks:
Knowledge (Engineering) DC 20: The stones were the work of elven masterwork masons in an ancient style.
Perception DC 30: Secret doors to individual crypts are hidden along both walls. For locations see barrow 1 map.
Active Mythal: anyone who continues past the secret door into Area 2 enters the active mythal surrounding the Crypts.
The mythal has a number of continual and contingency effects upon any living creature that enters or otherwise comes into contact with any areas within area 2 or beyond.
Continual effects: Any living creature within the mythal area is subject to the following spells and spell effects: magic circle against evil, hallow, fog cloud, invisibility purge, dimensional anchor and zone of truth.

In addition, all spells with the evil or necromancy descriptor automatically fail upon casting, unless that caster makes a DC 20 Spellcraft check and DC 30 caster level check.

The following spells fail automatically within the bounds of the mythal: raise dead, command undead, halt undead, turn undead, hide from undead, detect undead, create undead, disrupt undead, speak with dead, Astral Projection, Dimension Door, Gate, Etherealness, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport, and teleport without error.
Any items, spell-like abilities or other spells which duplicate similar effects to the spells above simply fail to activate.
Only a cleric of Corellon Latherian is not subject to the effects of the mythal.


RANDOM ENCOUNTERS: There are no keyed encounters in area 2, however:
Several tomb guardians patrol this corridor. There is a 10% chance every hour that the group is challenged by a random guardian. When an encounter occurs roll 1d6 on the table below:
1d6 result:
1 – Baelnorn
2 – 1d3 elven banshees
3 – 1d3 elven ghosts
4 – 1d3 elven phantasms
5 – Llorona
6 – 1d3 elven spectres

George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6638 Posts

Posted - 12 Jan 2019 :  23:56:43  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
So do you intend to run a campaign where your PCs rob elven tombs and then deal with the fallout?

— George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 13 Jan 2019 :  11:19:40  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
are Phasai and Snowblood not the same person. I don't know why I thought they were, but I did. Granted, I only know them via their PDF's and occasional chats here.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6638 Posts

Posted - 13 Jan 2019 :  14:12:01  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I thought they were the same person too.

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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Cards77
Senior Scribe

USA
745 Posts

Posted - 13 Jan 2019 :  18:52:04  Show Profile Send Cards77 a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

So do you intend to run a campaign where your PCs rob elven tombs and then deal with the fallout?

— George Krashos



I have no intention other than to detail a site that hasn't been detailed yet, as true as I can make it.

If any DM chooses to use this, then my line of thought is: it definitely won't be easy.
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Cards77
Senior Scribe

USA
745 Posts

Posted - 13 Jan 2019 :  18:52:48  Show Profile Send Cards77 a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

I thought they were the same person too.

-- George Krashos



I don't know who they are but wanted to give proper credit to he/she/them.
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 14 Jan 2019 :  18:44:39  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Cards77

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

I thought they were the same person too.

-- George Krashos



I don't know who they are but wanted to give proper credit to he/she/them.



Gotcha. I've wondered about the work "they" have done, as its pretty good, enough that I refer to it when I'm researching elven history.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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Brimstone
Great Reader

USA
3285 Posts

Posted - 15 Jan 2019 :  14:43:34  Show Profile Send Brimstone a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Yes Phasai and Snowblood are one and the same. What PDF is this Crypt in btw?

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep
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Cards77
Senior Scribe

USA
745 Posts

Posted - 15 Feb 2019 :  17:13:54  Show Profile Send Cards77 a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone

Yes Phasai and Snowblood are one and the same. What PDF is this Crypt in btw?



Ardeep Realm of the Moon by Phasai
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer

USA
2065 Posts

Posted - 15 Feb 2019 :  18:09:47  Show Profile  Visit ericlboyd's Homepage Send ericlboyd a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Here's what I have in UIA and (I think) in my old Waterdeep Environs article.

Crypts of the Deepening Moon
In the depths of Ardeep Forest lie the Crypts of the Deepening Moon, the royal vaults of ancient Ardeep. Said to hold the remains of many of Ardeep’s laranlors and laranlas, as well as many elven artifacts with which they were interred, the crypts are the target of frequent expeditions by mercenary adventuring bands hired to plunder them by Waterdeep’s various noble houses. As a trio of moon elven baelnorns (MoF) and a legion of green warders (MoF) in the surrounding woods guard the Crypts, no such expedition has ever returned.

Ideas for the names of the Laranlors / Laranlas are in the Lineage of Ardeep in UIA, which could presumably be used in magic item naming.

--Eric

--
http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/
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Cards77
Senior Scribe

USA
745 Posts

Posted - 20 Feb 2019 :  00:45:51  Show Profile Send Cards77 a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd

Here's what I have in UIA and (I think) in my old Waterdeep Environs article.

Crypts of the Deepening Moon
In the depths of Ardeep Forest lie the Crypts of the Deepening Moon, the royal vaults of ancient Ardeep. Said to hold the remains of many of Ardeep’s laranlors and laranlas, as well as many elven artifacts with which they were interred, the crypts are the target of frequent expeditions by mercenary adventuring bands hired to plunder them by Waterdeep’s various noble houses. As a trio of moon elven baelnorns (MoF) and a legion of green warders (MoF) in the surrounding woods guard the Crypts, no such expedition has ever returned.

Ideas for the names of the Laranlors / Laranlas are in the Lineage of Ardeep in UIA, which could presumably be used in magic item naming.

--Eric




Thank you! My new (bound) copy of UIA will be here tomorrow and I will begin working through the Lineage.

Would it impose upon you too much to ask you to review my work on the Crypts?

I want to do it justice per your vision and others.

It's going to be a very difficult location, so I do not know how much utility it may have for actual games.

But it could be an interested resource for higher level games, or even powerful solo PCs that specialize in tomb raiding.

Now that I've started it, I wonder how useful such a site would actually be to DMs.

But...I started it so I will finish it and use it in my own campaign.

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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer

USA
2065 Posts

Posted - 21 Feb 2019 :  23:27:00  Show Profile  Visit ericlboyd's Homepage Send ericlboyd a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hi,

I don't think there's any need to review what someone else does. The whole beauty of the Realms is to take what others have written and come up with your own interpretation.

That said, here's some ideas to inspire you.

I would start with the question, why are the PCs invading the tomb?

There are two types of PCs: those who are generally altruistic (heroic) and those that are truly mercenary and/or evil.

The second group is easy to write for. It's just like the tomb of an evil Netherese lich.. Beat the traps. Kill the bad guys. Take the treasure.

The first group is harder to write for, because presumably they don't want to be raiding the tomb of long-dead good-aligned elves.

So that suggests they are going there for a reason. A reason they can't otherwise satisfy. Perhaps to get information?

I would point to two ideas.

Idea #1: Look at the 5e rules for player "downtime". One of the things they might do is make a magic item. But they have to do "research" to do it. Let's say the PC wants to make a cloak and boots of elvenkind. Well, if you want to play out the "research" it could be that they deduce they need to talk to an elven wizard (alive or dead) who knows how to do it, and that there's a baelnorn who supposedly lives in the Crypt. So, the PCs need to bypass the initial traps and guardians to get in in order to reach the baelnorn to ask their question, but hopefully not despoil the tomb in doing so.

Complication: If there is a LN gold elf, with all the haughtiness and arrogance that you see in Ed's novels, standing guard, calling them pond scum, and telling them to get lost, what do they do? Nice ethical challenge.

Idea #2: A vast orc horde is swelling out of the North. Too much for the Lords Alliance to handle. Except someone figures out that the elves of Illefarn stopped such a horde before. How did they do it? Better go ask the baelnorn in the crypt.

Complication: The same elf is standing there. But now getting the information could mean life or death for thousands of lives. What do they do?

--Eric

--
http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/
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Cards77
Senior Scribe

USA
745 Posts

Posted - 23 Feb 2019 :  19:59:41  Show Profile Send Cards77 a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd

Hi,

I don't think there's any need to review what someone else does. The whole beauty of the Realms is to take what others have written and come up with your own interpretation.

That said, here's some ideas to inspire you.

I would start with the question, why are the PCs invading the tomb?

There are two types of PCs: those who are generally altruistic (heroic) and those that are truly mercenary and/or evil.

The second group is easy to write for. It's just like the tomb of an evil Netherese lich.. Beat the traps. Kill the bad guys. Take the treasure.

The first group is harder to write for, because presumably they don't want to be raiding the tomb of long-dead good-aligned elves.

So that suggests they are going there for a reason. A reason they can't otherwise satisfy. Perhaps to get information?

I would point to two ideas.

Idea #1: Look at the 5e rules for player "downtime". One of the things they might do is make a magic item. But they have to do "research" to do it. Let's say the PC wants to make a cloak and boots of elvenkind. Well, if you want to play out the "research" it could be that they deduce they need to talk to an elven wizard (alive or dead) who knows how to do it, and that there's a baelnorn who supposedly lives in the Crypt. So, the PCs need to bypass the initial traps and guardians to get in in order to reach the baelnorn to ask their question, but hopefully not despoil the tomb in doing so.

Complication: If there is a LN gold elf, with all the haughtiness and arrogance that you see in Ed's novels, standing guard, calling them pond scum, and telling them to get lost, what do they do? Nice ethical challenge.

Idea #2: A vast orc horde is swelling out of the North. Too much for the Lords Alliance to handle. Except someone figures out that the elves of Illefarn stopped such a horde before. How did they do it? Better go ask the baelnorn in the crypt.

Complication: The same elf is standing there. But now getting the information could mean life or death for thousands of lives. What do they do?

--Eric



Pure gold thank you!
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