The Grumpy Strumpet

I’ve put up a lot of pictures in various threads for this module, but I thought I would highlight CenB here so that random passers-by can see what is going on. I’ve written an extensive design doc, which is a little out of character for me, since I tend to design by feel, rather than with a script, but I thought I’s give it a try and see.

The design doc has allowed me to flesh out the city and the dungeons in a way that I feel gives the player more depth for a module that at it’s heart is a simple dungeon romp. I’ve been lucky that there is a lot of information available for the town and still enough open that I can go wild with dungeons. Here’s some excepts from the town lore:

Centaur Bridge is named for the stone bridge located nearby that traverses a large pond. Located within the Dancing Forest, it is surrounded by a thick white mist that seems to be ever-present. Centaur Bridge is also referred to as “Stone Village” due to the stone construction of its homes. Creepers and green moss cover most of these homes. Wooden constructions rot so quickly that they are totally unused within the town.

There is a legend of the vanished mansion. At the east end of Centaur Bridge, just off the Halondar, is an open cellar. The clearing is easily visible from the road on a day when the mists are not extremely thick, but it is always easy to find if one knows where to look, or pays a local guide. Legends claim that the mansion which once lay there was owned by Torst Habilar, a merchant from Alaghôn, more than 200 years ago.

Four years ago, the Company of the Shining Stars arranged for a financial backer from Sembia to back their search of the mansions vaults. That same company is also blamed with disturbing a great evil that consumed all but the party’s rogue, Emanuel Foreister. According to Emanuel, a creature resembling a deepspawn, a creature that gives birth to a variety of other monsters that it has eaten and attacked his party while they were opening a large stone sarcophagus. They fought a costly retreat as the party tried to make its way back to the entrance. Ultimately, the party’s priest, a holy man of Tymora, held off the deepspawn while Emanuel escaped.

Emanuel has since quit adventuring and moved to the city of Nimpeth. Once each year, on the anniversary of his friends’ deaths, he returns to Centaur Bridge to pay his respects. He also freely gives advice to other adventuring parties that seek to avenge his friends’ deaths, but he refuses to go back into the vaults.

This lore offers some great adventure hooks and the resulting dungeons under the ruins give a grim and strange picture of the madness that took over the merchant lord over 200 years ago. Centaur Bridge was actually a town area prefab that I had built for Hellfire of RWS a while ago, but never got to use it, so it’s fun to see it finally come to life, as I think it’s one of my better towns.

The module will focus mainly on the ruins and there is a second adventure planned that involves the geyser and the shrine of Eldath, but that will have to wait until the first part is done. The dungeons under the ruins are deep and varied running the gambit from rotting libraries to gigantic caverns filled with all sorts of hideous beasts. I am using the past lore of the failed adventurer party as a side quest and initial hook for the player so they will get a heavy dose of lore as the play. Make sure to look at everything, as I’m a big fan of easter eggs.

As you descend deeper into the ruins things get progressively harder and rest is difficult to find. This is intentional, as I want the player to feel increasing dread as they delve deeper. Riddles, traps, climbing and other non-traditional play styles are also included, so come prepared. You don’t want to end up a thousand feet down and realize you didn’t bring any rope…

Enjoy the screen shots and hopefully you’ll all enjoy the mod when it’s done.