Mathgar Ruins - Part 8

T O P

L E V E L

T5. Servants Quarters/Storage.

This room has seen various uses during its long history, though now it acts as a temporary prison cell/holding area for anyone unfortunate enough to be held captive by the current occupants (largely due to the fact that it has the only lockable door in the whole keep).

NOTES

This area is likely to be one of the focuses of the adventure itself - with one or two captives being held here, or perhaps some item of importance. However, the exact contents/occupants will largely depend upon the type of adventure that the GM is running, and should be tailored to that adventure/storyline accordingly.

T6. Library.

The remnants of tall bookcases lean clumsily against the walls of this room - some moss covered and dotted with old mould, others home to large birds nests. Overhead, several large holes in the ceiling give a clear view to the clouds/stars* up above, and also serve to illuminate the room with vivid/pale* streaks of sunlight/moonlight*

*delete as applicable

OCCUPANTS

This room was once a great library - containing many books of lore and wisdom. Now though it has become a roost for several darkwings (a large black carrion bird - similar in appearance to oversized crows).

NOTES

• During the night there will usually be 1d8+4 darkwings at rest here, whereas there will only be around half that number (i.e. 1d4+2) during the daylight hours.
• If left alone the birds will ignore anyone in and around the doorway of this chamber - though they will caw loudly at anyone that ventures inside (possibly arousing the suspicion of anyone else in the upper levels of the keep). However, this may be avoided with a successful Deception test or Nature Lore* test.
• If disturbed (i.e. any PC attempts to 'shoo' them away, or starts rummaging through the shelves) the birds will each make a single attack (cawing as the do so) before fleeing out of the holes in the roof (definitely arousing the suspicion of anyone else in the upper levels of the keep). Once again, this may be avoided with a successful Nature Lore* test.
• Anyone prepared to rummage through the nests and bookshelves will find a few shiny baubles (worth no more than 25BV), and if they also succeed in a perception test then they will discover a page from an old book that is still in a reasonable condition. This page can then be treated as a single use item which will allow the user to cast the innate spell Protection II.
• Additionally, anyone who succeeds a difficult (-25%) perception test will find an intact secret compartment in one of the rotting bookshelves that contains a number of old scrolls of elvish lore (written in high-elvish). Anyone who has access to these scrolls gains a +25% bonus to their Culture (elf) skill pertaining to matters of ancient elvish history (though only if they can actually read the scrolls, and have time to study them before making the relevant test).

*assuming the PC has at least 50% in the Nature Lore skill