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Tallgarden

Tallgarden

Outside the city of Kowal, there is a settlement of elflings. The elflings have built their buildings among the tall trees here in a mish mosh of styles and sizes. The one unifying thing is every building is decorated with plants and flowers. This creates an enchanting effect as the whole settlement changes with the seasons. In fact its name came from how elflings often referred to it. When asked where they lived, they said “Over there, in the tall garden.”

In the center of town is a project that has been evolving, or “living” as the elflings refer to it for as long as the settlement has existed. It is part community garden, part sculpture. It climbs and meanders up into the sky, almost as tall as the trees that surround it.

Tallgarden’s main export is honey, and people come for miles around to get it. The elflings take all manner of trade and payment for their honey, from gold coin to exotic flower seeds!

Tallgarden is located less than half a days march from Kowal, to the West. 

People of Interest

Grandmother Jynnxennlya Krythixynn

 

Grandfather Kragmaddler Wondybblephax

Tarsis

Tarsis was once part of the Aradan kingdom, but after its fall, was adopted into Tiren. The town struggles as very little trade comes through it, and sitting on the edge of the lands ravaged by the Great War has very little safe farmland.

  • Statistics: Crime 7; Danger 7; Economy 4; Law 4; Knowledge 3; Magic 2
  • Highest Stat is 10, lowest 1 
  • Size:Large Town
  • Government: Monarchy
  • Economic System: Capitalist
  • Population: 3800 (85% Human, 10% Dwarf, 3% Half Dwarf, 2% Other)

Notable NPC’s:

Sultan Tarkan – A fat, lazy, corrupt man. He wants nothing more than to sit in his palace and eat and drink

 

Notable Places:

 

  1. Sultan’s Palace
  2. The Grand Cathedral – Polythesia Church
  3. Wallside Inn
  4. The Ceaseless Bizarre
  5. The Tritium Wheel (Brothel)
  6. Steeple Bench (Blacksmith)
  7. Volen’s (Alchemist)
  8. Bilga’s Haul (General Store)
  9. Many Stars Glass
  10. Corner Square Inn

Task Board

Task Board

  • Investigate the highway men that have been reported on the east road. 100 gp
  • Find a way to buy food, or do some hunting. 10 gp
  • Guard a caravan of supplies and craftsmen to the new tower. 100 gp
  • Investigate area where foragers were attacked. 125 gp
  • Investigate rumors of a Red Guard tower being built along the edge of the forest.

 
 

 

 

  

Tendril Wurm

Tendril Wurm

Challenge Rating: 5

Size: Medium

Type: Animal

Initiative: +1

 

Defense

Hit Points: 34 (4HD)

Armor Class: AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed  14 (+2 Dex, +4 natural)

Saves: Fort +5 Ref +6 Will +2

Weaknesses: –

 

Offense

Speed: Speed 5′ on land, swim 30′

Base Attack: +2

Melee: Melee 6 tendrils per round +5 (1d4+3 plus grab), bite +5 (1d6+3 only if in Feeding Grip)

Special Attacks: Feeding Grip

Sanity Effects: –

 

Statistics

Abilities: STR 16, DEX 15 , CON 16, INT 1, WIS 12, CHA 2

Skills: Acrobatics +2, Athletics +3,  Awareness +5, Endurance +3, Knowledge –, Persuasion –, Spellcraft +1 , Survival +1, Thievery +5

Talents: Alertness, Stealthy

Special Qualities: Can breathe underwater

 

Ecology

Environment: Temperate rivers and Swamps

Organization: Solitary, clutch (1-6 young, 1 Mother)

 

Treasure: None

 

Feeding Grip

When attempting to grip a medium-sized or smaller creature, the wurm rolls against its opponent’s touch AC to encircle it with one or more tendrils. A successful hit means it has wrapped its tendril around the creature. It has 6 tendrils, which can each make an attack on a single target or multiple targets. When attacking creatures its size or smaller, if a tendril wurm hits its foe with two or more tendrils it can perform a Feeding Grip, attempting to pull the creature into its many-toothed maw. It must make a Heroic Action (STR). If successful, the creature is drawn into its maw, where the wurm inflicts bite damage and maintains its grapple. It cannot swallow human-sized creatures whole, since its mouth is not big enough, however it can

Tentacle Crawler

Tentacus Scavana is what the scholars call the tentacle crawler, but most care not for it or its name. This large segmented insect is feared in all the dark places of the world.

 

A tentacle crawler looks like a giant centipede with five octopus like tentacles emerging from it’s head. It roams the darkness in search of prey, using its tentacles to grapple it while it stings with its barbed tail.

Tentacle Crawler

Challenge Rating: 4

Size: Huge

Type: Vermin

Initiative: +0

 

Defense

Hit Points: 42 (5d8 +20)

Armor Class: 18, touch 10, flat footed 16 (+8 natural armor, -2 size, +2 dex)

Saves: Fort +11 Ref +2 Will +1

 

Offense

Speed: 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

Base Attack: +3

Melee:  Bite +8 (1d6+9 plus grab), tail sting +8 (1d6+9 plus poison)

Ranged: –

Special Attacks: Constrict (1d4+6), poison

Sanity Effects: First Encounter 1/1d4

 

Statistics

Abilities: STR 28, DEX 13, CON 19, INT –, WIS 11, CHA 2

Skills: Acrobatics, +1 Athletics, +5 Awareness, Endurance, Knowledge, Persuasion, Spellcraft, Survival, +2 Thievery

Talents: –

Special Qualities: darkvision 60’

 

Ecology

Environment: subterranean, sewer, swamp

Organization: Solitary

 

Treasure: Standard

 

Poison

Sting – injury; save Fort DC 16; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d3 Strength damage; cure 1 save.

 

Grab

If the tentacle crawler successfully lands a bite attack, it deals 1d6+9 damage, and using its tentacles, attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. It may only grab Large or smaller opponents. The crawler must succeed at a heroic action to grapple an opponent. A successful hold does not deal any extra damage, but when grappled an opponent loses their dexterity bonus.

 

The Dark Return – Encyclopedia

From the Encyclopedia of Atheles, 5695 CE (Common Era)

It has long been the tradition of the Druids to keep a record of the world as the ages pass. During the dark times, the Druidic order suffered and since so few of us wandered the lands, much of our contemporary history has been lost.

The world of Atheles has long suffered in darkness and gloom. Hundreds of years of plague have diminished its inhabitants in both number and spirit. A savage war of generations past ravaged the land with dark magics, and the world has never recovered. Long have the people endured this curse, burdened by the fears of ancient myths and legends.

The kingdoms of old have crumbled, leaving behind city states and large tracts of unclaimed lands. In the East the land is harsh and twisted, the remnants of the dark sorcery that had been used in the Aradan War have left the lands almost uninhabitable, save for small pockets of civilization. In the west, in the wake of the plagues, people had become isolated and exclusive. Fear has driven people to be wary of anyone or anything new. Their superstitions have lead to witch hunts and lynching of those believed to use magic. People have become so down trodden that even their belief in higher powers has fallen to little more than lip service.

But all of that has begun to change in the last 20 years. Children are showing the ability to use magic. Real magic. The elves have started to come out of their forests and having limited interactions with others. The dwarves have begun to trade again, traveling the roads plying their mechanical and trade works. And whispers of dark powers, heroes, and a new dawn have begun to creep into this rain soaked and gray world.

Here I hope to chronicle the events as this new age enters Atheles.

High Druid of the West – Irphazan Adrastia

Year 5695 of the Fourth Age of Atheles

Encyclopedia Tomes

 
Gaming

The Den

The Den is the nickname for the Wanderers Hall in Kowal. The guildmaster in Kowal is Martyn Czemiel, a charismatic, if flamboyant man. His lieutenant is Garric Loshuul a quiet but friendly man. Both have retired from “the road” and happily help others find their calling in the wilds.

The Den is a welcoming place, everything inside made of old polished wood, and the fire is always burning. If you have a Wanderers Coin, then you are always welcome, and there is plenty of space in the common room or the upstairs to pass the cold Kowal nights.

Some say that there are a couple of secret passages in the den that lead not just into the sewers of Kowal, but deeper, into the darker underpass of Atheles. Of course, Martyn and Garric just laugh when anyone asks about them.

The Den - First Floor

The Den – First Floor

The Dwarven Home

A Famous Dwarven Traveling Song.

”O the mountains of Greyhelm Deep,

Where many a dwarf his treasure doth keep,

Gold and gems, axe and ale,

May the walls of the dwarves never fail,

O how I long to see the halls,

And hear the ringing hammer falls,

To see the skill in steel and stone,

The mountains of Greyhelm call me home!

But the path ahead is straight and long,

And far away where I belong.

O the mountains of Greyhelm Deep,

Where many a dwarf his treasure doth keep!

O’ to be home in Greyhelm Deep,

No greater treasure do I seek!”