32. Hargeth’s
Keep
A small hill rises out of the forest here, cleared but topped in ruins.
Though the ruins are ancient, the forest has not reclaimed the hill.
Five hundred
years ago, a warrior king named Hargeth (called “the Bold” by historians outside of the Highlands, called
“the Fool” by most who inhabit this region). Hargeth was an invading king fromthe north who established a keep near the Rushing River here in his
attempt to carve out his dominion in the untamed wilds. He destroyed a number
of clans of giants and established numerous small communities in this region. Though a conqueror, Hargeth's battle prowess impressed the local clans and he was raised to the status of High King. As High King, Hargeth put his people to work building numerous monuments to his own hubris. After twenty years of constant struggle, the goblins of the mountains and
the other humanoids of the neighboring regions rallied under a viscous Fire
Giant King and swept through the region, overrunning the keep and decimating
all the villages and towns in the region.
Hargeth himself fought the Fire Giant King in single combat and slew the
giant, but was himself overwhelmed by the Giant King’s minions. Hargeth currently haunts the ruins as a
Spectre (not the Spectre of the Dangerous Encounters section, Hargeth never
leaves the ruins). Now the Lord’s Tower and a smaller guard tower are the only
structures still standing on this lonely, wind-blasted hill.
32.1. Ruined Gatehouse
All that remains of the
gatehouse is the foundations, in piles of rubble, and a portion of the
portcullis is buried in the ground here. Among the fallen stones are 13
skeletons that remain hidden and inanimate unless Hargeth is threatened, in
which case the Spectre calls them from their tumbledown tomb to rise to his
defense. The skeletons have no weapons
or armor.
32.2. Guard Tower
This 25’ diameter tower leans a
bit to the north. Arrow slits run up the sides of the tower, at even intervals
along the length of the spiral staircase that rises the height of the tower
(six floors). The first floor is covered in rubble, mostly the ruin of the
upper floors. The stairs circling the inside of the tower are stone, but in
rough shape. Each story climbed has a 20% chance per person on the steps of a
collapse. If a collapse happens, the person in front of and behind has a 60%
chance of experiencing a collapse (and this holds true for each subsequent
collapse – 60% chance for the next person on the steps). The floors of the
tower have nearly completely rotted and fallen away (thus the rubble on the
first floor). Most of the roof has likewise fallen in, but hidden in the
rafters, still mostly protected by the remains of the roof, is a leather
satchel. The satchel contains a book, a dagger, three sealed sheets of
parchments and a gold pendant. If the jumble of stone and splintered wood on
the first floor is cleared and carefully searched (a very time consuming
process), 143 usable arrowheads, 34 spearheads, 2 daggers and 4 battleaxe heads
can be found.
The book is
The Journal of Karian Daris, the Dagger is Bloodthorn and the pendant is
Hargeth’s family seal, cast in gold, worth 100gp with a secret compartment
containing a small, lead coin engraved with a spell (remove curse at 20th
level). The three sealed sheets of parchment are Hargeth the Bold’s last will
and testament bequeathing his kingdom to his heirs, the title deed to his realm
(technically a barony bequeathed to him by King Ashtaran II) and a personal
letter to a close friend revealing some hidden truth about Hargeth the Bold.
The DM is free to use these parchments as plot hooks for future and the exact
nature of them is left to the DM’s discretion/imagination.
32.3. Lord’s Tower
This 45’ diameter tower rises
the height of six stories, though the first story was two in height, so it had
only five “floors”. It is in shambles inside. The first story contains the
greathall that extends out to the west 50’ from the base of the tower and is
fully 2 stories in height. This chamber is mostly intact, the slate roof
sagging precariously under its own weight as the ancient beams rot and twist.
Significant combat in this chamber could easily bring the whole roof down (10d6
damage, crushed and needing to be dug out or continuous crushing damage will occur
– 1d6 per round until freed). Seated on a ghostly throne here is the Spectre of
king Hargeht, brooding over the demise of his kingdom. He does not
automatically attack. Roll for reaction. If engaged in melee, he will call up
the skeletons from the ruined gatehouse (see area 1). The tower is gutted, all
the floors have rotted away and crashed down. The inner staircases all having
been wood, there is no easy access to the upper parts of the tower. The roof
has completely deteriorated as well. About half of the highest (fifth) floor
remains (the only flooring which has not collapsed and rotted away). The fifth
partial floor contains the remains of a huge four poster bed, a chest and what
may have once been a chair. A rug once covered the floor, though little remains
of it today. Everything is rotted and ruined, but the chest on the fifth floor
contains two necklaces: one gold and diamond (worth 1.500 gp) and one a string
of pearls (worth 1,000 gp). If the chest is moved at all (other than opening
it, which causes the lid to crumble), the chest will collapse on itself
revealing a false bottom which contains a leather bag holding 123 sp.
TO FINISH: Image, map?
