Day 15: Jackals in the Night
DAY 15
Terrain (d8, d20)
- Scrub (2,11)
Inhabitation 24 mile hex (d20)
Uninhabited (19)
SUBTABLE Chance for Fortress Encounter (1d20 x2)
- 1 encounter in fortress (1,18)
SUBTABLE Encounters, Uninhabited (1d100 x2)
- Jackals w/ no jackalwere, Men-Pilgrims w/ no characters (33>18, 55>84>77)
SUBTABLE Fortress Size (1d100)
- Large Shell Keep (44)
Additional Info
Connection (d4)
- An NPC in the dungeon desires something in this hex. (4)
Trinket (d100)
- Tiny sundial which only casts a shadow in moonlight. (67)
Treasure Hoard
9 monetary, 3 magic (38)
- 4 magic 8 potions (2, 8, 3)
- Lvl 1 scroll, +1 sword, dagger, +3 shield, +2/+3 vs Large (35 >2>1, 82>9, 71>93, 100>49)
Hilariously, the jackals are encountered in the fortress, rather than our pilgrims! I'll probably keep checking for jackalweres and various fiends as players traverse, maybe add some dire wolves & winter wolves re-skinned as jackals.
Here's how I wrap all of my results together. Based on where I’ll place this hex, I bet the jackals aren't even native! Pilgrims can be headed to the fortress in pursuit of their deity. If the jackals aren't native, then I'll assume the deity isn't native either. A sundial that only casts a shadow in moonlight clinches this should be a desert deity, and there are a ton of jackals and moon deities in Egyptian mythology. The treasure gives us a ton of opportunities here. With an NPC from the dungeon desiring something from this hex, perhaps its a representative or enemy of the deity inhabiting this hex. I want whoever this NPC is to bless the magic items PCs recover from the hex, unlocking some additional properties and helping them identify said items. With all this in mind, here's my short description: Sin's Sacrament This shell keep has a large dome in the center with a massive spyglass poking from the top.
Suenbannon the Theurge, a mummified scholar you met in the dungeon, tells you pilgrims of the disease-tyrant Sin are headed to this keep after following a portal from their desert home south. Sin claimed many relics from Suenbannon's deity Watabey, and locked them in hidden vaults throughout the ruins. The locks can only be opened by spilling a moon follower's blood; luckily Suenbannon has a few dozen vials himself, and any follower of a moon deity will do. Magical relics will be blessed if recovered and brought to Suenbannon. The level 1 scroll is a scroll of Moongic Missile, a magic missile variety which deals a little more damage + extra damage to fiends, undead, and evil clerics, but only works at night. The +3 shield can be blessed to cast moonbeam, and Turn lycanthropes and jackals. The +2/+3 dagger can be blessed to teleport the user under moonlight when thrown. The +1 sword can be blessed to become unusual with at least 1 major power, and deal additional damage vs lycanthropes. Pilgrims if not stopped will corrupt these artifacts using the telescope, binding planar allies (angels of watabey) and demons. They'll require at least 2 months to get the keep in a semblance of working order, and another month to get the telescope working.
Speaking of the telescope, the players can skip bringing items to be blessed by the theurge if they train moonlight through the telescope and onto the items.
