Tegel Environs

Tegel Environs

Type	Dungeon
Status	Explored October 889 TA
Location	Tegel Village
Hex	2808
Campaign	Return to Tegel Manor
Adventure #	102x

Cliff House

The Cliff House was originally built as a guest residence for visitors to Tegel Manor. Designed with no expense spared, the opulent luxury of the Cliff House was a treat for visiting dignitaries and nobles. Then, as it often has, tragedy struck. During the Summer of 635 TA, as the story goes, Rivona Rump (known as the Radiant) daughter of Roderick the Righteous (later the Third Lord of Tegel Manor) and granddaughter of Sir Rumpole had an illicit affair with her cousin Radow (later given the moniker “the Rebel”) son of Rufienna Rump the Reckless. The affair was a brief torrid one, which was discovered by one of the servants sent down to ready the Cliff House for upcoming visitors. Called in to face her grandfather, Rivona, broke into uncontrollable sobs when she saw him. After Radow declared that he had no feeling for Rivona, only using her to wile a long summer’s day away, she ran screaming from Tegel Manor, down the hill to the Cliff House. There, she spat her curse upon the descendants of Rufienna Rump (which are now known as the Evil Rumps) and threw herself off the cliff. It is said that Radow laughed when he heard of his cousin’s death. Maybe he was evil.

Recently, the Cliff House has been again rumored to be a den of evil. The feared highwayman, Roughneck Rump is said to have taken up residence with his orc and giant companions in the building. Several “raids” by Captain August Reem have failed, revealing just an empty house. Despite signs of recent habitation, nothing linking the old stone building with Roughneck has been found.

The Cliff House appears as a solid stone structure two stories in height with a dark slate roof. Although the building appears old, it is in solid repair.

Cliff House: DM’s Notes

The Cliff House is a mid-level dungeon for the campaign. The house is currently the residence of Ruang Rump the Ripper. Ruang is an assassin from the “evil” side of the Tegel family tree.

• Ruang is looking for riches beyond those of his ancenstral heritage. To that end, he has join in league with the orc plot to take over the village, and while he suspects something bigger is at foot (how many dragons do you need to take out some villagers), he is unaware of either the evil of the snake demon or the lizard demon. He is biding his time and having fun with torturing the villagers and those around him. His contact with the orcs is Major Domo Bitterbark. He has not ventured past the blue dragon in the Mines.
• Ruang has enlisted the aid of dopplegangers to help him with his task, although he prefers to work alone and uses the shapeshifters primarily as spies and lookouts. He is having the dopplegangers disrupt the Hillman Exchange at the current time by stealing supplies which he gives to the orcs for their use in the mines.
• In addition to the dopplegangers, Ruang is very interested in poisons. This is a natural outcropping of his love of assassination. To this end, he has “hired” Gorlack, Goblin Alchemist to concoct new and exciting potions in the laboratory under the Cliff House. The goblin has come up with a plot to poison the towns water supply on the eve of the big invasion (June 30). To do this, he needs lots of bloodroot. The harvesting of the bloodroot will be noticed by Hedda in the village, who may try to enlist the party to help her find out what is happening. Finally, Ruang has stolen Hedda’s alchemy book for Gorlack using a doppleganger in the guise of Rukhs the Ogre. Gorlack is aware of the “dreck” but unable to fathom either its use or origin. He is aware that copper has a negating effect on the substance. In addition, he suspects that it is the essence of pure evil (which it is, tied to the snake demon in Eventide).
• Roughneck Rump, Ruang’s evil brother, is in league with the assassin. Roughneck is hanging out in the Silver Glades with the horses. Although Ruang knows that his brother is also helping the orcs, he doesn’t know the details. They meet once a week for a beer at the Cliff House. Roughneck is very careful, always suspecting an ambush.

Room 1: Porch

This room looks out over a scenic cliff dropoff. The sound of the waves can be heard faintly through the etched glass windows. The room is painted in a deep red with a gold pattern of a stag faintly etched on the walls. The ceilings and floors are stone and the interior walls made of polished rosewood. Six overstuffed leather chairs are pushed into a circle in the center of the room. Several tables are scattered about, although the room is clean.

Invisible statue attacks AND makes noise. The place is populated by Ruang Rump.

Room 2: Sitting Room

The room is a sitting room of sorts. A number of footprints lead between the two doors, although the antique furniture and furnishings in the room are covered with dust.

Off the sitting room is a very small kitchen. Shelves line the walls and several pots sit over small fire pits. A cabinet in the back of the room seems to be made for hanging and drying meat. There is a long table here filled with cutlery.

Room 3: Foyer

This room has a mosaic floor of fine inlayed marble and semi-precious stones. It shows a ship on a background of blue azure. The ship flies the Rump flag from its mainsail.

Room 4: Opulent Bedrooms

This room is an opulent bedroom, the walls and ceilings of which are carved rosewood, designed to look like the interior of the captain’s cabin of a ship. A large canopied bed has white linens and silks draped about. A large number of bric-o-brac are in the room. Ships in bottles, moonstone statue of a dolphin, a wooden puzzle box with sliding pieces, a great brass boat anchor and a glowing key.

This room is also opulent, the walls and ceilings carved in a rich mahogany. This room appears to be designed to look like the inside of a ship. A large canopied bed shows signs of recent use. The room is tidy with a long table along one wall. Pushed up in the corner of the rrom is a large iron bound chest.

The key will continue to return to the room as soon as it is move from the room. The chest needs to be brought to the key.

Room 5: Planning Room

This room has seen much use recently, as the place is neat and tidy. Eight chairs around a central rosewood table have carved lion’s claws and elegant scrollwork backs.

Room 6: Central Dungeon

A central dungeon, the floors of this room are stone, but still of a high quality construction. A fresh breeze blows through the room, making a high-pitch wailing sound. The room is dark. Three cells along the north wall are open, the cells themselves clean with fresh straw. Two small rooms on the east have small tables and cots, clearly designed for the jailors.

A winding stairway leads down. The steps, narrow by any standards, are very slick with moss and algae. Two grooves on either wall are carved about chest high. These appear to be new.

The grooves are for a car that is used to move between levels. The car is very fast and can be a weapon.

The Dopplegangers of Cliff House

There are six dopplegangers that are currently in residence at Cliff House, although they change shape so often, it is hard to keep track of them.

Room 7: Potions Room

The slick passage leading down finally opens into a large natural cavern. As you approach the entrance to the room, you hear a low buzzing sound coming from the room.

This room is filled with the foul air of bubbling cauldrons of goo and foul conconctions. The room is scattered with large tables, vats, fire pits, and racks of unwholesome items. In one corner, an iron door flickers with a mysterious rune. Four zombies shuffle around the tables, carrying vials and beakers. A squat goblin dressed in tattered robes is sitting on a high stool pouring over his notebook.

There are several items of note in the Potions Room:

• There is a large pile of bloodroot being distilled into large jars of thick, blood red viscous poison.
• On one table near the back is Hedda’s book, somewhat the worse for wear. Several pages have been marked, mostly on the brewing of poisons and potions to control the minds and thoughts of others.
• The goblin’s alchemist notes. It seems mostly to tell about a newly-discovered black goo that can be found just south of Eventide, bubbling from a spring. The goo is evil and seems to have some sort of zombifying effects on those who drink it. It appears to induce a comatose sleep in woodland creatures. Copper seems to be a natural resistance to the substance.

Gorlack the Goblin will drink either a Potion of Invisibility or Flying (or both) to escape the party.

The party is attacked by four slow moving zombies – Stuffed with Hellwasp Swarms!!! Hellwasps are vicious, foul-tempered magical insects. A single hellwasp resembles a thumb-size wasp with a gleaming black carapace with ruby-red stripes and iridescent green compound eyes.

The flickering door in the Potions Room is a puzzle lock. “The key is the squares in this puzzle fair.”

There are eight buttons around the edge of the square numbered 18 through 25 inclusive. The answer is, of course, 23. Opening the door leads to the Tegel Mines.

Dim Lighthouse

The Dim Lighthouse is not known by its moniker because of its brightness. Created by powerful magic at the height of the mithral mining, it has shown brightly for over three hundred years. The lighthouse was built by dwarves, a sturdy stone structure which has weathered all storms. Its magical light was created by a cadre of wizards and druids that were commissioned to build similar structures up and down the western coast of the Inner Sea. The light is powered by a single firefly which must be caught each month and put into a small crystal chamber within the upper floor of the building. Fireflies are very common in the area. While typically disappearing in winter months, the lighthouse keeper at the Dim Lighthouse is known to keep a warm room near the structure’s boiler stocked with the insects.

The Dim moniker is because of the current lighthouse keeper, Dan the Dim. Dan is a very large man with a bald head and a well-muscled frame. He is very stupid and usually can be seen with a blank look on his face. He walks through town once a week swinging his arms wildly and chanting, “Dan, Dim, Dan, Dim”. The local merchants give Dan basic supplies, although he is often given foodstuffs that are too spoiled for the townsfolk to buy. These are happily taken by the large man. Dan keeps the lighthouse locked at all times, wearing the giant metal key around his neck for safekeeping. He never allows anyone into the lighthouse.

Fishbone Hamlet

This small collection of five huts east of Tegel Village are the homes of the area’s fishermen. All the huts are run-down affairs built from scraps of shipwrecks and driftwood that have come ashore from the Inner Sea. The five men that fish the water are all older, with the youngest almost forty. They rarely come to town except to drink with Bilgewater or drop off fish for their buddy Esmond Stillwater to sell. Despite their rough appearance, the men are skilled fishermen. Typically, they go out in two boats trailing a large net between them, leaving before dawn and returning shortly after mid-day.

The Fishbone Men, as they are known, are looked down upon by the “proper” villagers because of their willingness to offer housing to the old wenches of the town. Currently, two shady women live in Fishbone Hamlet in some sort of communal arrangement that the townsfolk can only gossip about. The Fishbone Men are always trying to recruit the young men of the village into their ranks, although no mother would ever allow her son to frequent their dingy abodes. Rumor holds that the men have captured a mermaid in their nets and keep it in a tidal pool just south of their hamlet.

Grinder’s Mill

Situated on the south side of the Boiling Brook, Grinder’s Mill is an imposing two story building nestled amongst large shade trees. A large water wheel turns slowly from the north side of the building. Otherwise, the east, south, and west faces of the building are cut grey stone, without windows. The south side of the mill has three bays each with a path leading to them. There are a number of doors on the ground floor, set in the stone wall. A few glass windows can be seen on the ground and upper floor of the mill.

DM's Notes

Inhabitants: Bobo “Grind” Burwright, Owner; Child Gregory, Child laborer

This is where the first encounter happens. It will be either an ambush – if the party discovers the secret of the Doppleganger. Or a siege – if not.

All doors of the Mill are wood (2 in. thick; hardness 8, hp 30, Break DC 22, Open Lock DC 20). The secret doors require a Search DC 20 to find.

Room 1: Main Mill Floor

This vast room is two stories high. A large rotating shaft dominates the northern wall. To this is attached a series of gears eventually connecting to a large 12 foot diameter grindstone. A lever raises and lowers the wheel to facilitate grinding grain to varying coarseness. To the east of the stone is a chute from the upper level. On the chute and the ground around it are large piles of dried corn. To the right of the wheel are a number of empty bags, tables and several full bags. Otherwise, several barrels and chests surround the room. These all appear to have been opened in the recent past. Several have been dumped on the ground. There is a fair amount of noise in this room from the grindstone. The room appears to be lit by a number of small silver coins which glow brightly. These have been placed on small ledges about the room.

The orcs have the door at the top of the northeastern stairs open. While they may not actively watching for intruders, they will poke their heads out every few minutes to check the room. The continual light coins can be found throughout the mill. There are 20 of these worth about 1 gold each.

A Spot DC 20 will discover several small footprints leading from Room 1 into Room 2.

Room 2: The Kitchen

This room is obviously a kitchen. A table in the south has some recently-baked bread on it, and a sweet-smelling stew is bubbling over a small cooking fire.

In the northeastern corner of the room are a set of undisturbed human prints and a cleverly-concealed secret door. The door opens up to the outside. The footprints require a Spot DC 15, and the secret door has the standard Search DC 20.

Room 3: Common Dining Room

This room has a number of broken chairs and tables in it. Some of the furniture is serviceable, but it has seen better days.

A small pouch of 18 gold pieces has been taped under one of the tables. The pouch seems to have been under the table for several years. A Search DC 20 is required to find the stash.

Room 4: Storage

The door to this room is locked, although a transom above the window has been broken out.

A Listen DC 18 will detect sounds of large birds moving about inside the room.

This room was used as a storage room in the past. A very large pile of rubbish is in the northern part of the room while several bags of grain are neatly stacked in the south.

A number of stirges move to attack when the door is opened. As they can freely fly through the missing transom, they will pursue the party if a good meal is still to be had.

Room 5: Stairs Up

A creaky set of stairs lead to the upper floor of the mill. Sprawled on the stairs is a dead orc, his face and hands hideously dissolved by acid.

Silent Movement is reduced by -5 when using these stairs.

Room 6: Mill Office

This room was once used as the mill office. It has several expensive glass windows. In addition, the desk, bookcases and chairs in the room are of the highest quality workmanship. The office appears to have been ransacked. A spiral staircase in the northeast corned leads to the upper floor.

Room 7: Stairs Up

A creaky set of stairs lead to the upper floor of the mill.

Silent Movement is reduced by -5 when using these stairs.

Room 8: Grind’s Room

Unlike the rest of the mill, this room is very clean. It contains a bed and a small locked chest.

This is Grind’s room. The chest is locked with a poison needle trap. It contains: 120 gold, a silver and ruby ring worth 240 gold, and a deck of marked playing cards.

Needle Trap: CR 2; mechanical; touch trigger; lock bypass (Open Lock DC 18 or special key); Atk +6 ranged (1 plus Deathblade poison); poison (DC 19 Fortitude save resists, 1d6 con/2d6 con); Search DC 18; Disable Device (DC 18). Worth 2,000 gold pieces.

Room 9: Gregory’s Room

The smell from this room is terrible. The bed is unmade and very dirty. A small chest is partially open.

This is Gregory’s room. He is so messy nobody wants him nearby. The chest has been used as a trash bin and toilet. So, it is very disgusting. There is nothing of value here.

Room 10: Common Sleeping Quarters

This room is lined with ten beds. They have been stripped of their sheets and blankets. These are now merely piles of straw. A large chest on the western wall is partially open.

The chest is filled with sheets and blankets. While not clean, they are reasonably well-laundered.

Room 11: Drying Room

A large trap door opens in the floor of this room overlooking the easternmost bay under the eaves of the mill. It is here that grain was unloaded. A winch and bucket system easily pulls even very heavy loads from the ground below. The southern end of the room is filled with barrels, many of which are empty. The others have various grains and milled powders in them. It looks as if all of these have been opened recently in haste, although the general feel is that this room has seen very little use lately. Grain is spread out along the northern edges of the room. A chute leads from this room to the Mill Floor below.

The trap door is swollen from disuse. It requires a combined Strength DC 28 to open, and the door will make a very loud squeaking noise.

The orcs ignore this room. Although two ankhegs have taken up residence in the piles of grain.

Room 12: Haunted Study

This room is very nicely furnished with a heavy tapestry hanging about a bed in the southwset corner. A bookcase and a small desk can also be found here. The dust is very thick here. Although a single set of footprints can be seen circling the room, as if searching for something.

If the party enters the room, a ghostly presence will start to manifest itself. This is the spirit of Old Man Grigglesby. He haunts this room because he was cheated out of the mill by Grind. He cannot speak, and appears as a faintly green-glowing spirit. He mimes out his desire for the party to get rid of the evil doer. The spirit cannot leave this room. However, because of the ghost, this room is mostly undisturbed. If the party can convince him that they are here to help, then he will allow them to use the room as sanctuary.

The secret door opens onto a small room. A medium-sized wooden chest bound in iron is pushed up against the south wall. On the northern floor is painted a green disk. The disk swirls slightly and appears to be highly magical. Around the pattern are four circles. One of these contains a green candle.

Behind the bed is a secret door which has not been opened since the time of Old Man Grigglesby. In it is a chest that nobody knows about and a magical teleport. The chest is locked with a Glyph of Warding trap.

Glyph of Warding (Sleep) Trap: CR 4; spell; spell trigger; no reset; spell effect (glyph of warding [sleep], 5th level cleric, sleep, DC 15 Will save avoids); multiple targets (creatures within 15 feet of the trap lasting 5 rounds, see the sleep spell in the PHB for information about the effects of the spell); Search DC 24; Disable Device DC 24. Market price 1,800 gold.

The chest contains the following treasure: 300 gold pieces, potion of cure moderate wounds (2), and dagger +1.

The magical circle is the focus for a later adventure, as the party will have to collect the three missing candles to get the circle to work.

Room 13: Landing

A Listen DC 15 will alert the party to the sounds of a single sleeping person beyond the door. The door at the top of the stairs is locked.

Room 14: Common Room

This hallway has a number of chairs and a small table. Four doors lead from this room.

The two northern doors are unlocked, and the two southern doors are locked.

Room 15: Servant’s Room

This small room appeared to be a servant’s quarters at some point in the past. A small boy with bright red hair and freckles is currently sleeping in the bed. Both doors in this room are locked.

Room 16: Private Bath

This small room contains a wooden bath and small toilet. It is obvious that both have seen significant use recently.

Room 17: Fancy Dining Room

This room was, at one time, very expensively appointed. However, the dark cherry wood is now gouged and pitted. Several chairs are broken, and the china service is chipped and cracked. Scraps of food and refuse litter the floor and are piled in the corner. There is an unhealthy smell in this room. A deck of cards sits in the middle of the table.

Roof

The landing outside the dining room has a ladder that leads to a trap door in the roof. The trap door is unlocked and not particularly heavy. Strength DC of 10. The roof is wood and in need of repair. Any small characters may move about without fear of falling, but medium characters, especially those in armor must make a DC 20 reflex check once every 10 rounds to avoid hitting a soft spot and falling through to the corresponding room below.

The trees that surround the mill can easily be climbed for access onto the roof. Moving from the roof to the trees (in order to beat a hasty retreat) takes a Jump DC 15 and a Climb DC 10 to successfully make it to the ground. Failing the first roll means that 2d6 points of damage are taken as the character tumbles down the branches. Failing the second roll means that 1d6 points of damage are taken as the character slips on a branch. Both failures will produce a good deal of noise. Jumping onto the roof requires a DC 20 reflex check to avoid falling through the soft wood.

“Star puzzle with 30 in the center”