Sunday, January 5, 2020

The Scarlet Citadel, ideas 1

No comment on time or anything.  Just needing an easy place to throw out and review ideas for a megadungeon. 

Idea: Use the descriptions (however sparse) of the Scarlet Citadel from the Robert E. Howard Conan story by same name.  Build this from Blackmoor of Arneson.  Add random dungeon levels, modified by taste, from donjon.com.  Use AS&SH or 1e AD&D rules.  Use Hyperborea as homeworld, but alternate timeline to allow increase of magic and maybe introduction of non-human elements.

Rumor/story:  A cloaked figure entered Khalamad as the sun was setting.  He stayed at the Blackened Chalice, taking one of the rooms in the upper floors.  He paid for his room with a gold coin from the days of Sargon II.  None of these have been seen in over a hundred years.  That night, the shadows in the common room started dancing in unison, then vanished for a short period.  In the morning, the cloaked man asked for directions to the accursed Scarlet Citadel.  A hollow laugh rumbled from the cowl as all made the sign against Evil, and then curly pointed the way to the red mesa.  He left another gold coin and departed with no further comment.

Rumor: When the moons align in the sign of Tzargoth's Shield, the red mesa glows.

Rumor:  Poor Angvil!  He let the other boys bully him to bring back a stone from in front of the gate of the Scarlet Citadel.  As he presented it to them, proud of his courage, the stone hatched a scorpion which immediately stung him.  He shriveled immediately into a husk and blew away with the wind.  No one saw where the scorpion went.

Rumor:  When Lord Jezzunorra claimed the Citadel as his new home, he took many fine items into the place.  He even had one of the rooms covered in gold!

More later.... 

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