by Jeff Young
Welcome fellow Dragonslayers to Crimsonvale! Though it may not have as much polish and finery as the antediluvean cities of the distant Kingdom, it surely does have a refreshing flavor of diversity and independence little known elsewhere in the world. Take a moment, if you would, to tour the new D'Nar Hall, the recently completed home for a group of important adventurers who have answered the call to aid our town in the past. Next time we shall see even more places and people, and hopefully visit a local cartographer to get our first, official "bird's eye" view of our community. Until then, farewell! D'Nar HallD'Nar Hall is the newly built residence of a group of new citizens in Crimsonvale, namely Sir Bryan D'Nar, Overseer Damorn Steelfist, Iseran Bluelake (a cleric of Sembar), and Lycidis of the Araborian Elves. [See "Personalities of Crimsonvale" in issue #14 for their statistics -Editor] These four adventurers originally came to the growing town by word that adventure was to be had, and their first such undertaking turned into the re-opening of a gnomish mine which was economically important to the region. D'Nar Hall, named for Sir Bryan, is used by the four at anytime one of them wishes, and only they hold keys which open its doors. The idea for constructing a permanent residence came shortly after the group had returned from their first adventure in the area. With so much space available in Crimsonvale, Sir Bryan came up with the idea to purchase land and go about building a permanent residence for them all, a base of operations for future adventuring in the area. Using the money acquired from the task of slaying the evil which had overtaken the gnomes' mine, they contracted a few free gnome workers to design a suitable structure, then commissioned them to hire gnome, dwarf, and human workers to build it. Damorn, having much experience in construction, acted as general building director. While waiting the three months for it to be completed, the group took up temporary residence in the Twisted Horn Inn, a very fine establishment near the Arcane Plaza. The proprietor was quite hospitable, and as a result of the service rendered from him to the four, Sir Bryan was able reply in kind. Using the modest influence gained from serving the community, Sir Bryan was able to help the man's youngest son receive a position in the Bright Watch. The Hall consists of three floors plus a basement level which is used mostly for storage. All of the floors and walls have been constructed of wood on a mortared stone foundation and its roof made of shale shingles held down with pine tar adhesive. Above the stout, iron-bound double front doors there is set a round brass symbol-disk, reflecting the merging of the group's individuals as one: the balanced scales of Tyr, flanked by one of the mighty life-trees of Arabor and a steel gauntlet, above which is set the quarter-moon symbol of divine Corellon. Having been constructed so recently and carefully by some of the best engineers and workers in the area, the Hall gives off an aura of preservation among the somewhat muddy (and still uncobbled) streets of Crimsonvale's youngest neighborhood, The Heights. FIRST FLOOR1. Foyer. The entry room to D'Nar Hall has a ceiling 12 feet in height; save for the wall which the room shares with the foundation, its construction is wood. From the foyer there is access to a stairway leading to the second floor as well as archways leading to other living areas. 2. Kitchen & Eating Area: This is where Iseran does the cooking every morning and night for his companions. The area is very spacious: within is a table and four chairs, and cupboards to store serving plates, glassware, and other utensils. Four sets of cutlery are laid out in neat order on the counter when not in use, and in addition a number of various knives lie close to the food preparation area for Iseran's use when cooking. 3. Main Room: The main room is used as a meeting place for their friends and themselves, for special occasions where extra space is needed, to celebrate holidays, discuss business, or simply to relax with one another to discuss adventurers, past and planned. Two small coffee tables are within, each having four padded wood chairs set around them for the group's or guest's use. 4. Library & Study: Here are stored the journals and diaries of the members of D'Nar Hall, dating to their early adventuring and pre-adventuring days. As a result of their recordings, several interesting, scenario-specific tactics or information are available, in addition to some information on spellcraft and blacksmithing. The room also contains 2 tables made of finished oak with four padded oak chairs set with each table. 5. Meeting Room: When business or pleasure get to be serious work, this meeting room is where such ends up. A fine table measuring 8' x 4' sits in this room with eight padded oak chairs around it. Many talks of great evil have been spoken of within, and many quests have started here as spoken plans as well. The flight of stairs within this room lead to the basement constructed by Damorn. 6. Sitting Room: This room is where most of the casual talk is done with neighbors and people of authority. It is furnished nicely with a coffee table, six comfortable padded wood chairs, and a beverage cart stocked with wines and ales from all over the realm. 6a. Bathroom: The bathroom contains a small toilet-box set above a pit containing a medium-sized gelatinous cube, seized by Lycidis some years ago. Her 11 perfect idea for it..." was as a waste disposal system. So far the cube has not seemed to mind. SECOND FLOOR7. Iseran's Room: This largish area holds a bed with a nightstand beside it. To hold all his clothing and belongings, a free standing wooden wardrobe is present, set between two iron-bound wood chests. Two wool rugs (worth 100 gp each) protect bare feet from the cold of the wood floor. Also present here is a vanity mirror attached to the wall, and a desk and padded wood chair set beneath it. In addition to Iseran's gear [as listed in the description in issue #141, one chest holds a leather bag with 80 gp, 10 gems worth 100 gp each, and 120 sp in a second leather bag. 8. Damorn's Room: Darnorn's bed is found in the far corner of this room, with a small nightstand nearby. Two chests are set opposite near a round table with two dwarf-sized, padded oak chairs. In the small alcove separated from the rest of the room by a red silk curtain stands his weapons and armor, which are always kept well oiled, clean, and sharp. Damorn's personal treasure is kept in three small leather pouches, a total of 105 gp, 75 sp, 12 various cut gemstones worth a total of 800 gp, and two nonmagical silver rings worth 85 gp each, stored at the bottom of one of the chests. 9. Sir Bryan's Quarters: Because he owns and paid for the Hall, Bryan thought he deserved the biggest room. He has two beds within, one in the southwest corner and the other in the southeast. Both are made everyday -- Bryan likes to change from one to the other every now and then. Bryan has three thick, woolen rugs to cover his room's floor, and two free standing oak wardrobes set along the northern wall. Four large chests are present also, one set at the end of each of the large beds, and the other two standing between the wardrobes against the north wall. In the center of the southern wall is an "armor holder," a reinforced dressmaker's dummy upon which Sir Bryan hangs and displays his armor. Along the east wall is a desk, chair, and vanity mirror hanging above it. Sir Bryan holds his most personal wealth in a small wood box with close fitting cover, kept at the bottom of the the chest set at the foot of the left bed. A total of 140 gp, 80 sp, and 10 gems worth a total of 250 gp is stored within. 10. Lycidis' Room: Lycidis' room is unlike any of the others. Her bed is secluded in the southwest corner with a chest at the foot of this bed. Close by, along the southern wall, is a free-standing, oak wardrobe with a full length mirror attached to the outside of the wardrobe's single door. She managed to purchase a black, wool rug which covers almost all the room's floor. Inscribed upon the rug is a magical glyph of warding which will discharge 9d4 points of electrical damage to any evil being crossing it. Along the northern wall is a wooden bookcase affixed to the wall which holds many of her personal works and some notes copied from books in the library downstairs. A large desk and workbench stands along the western wall, covered with scrolls, books, papers, and writing instruments; here she conducts small experiments and mathematical computations for her ongoing research projects. Like the others Lycidis has amassed a good amount of personal wealth which she has stored in two small wood boxes at the bottom of the chest at the foot of her bed. Within these are 240 gp, 25 pp, 80 sp, 40 ep, a gold chain bracelet worth 120 gp, a gold chain necklace with single emerald pendant (3 carat) worth 450 gp, and a few electrum. and silver bracelets worth a total of 175 gp. THIRD FLORR11. The Sitting Room: This room is furnished with two full length couches and a love seat, upholstered in crimson taffeta. Among these is an ample cherry wood coffee table, with a silver tea and coffee service setting for eight. A few tapestries adorn the walls and a heavy wool rug covers almost the entire floor within. This area is mainly used by the four for relaxing in the company of themselves, and for casual discussions of their plans and work in assured privacy. 12. Guest Room: This room is reserved for any special guest invited to stay in the Hall by one of the four. It is lavishly furnished (though not quite as much as the fours' rooms) to a degree where any weary traveler or guest is made envious of those who call the Hall their home. Within there are three beds with matching chests and nightstands, one set near the northwest corner, the others along the south wall, and a single large desk and padded chair for the occupant's use stands against the middle of the west wall. Two extra chairs stand along the northern wall. A blue silk curtain partitions a small alcove which has shelves and a hanger bar for the guests' use to store their clothing and gear. 13. Exercise Room: This area is used mainly for exercising by the four, and is equipped with ten 3' x 5' padded woolen mats used for such activities. Also found here are two punching bags, hanging from the ceiling beams, for practicing blunt weapon combat, fisticuffs, or wrestling. A large medicine ball, a leather bag weighted with an iron ball and sand, is also present for Damorn and Bryan to use between them. 14. Lycidis' Study and Lab: This area is where Lycidis keeps her permanent spellbooks, experiments in process or on the drawing board, and other notes and books used in research. The entry door is locked with two separate deadbolts (to which only she and Iseran have keys) and is trapped with a spell of fire trap which, unless a pass-phrase "because magic depends upon it" is first spoken, explodes dealing 1d4+10 to the intruder. Currently she is working on a few magical spells to use during future adventures [these will appear in future issues -- Editor]. Equipment-wise the room has two workbenches, a large desk covered with ink wells, quills, writing accoutrements, and papers, and two medium-size book cases set along the east wall. In the southwest comer there are three wooden racks containing vials and flasks of important alchemical and spellcasting components, herbs, spices, and sundry research materials, often having been collected during adventures. These racks have been bolted to the wooden walls for support, and have placed before them on the floor a glyph of warding which will discharge 9d4 points of intense cold damage to those not speaking "In Corellon's name" first. The benches hold various glassware and other research materials which have been painstakingly amassed by Lycidis and Iseran over the last year, with a total value of some 1,500 gp. LOWER LEVELWhen the Hall was being designed and built, Damorn suggested that the basement area beneath be specially constructed so that stored items would not be damaged by moisture which might seep into the underground level. Thus were tar covered wood beams placed over the dirt and rock floors, and over them were fitted wood planks so that any items would be up off the floor. In addition, burlap sacks of crushed limestone, quarried from the nearby hills, were hung in each area to absorb excess moisture; the limestone in these bags are changed monthly. L1 Storage: This area is used by the group to house extra items and equipment that they may need before going on an adventure, or just to keep the Hall in good condition. In the former case, coils of silk and hemp rope, two buckets of iron spikes and pitons, extra clothing for different seasons of the year, and the like are kept stacked neatly within, the gear being stored on wood shelves, the clothing in chests with cedar linings. In the latter case, a couple of couches, covered with cotton sheets, are present, extra chairs, chests of linen, kegs of lamp oil, flint and steel, and dry foodstuffs are stored along the north wall; a wine rack and three kegs of fine beer and ale stand along the west wall. L2 Treasure Vault: This room is where the four keep the bulk of their communal cash, stored in locked chests and coffers: 200 pp, 1,500 gp, 2,250 sp, and 1,000 cp. Also stored here: a suit of chainmail +1 sized for a human or half-elf; a suit of full plate armor sized for a human or half-elf; a shortsword +1 in jeweled scabbard; a helm of opposite alignment; a wand of negation (17 charges); a handaxe +2; a ring of warmth; 12 sheaf arrows +1; a potion of flying, potion of extra-healing, potion of polymoph self, potion of gaseous form, and three potions of healing; and stored rolled in ivory tubes a scroll of 4 wizard spells (stinking cloud, dispel magic, levitate, detect undead) and a scroll of 5 priest spells (sticks to snakes is the first spell). The helm of opposite alignment is stored in an iron chest and is set below the wooden, raised floor, accessible by a secret trap door. The chest itself has cast upon it a spell of fire trap which will discharge 1d4+10 points of fire damage to the person trying to open the chest. The entry to the room is guarded with a glyph of warding set just before the doorway, designed to deal 9d4 points of intense cold damage to any creature not first saying the password "cold." The door itself has a spell of fire trap cast upon it, which delivers 1d4+10 points of damage to a person trying to open the normally locked door without first speaking the password, "Fire." Finally, another glyph of warding which delivers 9d4 points of electrical damage is set on the floor just beyond the door, and will discharge unless the creatures first speaks the password "might," before passing on or over it. Back to Chainmail Issue #16 Table of Contents Back to Chainmail List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master List of Magazines © Copyright 1991 by Dragonslayers Unlimited This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. |