Lost Galmagia Week 5: Under the Noble’s Ward

Entering February we have the other half of level 1, and the start of the wards for the more specialized parts of the city. This means tying back to the rumors table, dealing with more entrances to the surface, and similar fleshing out of ideas. The roads from the customs house should lead to 6 basements in the noble quarter, but only three of them are extant, and only one still sees regular passage in the form of Mortis Erinnson, a were-rat who had escaped burning in Amethyst Spire by fleeing into the Giants Shadow. Any Rogue can make a challenging Rogue Background test to recognize that he had been exiled for theft of key supplies 15 years ago, but entry into Rumor phase is needed to recall his arouranthropy.

1.30: the passage to the Gorm bloodline
This expertly shored up basement (even a dwarf would be impressed) has two Galmagian Nobles (Eherlich of the copper caste, and Melchor of the silver; there should be another copper caste in here, but he’s on the wandering monster table) in here, guarding the things they had recently recovered from room 1.21 (bolts of cloth, fine hardwood). These are for trade with the other families and kept here where they are less likely to be stolen. The pair are armed with their precious metal inlay clubs, wearing their masks of a man with leonine features, and killing time with a card game being played with Plaques of Divination; the Silver Caste knows what they are, but isn’t using them for magic right now. The heavy bolts of cloth are lying over the stairs down, making those stairs an effective concealed doorway.

1.31: the passage to the Usamigaras bloodline
This room is crumbling but a dwarf will declare it safe enough. There’s little sign of passage through here as the Usamigaras bloodline has little truck with the upper levels, but if the first person in makes a careful examination they can find footprints leading through a crack in the wall that shields a Continual Light rune over a staircase down. That space is disturbingly bright, with no shadows anywhere, and vermin of all sort are uncomfortable there.

2.1: the Maduara family home entrance
The greatest of the Galmagian bloodlines, the passage from the customs house that used to hold incoming goods is home to the Prairie Rat nest from T29. There are 50 prairie rats here who will fight to guard the territory as their young are here, along with rat fur, guano, dust, disease and, in the center pile, the skeleton of a bounty hunter who fell prey to a bear trap long ago; the man wears a silver and amethyst badge (25) of a recovery company that failed a decade ago.

2.2: the old wine cellar
The passage from T29 exits here, into what remains of the Maduara wine cellar. The place is bristling with prairie rats when the PCs enter from above or 2.4, but those will fall back to 2.1 (if they enter from 2.1 there may not be rats left). A careful search reveals lots of valuable grape vintages (worth 5 times as much on the west coast), but the plum and apricot brandies have been stripped clean. (One of the Galmagian curses – cannot drink things made from grapes).

2.3: passage to the Maguara bloodline
This room contains stairs down that glow an eldritch green. The whole space is warded to kill rats, but any creature at 1 HP must make a Death save each turn or die (and can feel death approaching). Anyone passing through the stairs takes 3 damage unless silver is touching their skin.

2.4 Rat Warren
This mostly collapsed space has human-navigable passages, and crawl spaces that lead to 1.31. 2.5, and the customs house road. There’s a 3 in 6 chance of 2 giants rats here, but they will flee to 2.5 if the PCs enter.  

2.5: home of Mortis Erinson, master thief
Mortis is here, and either the sounds of the fight in 2.1 or the giant rats running in from 2.4 let him know the PCs are coming (they can surprise him if they just crash through the rubble that is this rooms north wall from the corridor), and his shape and demeanor will be based on what he thinks will benefit him. If the party approaches with friendship he can share a lot about the dungeon, but will want their permission to leave the Giant’s Shadow (which has repercussions back in Amethyst Spire). If they try to fight he’ll either run (if they have silver or magic) or enter a shape whose invulnerability to normal weapons gives him an edge – he won’t chase them if they flee, but his laugh echoes after them.