It's February. I posted my finished Shire Hexcrawl back in December and stopped making regular updates about the Middle-earth project.
But I haven't been idle, dear reader. I have been continuing to write a hex a day for Idraluna Archive's big Middle-earth map as a daily writing project. I want to share a glimpse into this work with you.
Here are two dungeons in the Trollshaws.
Dungeon backgrounds
Commentary
I don't think either of these are, like, especially groundbreaking. I am a lot stricter about the contents of dungeons that I write for His Majesty the Worm: in that game, each room, trap, and special door needs to have enough substance to facilitate long-term, Metroidvania-esque play.
But that's not what this hexcrawl is about. Here, I think you can kick down doors, kill some orcs, find some treasure, and have a pretty fun time. It's not about any one dungeon existing by itself: it's about the journey to find all five of them, with wilderness in between. Still, I want each dungeon to participate in telling a part of the story of Middle-earth.
To that end, I do think there's something fun in the fact that all five dungeons will share the same basic layout with variations. This will let players see patterns across play. "Hey, wait. Where is the southeastern room? The door is probably hidden. Let's look around."
It has been a challenge trying to constrain my loquacious, maximalist style dungeon keying to brief keys. Even this feels indulgently long for dungeons in the middle of a hexmap--but this is just a personal passion project. I can do what I want, I suppose!
And now, without further ado, two towers (of five) in the Trollshaws.
47.96 - TIRTHON TOWER
TIRTHON. One of the five beacon towers of Rhudaur. It is named "The Watch Pine" in Sindarin for it stands in vigilance near the East Road.
Note: The windows of the tower are arrowslits covered with metal shutters which are controlled by a mechanism in room 12. The shutters are closed until opened by the company. When opened, all rooms contiguous with the outside are lit with natural light. Goblins fight with a -1 penalty in sunlight.
(First Floor)
1 - Gate: There are no doors barring entrance into the tower: only an arch of stone into darkness. If the company has approached relatively quietly, they can hear an argument from within.
- Argument: Two goblins (in room 5) aren't letting the troll (in room 3) join in their game, forcing her to guard the door.
2 - Portcullis: The tunnel into the tower is built for defense. Two portcullis are raised in the tunnel.
- Portcullis: Unless the company successfully sneaks in, a goblin in room 5 will drop one of the portcullis to trap the company in a fight with Hurdy Gerty (room 3). Bending the rusty old portcullis requires a Strength Δ6 test.
3 - Front Hall: A high-ceilinged stone hall. The north and south walls have archery slits canted inwards to allow for defense from those adjoining rooms. The floor has a mosaic of a pine tree. Hurdy Gerty, a hill troll, guards the entrance.
- Hurdy Gerty: She talks to the goblins in room 5. She is bored, sleepy during the day, and resentful of being excluded from their dicing game.
- Archery slits: During combat, one goblin in room 5 will fire their bows at intruders in room 3. Attacks from the front hall into room 5 are made with a -3 penalty.
4 - Guard Room: An old wooden pew bench with a deep seat stands against the north wall. On the west wall, a crank used to raise one of the portcullis in 2. A mosaic on the west wall displays the soldiers looking towards a setting sun, singing a song.
- Pew bench: The bench's seat is a lid: the bench doubles as a chest. Inside, wrapped in a velvet cloth, is an old Dunnish instrument: a crwth and bow (a bowed lyre). It is a treasure: despite its antiquity, it can still be played after tuning. It is not loud, but its haunting melody can be heard over a mile away.
5 - Guard Room: Two goblins, Ruggib and Slittith, use dwarven knucklebones as dice in a gambling game. On the west wall, a crank used to raise one of the portcullis in 2.
- Goblins: Armed with goblin-made daggers and bows. They gamble over a pot of 58 coppers / marks.
- In combat, one goblin will lend support to the troll in room 3 with their bow. The second goblin will 1) drop the portcullis, 2) raise the alarm, summoning the goblins from room 13, 3) then join the battle.
6 - Central Hall: A central hall connecting the bulwark of the tower to the administrative section. In the center of the western wall is a large, moth-eaten tapestry of a sad king playing a harp. On the eastern wall a blueish lichen grows (harmless).
- Tapestry: A burglar that inspects the tapestry can see scrollwork representing music emanating from the harp and can read the tune the king is playing. Those with Ranger Lore know the song ("Lamentations of Red and Gold") and can identify the figure depicted to be King Forodagnir.
7 - Foul Chamber: Door to this chamber is swollen shut: it requires a Strength Δ4 test to shove it open. The room is full of detritus and rubble, as well as six giant lice. A fireplace is set in the southern wall; although warmth comes from the fire lit in room 8, the smoke is poorly ventilated and fills the room with an acrid smell.
- Giant lice: MOVE 7, END 1, VALOUR -2 (-1 damage dealt), DEF 2, MORALE +0
Special: Every round, each louse has a 2-in-6 chance to spawn a new giant louse. - Fireplace: Stuffed inside the chimney is an oilslick satchel. Inside, a bronze arm torc of a serpent biting its tail with sapphire eyes (worth 4 silver / 2 pennies) and 100 old Rhudarian copper coins.
8 - Kitchens: A stone chamber used as kitchens by the goblins. A fire is kept burning here. The leftovers of their last meal (eel stew) remain in a large iron cookpot. Through the soot on the wall, the company can barely make out a mosaic of a soldier blowing a horn in celebration of the rising sun.
9 - Closet: A closet sealed with neither handle nor lock: on the doors is the image of a book and a harp.
- Doors: If the song Lamentations of Red and Gold is played, the pantry will open. Inside are six well-preserved Rhudarian scrolls. The scrolls speak of the War of Arnorian Succession. Each is worth 20 silver (10 pennies) to an antiquarian or ranger.
(Second Floor)
10 - Conference Room: A once-ornate table dominates the center of the room; now rotten. A moldering tapestry of the flag of Arnor: seven three-pointed stars. On a plinth, a copper bust of a patrician, partially melted. Sand is scattered across the floor, marred by stalking goblin feet.
- Table: The table was a sand table: captains could change the terrain and move miniatures to represent armies. The table is now rotten and useless.
- Tapestry: It partially hides a door into room 11 - Library.
- Copper bust: The plinth has a symbol: a circle quartered by two keys (the sigil of the rank of quartermaster in Arnorean custom) and a word in Elvish script: Tarondor. If the name is said, the bust animates and talks. The animate bust has partial memories of Tarondor, the quartermaster of this tower.
- He will answer questions related to the towers and ancient Rhudaur. He has no knowledge of events after T.A. 1650.
- He is precise and exacting, but also snooty and condescending.
- He knows the password to the locked pantry of each tower: "The copper serves the steel" (in Sindarin). He knows the password of the locked pantry in this tower is the song "The Lamentation of Red and Gold."
- The enchantment on the bust is fading. He can only be asked 6 + 1d6 questions. Each question is answered slower, like a wind-up clock running down.
11 - Library: This room is guarded by a locked vault door. Inside, ancient scrolls sit moldering on shelves. Many have been eaten by giant lice (6 present). A door in a swinging bookshelf allows passage into the conference room (room 10).
- Giant lice: MOVE 7, END 1, VALOUR -2 (-1 damage dealt), DEF 2, MORALE +0
Special: Every round, each louse has a 2-in-6 chance to spawn a new giant louse. - Vault door: On the surface of the door, a scholar holding a scroll with closed eyes is engraved. Blowing a horn in front of the door or in room 12 will open this door. A Subtlety Δ8 test is needed to disable the mechanism and open the door without this pass code.
- Ancient scrolls: If special care is taken, the company can salvage 1d6 + Understanding ancient Rhudaurian scrolls. Each is worth 20 silver (10 pennies) to an antiquarian or ranger. Bits of lore found in the scrolls include:
- The growing dependency of Rhudaur on the stonework of giants, having lost masons with skill in Numenorean masonry.
- Amlaith, first king of Arthedain, claimed the palantir at Amon Sûl, and holds all three palantiri of the North Kingdoms.
- Many books and scrolls were removed and hidden "Behind the Veil of the Rime Maiden" (37.104).
12 - Shutter Mechanism: A small chamber holds the remains of a low palette bed and candle stubs. A plinth on the back wall holds a stone bust of a patrician.
- Stone bust: The patrician's face looks like an old, wise man at rest—his eyes closed. The plinth has a Sindarin script running around its edge: "When the sun rises, blow the trumpets of war! When she's in the west, sing the song of Numenor that was."
- If a horn is blown, the stone bust opens its eyes and, with a screech of steel, all the metal shutters on the arrowslits open. The door to room 11 - library also opens.
- If a lament to Numenor is sung or played, the stone bust closes its eyes: all the metal shutters on the arrowslits close.
13 - Goblin Quarters / Empty Treasury: Five goblins (Laugzog, Gorzod, Rirborg, Uthra, Agbra) dwell in the plundered treasury, complaining about how little loot they've been given by Chohak (room 16). They will investigate nearby noises. On the southern wall is a mosaic of a semicircle arrangement of stars.
- Mosaic: Pushing the top right star on the mosaic opens a secret panel in the wall containing the Tirthon watchtower key. (This corresponds to this watchtower's position in relation to the others.) Pushing any other star activates a trap: each of the wrong buttons sprays jets of acid: pass a Strength Δ12 test or suffer 2d6 damage and lower the Defense of worn armour by 1d6.
14 - Ruined Quarters: A stone chamber littered with the remains of rotten furniture and an intact wooden chest.
- Chest: The chest is made of pine wood and banded with iron. It is locked. Failed attempts to pick the lock trigger a dart trap in the lid, which deals a Piercing Critical (B).
- Inside the chest is 50 Andorian copper coins, a horn bow (needs restringing), and a rusted Dunlending helmet with a mustached visor mask (useless unless restored).
15 - Ruined Quarters: A stone chamber filled with dust and detritus; obviously recently traversed. A few large orange and brown moths flutter here (harmless). A skylight, its glass broken, shows a patch of sky above.
16 - Chohak's Quarters: A chamber currently used as the sleeping quarters for Chohak the Choker, the goblin captain of the contingent that holds this tower. It is full of his camping gear—hides, trophies of war, a brazier of warm coals, and a war chest.
- Chohak the Choker: He has been tasked by Mormog (38.94) to recruit trolls to the Necromancer's army but resents working with the creatures and is plotting to splinter off with his current gang to raid the East Road using Tirthon Tower as a base. Carries the key to his war chest.
- Chest: Locked. It is filled with the looted treasure discovered by the goblins in the tower:
- A dagger that is practically invisible at night.
- Scale mail the color of breeding salmon. It is light in water and does not hamper swimming.
- A signet stamp with a three-pointed star. If the seal is broken by someone other than the recipient listed on the missive, the document catches on fire.
17 - Ruined Quarters: The remains of officer's quarters: ruined desk, four-post bed, end table, iron candelabra, Rhudarian banner (seven three-pointed stars).
- Desk: Inside the desk is a crumbling map that shows the locations of all of the Rhudaurian watchtowers.
18 - Trap Door: In the ceiling is a trap door, 15' off of the ground.
(Third Floor)
The fourth floor of the tower has collapsed. There is no beacon (room 21) on this tower.
19 - Goblin Guard: A goblin, Grisht, guards the trap door (room 18) and lets down a knotted rope to allow passage. The ceiling of this room has partially collapsed: there is no upper level.
- Grisht: Grisht has a bottle of orcish liquor on his belt. It heals 1d6 damage and burns the throat. There are 3 uses left.
20 - Battlements: The battlements are scrawled with orcish graffiti.
51.88 - HARNALDA TOWER
HARNALDA. One of the five beacon towers of Rhudaur. It is named "The South Tree" in Sindarin for it was the southernmost of the towers.
A group of Hill Men from Dunland have recently begun to occupy the tower as a temporary camp during their exploration of the Trollshaws. They haven't thoroughly explored the upper floor, which is home to a sly old stone troll—Grim Ben—who isn't fond of guests.
What transpires inside will be different based on the time of day the company approaches. During the day, the Hill Men will be wary of newcomers but can be negotiated with. During the night, the Hill Men will be in a fight for their lives.
There are ten Hill Men in total. Use bandit stats. As they are defeated, mark through their names in the list. Each has the occupation of "bondsman"—homesteaders and farmers who raid seasonally. They have no formal leader, but Mogdoc often gets his way.
Gerland (man - bowlcut and mustached, flighty)
Mogdoc (man - dad bod, stubborn)
Calt (man - mohawk, quiet)
Halene (woman - wild red hair, hard drinking)
Connadoc (man - greying, cautious)
Grold (man - cold eyed, unpredictable)
Vogdont (man - wolfish, ambitious)
Zornod (man - acne scarred, dim witted)
Colmidoc (man - thickly mustached, peace maker)
Drogdilda (woman - fierce and scarred, bold)
Grim Ben is a stone troll. He carries a key to the lockbox in room 14 and an enchanted spear (+1 to hit, can take many lengths—javelin, spear, long-spear).
(First Floor)
1 - Gate: Signs of the Hill Men's habitation: cookfires, stabled horses, etc The entrance to the tower is framed with serpents and knotwork pattern—the gate is opened.
Day: Gerland stands guard.
Night: Gerland just heard a scream from inside the tower, and struggles to gather his Morale to go inside.
2 - Waterfall: Two portcullis of the entrance are raised and rusted into place. A waterfall pours through an open crack from the floor above. The water is anti-magic: walking through the water suppresses magical abilities of artifacts until they're thoroughly dry and removes temporary magical effects. (The Hill Men do not realize this.)
3 - Front Hall: A reception hall. The north and south walls are canted inwards to allow for defense from those adjoining rooms. There are standing puddles of water (from 2). Double doors at the east of the hall twisted off their hinges by something large, allowing free access to 6.
Day: Detritus conceals a trap set by the Hill Men—a tripwire that drops rubble from the ceiling: test Skill Δ8 or suffer 2d6 damage.
Night: Calt has forgotten the trap and triggered it in his haste to escape; he lies unconscious under the rubble.
4 - Guard Room: Room (strangely) free of puddles (because water seeps through cracks in the floor). Each time the company moves through the room, 1-in-6 chance of the floor collapsing 20' into a ruined cellar room. On the west wall, a crank (now broken) used to raise one of the portcullis in 2.
- If the cellar rubble is searched, 250 silver coins are found in the wreckage.
5 - Flooded Room: Water from 2 pools in this room, 3' deep. Enchantments and curses that have been washed away swirl like oil on the surface of the water. Bathing an item in the water grants it a temporary enchantment: 25% chance the enchantment is permanent and cursed. Drinking the water is disgusting (Strength Δ8 or get cholera) but confers a random potion effect. On the west wall, a crank (now broken) used to raise one of the portcullis in 2. (The Hill Men are correctly suspicious of the water and have avoided it.)
6 - Central Hall: A long central hall with empty torch sconces. Directly across from the door to 3 there is a toppled statue of a king. Sindarin writing on the statue's base identifies the king as "Galadhion" (the first king of Rhudaur).
Day: Three Hill Men—Calt, Halene, and Grold—work on removing the pearls in the statue's pupils. They're doing a bad job.
Night: Halene and Grold stand with their spears at the southern door, ready to engage the troll in room 8.
7 - Sleeping Area: A large, mostly-intact chamber, well-lit via arrow slits. The Hill Men camp here: it contains their bedrolls, packs, and gear. The southern wall has partially collapsed, allowing smaller characters to move between 7 and 8.
Day: 1-3 Hill Men are always here resting, performing maintenance on their gear, or scheming.
Night: Grold, Vogdont, and Zornod lie dead, killed in their sleep by the troll.
8 - Living Quarters: A ruined stone room used as a staging area for the Hill Men. The northern wall and chimney has partially collapsed, allowing smaller characters to move between 7 and 8.
Day: Mogdoc, Connadoc, and Drogdilda discuss the three green, monstrous helms they looted after a battle with the Ogres (46.89). Could they be used as a disguise?
Night: Mogdoc and Drogdila fight Grim Ben the troll. Connadoc lies dead.
9 - Pantry: A stone closet. The doors are painted with a circle quartered by two keys (the sigil of the rank of quartermaster in Arnorean custom). They are magically locked.
- The password to open them (Sindarin: "The copper serves the steel") is not recorded in this tower, but splashing the anti-magic water from 2 will unlock them.
- The contents of the pantry are magically preserved. Inside the pantry is 12 loaves of waybread, 6 healing herbs, and 8 soldier's pharmacon (small pills) which double a character's Strength bonus for an hour, followed by eight hours of -2 Strength.
(Second Floor)
*Note: The large hallway at the top of the stairs leading to 18 has a stream of water running through it. It flows out of room 16, into 15, down the hall into room 12, and also pours through a large crack in the floor into room 2.*
10 - Troll's Necessary: A once-ornate table dominates the center of the room; now rotten. Sand is scattered across the floor. A troll has been using the room as an outhouse: the smell is revolting. The ammonia-like smell prickles the eyes.
11 - Troll Den: The stone troll Grim Ben uses this room as his sleeping chamber. Ancient books have been torn to shreds to make a papery nest. The windows are blotted out with stretched dwarf-leather.
Day: Grim Ben waits in the room, sucking on empty turtle shells and cautiously listening for his guests. He cannot be ambushed.
12 - Troll's Soup: A small stone chamber with a rivulet of water running in from the hallway and out of a crack in the wall. There's a huge copper brazier that's been repurposed as a trollish cookpot: it holds the remains of turtle soup. It smells strangely delicious. Turtle shells litter the floor.
- Turtle soup: Due to latent enchantment in the water or some trollish magic, drinking the soup adds +4 to Understanding tests to know the speech of turtles for the rest of the day.
13 - Looted Treasury: Door forced open. There are empty shelves and pedestals here: any goods that once were in this room have been taken. On the southern wall is a mosaic of a semicircle arrangement of three-pointed stars. There is a crack in the east wall that would allow a small burglar to squeeze through.
- Mosaic: Pushing the bottom star on the mosaic opens a secret panel in the wall containing the Harnalda watchtower key. (This corresponds to this watchtower's position in relation to the others.) Pushing any other star activates a trap: each of the wrong buttons sprays jets of fire: pass a Strength Δ12 test or suffer 4d6 damage. The trap will only trigger once.
- Crack: Provides access to room 14.
14 - Troll's Treasure: Door to 14 walled off with a large flagstone. Inside, a huge copper brazier filled with coals. Nestled in the middle of the coals is an iron lockbox.
- Flagstone: If tipped backwards, blocks hallway. If tipped into the room, it falls on the brazier and spills hot coals on the floor.
- Lockbox: During the day, the coals are fresh. Approaching the heat is difficult. The lockbox is blistering hot. During the night, the coals have cooled. Grim Ben holds the key to the lockbox.
- If lockbox is picked or opened, inside there's: 2 steel ingots, coat of dwarven mail, longsword, scrimshawed turtle shells, a ruby, and 50 silver / 5 pennies.
15 - Solar: A sitting room: the remains of a round table and chairs are visible, but rotted. Water pours out of room 16, flows through this room and into the hallway. A stained glass skylight of a sun with a beneficent face looks down on the room. The enchanted water and light have caused an abundance of trollish roses to bloom: they completely cover the north and east walls, including the east door. The scent is sickeningly sweet.
- Roses: Disturbing the blooms by attempting to open emits a fine pink mist. The scent is choking, dealing 1d6 damage per round. Ice damage kills them permanently.
16 - Font: A large, hexagonal stone bath dominates this room. It is overflowing, pouring water over its edges, which runs into room 15. The walls of the bathing font are decorated in vines, flowers, and leaves.
- Bath: The button to turn on/off the water is hidden in the face of the flower on the walls of the font.
- Bathing in the font removes curses, magical afflictions, temporary magical abilities, and suppresses the powers of submerged artifacts.
17 - Captain's Quarters: The remains of the captain's quarters: ruined desk, four-post bed, end table, iron candelabra, Rhudarian banner (seven three-pointed stars). A large turtle meanders around the room, looking for an exit.
- Turtle: If you can speak the language of turtles, it will tell you the waters from 16 removes enchantments and curses. It will also speak of a giant turtle that once dwelt in caverns under Cameth Brin (38.94).
18 - Ladder: The ladder up to the third floor.
(Third Floor)
19 - Mews: A mews, filled with 2d6+3 crebain. They complain loudly about intruders for a round before attacking. Hanging on the wall is a falconry glove of soft green leather with silver buckles. A ladder leads up to the top of the tower (room 21).
- Falconry glove: If identified, revealed to be a hawk's eye glove. A bird of prey released from the glove shares its sight with its owner.
20 - Battlements: Two copper braziers (once used for heating oil and pitch to repel besiegers) still stand in the northwest and northeast corner. (The other two braziers have been removed and used by Grim Ben.) Facing north, there is a statue of a knight.
- Statue: He shields his eyes with his left hand. His right hand seems conspicuously empty. A quiver of stone arrows at his side signifies he was once an archer.
- Pressing both eyes on the statue reveals a hidden compartment in the wall behind holding a Numenorean steel bow. The long bow can only be wielded by Man or Elf with a Strength +2 or better. It grants +3 to hit and +1 defense (being usable as a shield in close quarters). It can hit targets up to 600 yards. Within 100 yards, it grants +3 to Critical Wound rolls.
(Fourth Floor)
21 - Beacons: Point of interest. The top of the tower. A large stone basin that held the beacon fire. Another beacon tower, Rilineldor, can be seen to the north (48.89). Ruins can be seen to the southwest (50.87).
