Scraps and Scrawlings: Dungeonfall over Bal-Caraid

quentin mabille

Some notes on the campaign I'll be running for my college friends this semester. Players, avert your eyes.

The Pitch:

There is a cloud that rains dungeons. Fifty years ago, one of those dungeons fell in a wetland valley. Adventurers pillaged the old ruins and built the city of Bal-Caraid on the wetlands with its riches. These days, Bal-Caraid is a hub of criminal activity, where you can buy and sell anything or anyone.

Soon, the dungeon squall will drift overhead. In anticipation of its arrival, the city is throwing a week-long festival. In spite of the fun, tensions are high; factions from outside the city are causing trouble, and the whole of Bal-Caraid seems infused with a sinister energy. Something terrible is going to happen here if you don’t act.

You’re here…
- …for the festival!
- …to find something/someone in Bal-Caraid.
- …to learn about the dungeon squall.
- …to make a profit.

The Twist:

The dungeon squall is actually a floating tomb-city, a la Laputa, wreathed in clouds and shedding pieces of itself as the magic supporting it fades. It belonged to an old empire, and is full of artifacts, traps, classic dungeon shit. It's also full of curses, and if it were to fall out of the sky it would crack like an egg and spill chaos over the continent.

concept art for Castle in the Sky

The Factions:

There are two rivers that feed into Bal-Caraid, the Tressent from the South and the Krahm from the North, and they refuse to mix. The rivers are feuding, probably because one of them has been steeped in cursed dungeon bits for a few decades (causing some unfortunate necromantic side effects downstream). River politicians navigate this conflict, trading favors with each river in exchange for safe travel for merchant clients. Thugs and druid cults serve the rivers in equal measure; think of them as wealthy, immortal, disaffected barons.

The Antiquarians are outsiders who follow the squall. They investigate its fallen dungeons, and pay handsomely for artifacts found within. Among their ranks are descendants of the lost imperials (by blood or belief) who seek to master the city and reclaim their heritage. If they are allowed to succeed, they'll drop the city back into the wetlands.

The Wizard Police are academy brats shepherded by a wizened old sage. They cruise about in their flying paddywagons and ask unwelcome questions to locals. Officially, they're here to root out necromancers and unlawful magic usage. Unofficially, they're here to throw their authority around and steal whatever magic shit they can get their hands on.

There are also local gangs, constantly battling over territory on the riverside, and the local detectives who hunt down traffickers. Both are deeply concerned for their communities and neighborhoods. Some worry that a dungeon will fall on their head, but they can't just leave the city. A huge Blue Lotus shipment is coming into harbor this week; if the two sides clash, it will be a bloodbath.

Also, sky pirates.

ruthless, greedy, and oddly sympathetic
they're the rival adventurers