Like Courtney Campbell before me, I have decided to take Kiel Chenier's 10 Random Facts challenge. But here I am limiting it to Hexnare, a megadungeon I am working on with Arnold Kemp:
1) Hexnare is the name of both the mountain and the ancient city which resides on the top of the mountain. It is sometimes called the Giants' Walk because giants live throughout the habitable areas beneath the walls of Hexnare.
2) The old palace of Hexnare has been ravaged by rivers of lava that spring up from within the mountain. These pools of lava sometimes erupt and destroy more buildings, or simply create new rivers of rock stretching down the side of the mountain. The mountain is not a volcano, the lava spreads out from a malfunctioning prison hundreds of feet beneath the city.
3) The last king of Hexnare held thrall over a demonic spirit, and when he died the demon was freed but cannot return to the Three Hells it spawned from until it finds somebody to open the portals under the dead king's bedchambers.
4) The Ecknoi are a diminutive, primitive people who live inside a 200 foot tall clock tower at the center of Hexnare. For any who can read the ancient language of the clock, it still keeps perfect time.
5) The original Hexnare is almost entirely destroyed. The ancient city that is currently called Hexnare destroyed the old one when it crash landed there 250 years ago.
6) There is an aqueduct and basin of water that still delivers fresh water to the entire ancient city of Hexnare. The water is supplied to the city magically, but the basin is currently overflowing and creates a waterfall on the northwestern edge of the city walls (and a river down that side of the mountain).
7) There are three ways to enter Hexnare, every other path is blocked by steep vertical ledges of rock hundreds of feet high. One is through a hidden passage at the base of the mountain behind the walls of a hidden fortress, the second is a difficult hike following the river that spills down the northwestern side of the mountain, and the third is by approaching from the south - through the giants' camp.
8) Within a crack of the city's streets a vast underground graveyard with many crypts can be found, but not a single undead.
9) There are 16 spirits that reside within Hexnare, they will challenge or reward those who explore Hexnare according to their nature. The only way to know about the existence of these spirits is to find the ruined temple where they were last tended to by the dwarves, before the dwarves abandoned the mountain.
10) This megadungeon is still being written but was started with the concept of a dungeon that goes up instead of down. Another core design theme is keeping huge central areas for the players to move around in, rather than the cramped corridors of a traditional dungeon crawl. Only two maps have been drawn. Explanations for who lives where and why have yet to be determined for much of the areas, however the facts listed above will not change.
> 1) Hexvouna is the name of both the mountain and the ancient city which resides on the top of the mountain.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent defensive location, but of course hard to get to as well. Ensure in the wider context that there is a very good strategic reason for the position (e.g., only mountain in the area surrounded by rich plains, abundant source of spring water in a desert etc).
> 2) The old palace of Hexvouna has been ravaged by rivers of lava that spring up from within the mountain.
OK, so this is volanic rock mountain and cave system, and by the sounds of it not entirely inactive either (which means it would need to have a *very* good reason for people to build there). Also makes the 'lonely mountain' thesis difficult. Plenty of nice glassy material there, and also hard. Much of the dungeon would be formed by natural caves rather than constructed.
> 3) The last king of Hexvouna held thrall over a demonic spirit, and when he died the demon was freed but cannot return to the Three Hells it spawned
Fits the old volcano thesis.
> 4) For any who can read the ancient language of the clock, it still keeps perfect time.
Because it is made with abundant jewels and crystals, like a fine old watch :)
> 6) There is an aqueduct and basin of water that still delivers fresh water to the entire ancient city of Hexvouna.
Suits water source proposition in desolate area quite well.
7) One is through a hidden passage at the base of the mountain
A volanic chimney would suit.
8) Within a crack of the city's streets a vast underground graveyard with many crypts can be found, but not a single undead.
Well, that's what the rumours say :)
> 10) Another core design theme is keeping huge central areas for the players to move around in
A former lava bubble would work well with this.
OK, hope this helps!
Re:
Delete1) yes
2)3)7)10) it's not a natural volcano ;)
8) nope, no undead, trying to avoid them throughout the adventure - I've already cheated by writing up a parasitic worm that gets smarter as its proximity to other parasitic worms increases